By MARK.HOLLAND@NEWMONACO.CA
Complete neighbourhoods
A central principle in sustainable and resilient cities is that of complete neighbourhoods that offer places to live, work, play, shop, learn and pray. In reality, each neighbourhood will have unique differences and will play a different role in its urban or regional economy and therefore will have a differing proportion of these uses, but overall, trying to make neighbourhoods as complete as possible is important. Complete mixed use neighbourhoods or urban areas have more economic activity, a greater level of interest and vitality, and increased internal trip capture thus reducing transportation financial impacts overall.
EDRS has been a major advocate for sustainable neighbourhoods since its inception. EDRS board members served in key roles for many years on the Planning Team and Advisory Group for the Southeast False Creek, model sustainable urban neighbourhood as Vancouver planned and built it out. In 2009 that neighbourhood received the highest LEED ND (neighbourhood) rating to date, resulting in the US Green Bldg Council declaring it the greenest neighbourhood in the world.
