The Greening of Vancouver

Vancouver's Green Plan is a beginning, but doesn't go far enough Vancouver has unveiled a new plan to be the greenest city in the world. This drew my interest because I’m currently involved in a new initiative called the World Innovation Challenge, which this year is attacking climate change, specifically the greenhouse gas problem. Its aim is to yield innovative solutions to the climate change problem.

Vancouver’s Green Plan is a beginning, but doesn’t go far enough

Vancouver has unveiled a new plan to be the greenest city in the world.

This drew my interest because I’m currently involved in a new initiative called the World Innovation Challenge, which this year is attacking climate change, specifically the greenhouse gas problem. Its aim is to yield innovative solutions to the climate change problem.

I recognize the political value of producing a plan such as Vancouver’s. But it isn’t one really. It’s mostly  just a lot of homilies. Achieving this goal is going to be a tall order unless the city starts getting  more practical and radical.

Let’s get to the heart of what makes a city green: Growing your own food or putting up green roofs is nice, but it’s not really going to happen for most people. To make an impact you have to innovate where it counts – how we move people around.
 
Encouraging people to walk or ride bicycles is not an innovation. It’s just a feel good reversion to back in the day. Most people simply won’t do it.
 
So we have to be more innovative in the area of transportation, not just in Vancouver, but in the entire region.

Want to take cars off the road, clean up the air, and create thousands of green jobs?

Here’s my humble suggestion. Borrow and reinvent what many world cities have been doing for years. Make it easier for people to get around without a car.
 
First, the stick approach. Charge big for anyone who wants to bring their car downtown. People who feel they really need it will pay, while others will use alternatives. Ban street parking almost everywhere during business hours.
 
The carrot approach is to provide those alternatives, such as low-cost jitneys that traverse bridges and all main routes in dedicated lanes to downtown and across town. Or create (and sell at low cost) small, energy efficient double occupancy vehicles for those who insist on having a private vehicle.
 
However, to undertake this kind of innovation, this region’s politicians are going to requie some cojones. They’re going to have to be willing to face a tsunami of criticism from people who want to cling to familiar comfort zones and will fight any kind of change.

They’re  also going to have to fight off the special interest forces,  including the unions who purport to back the council as well as the “business interests” that are too often seen as the villains in these debates. Businesses are generally resilient and can adjust, albeit with grumbling; I’m not so sure about the unions.

Good for this city council for at least thinking of doing something before we all choke in our own smog.

Too bad it’s not nearly enough.