HRM, as Atlantic Canada’s largest city, is facing the challenges of rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Past municipal reports indicate that certain downtown areas and parts of Point Pleasant Park could be underwater in the near future. It is crucial to collaborate with citizens and all levels of government to address this issue promptly, as delaying action will only make it more challenging to manage.
HRM needs to focus on improving the recycling of waste from construction activities. The municipality should take immediate steps to establish a Circular Cities Network with other municipalities and towns in Nova Scotia. Through HalifACT, HRM can partner with local universities to create a Resource Innovation and Solutions Network (RISN) as an incubator hub for developing solutions to reduce waste during demolition and construction processes. RISN could also explore ways to reduce construction costs by incorporating more environmentally friendly materials.
While the greenest building is one that already exists, there is always room for improvement in terms of efficiency. I propose the implementation of retrofit programs for existing residential and commercial buildings, which should be integrated with any future changes to land use bylaws.
Drawing inspiration from a study conducted in the Netherlands, I suggest adopting six strategies to reduce materials and CO2 emissions:
– Better utilization of the existing housing stock
– Repurposing and transforming vacant and commercial buildings into residential spaces
– Constructing smaller homes, with a shift towards apartments and a 10% reduction in the size of all homes
– Increasing the use of high-quality reused parts and materials to 9.5%, including exploring urban mining and materials passports
– Promoting biobased construction, with a goal of 50% biobased ground-based homes and 30% biobased stacked construction
– Embracing intensive industrialization, with a target of 50% residential industrial production through building modular houses in factories and transporting them to construction sites for a more sustainable approach.
– Protect our urban forest
– advocate for a electric car charging station network in HRM