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Big Growth, Small Footprint Markham Follows 11 Guiding Principles for Sustainability
October, 2007
By Jerry Amernic
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti was Municipal Chair of the Province of Ontario's Places to Grow Summit this past summer, helping to bring together senior-level government and community leaders to tackle some tough questions about the rapid growth of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This region, which includes the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Niagara Region, is growing by 100,000 people - about the size of a small city - every year. What's more, those 100,000 newcomers are bringing 50,000 additional cars with them every year.
Dynamic growth accompanied by monumental traffic congestion on city roads and highways translates into increased carbon emissions. That's bad for the environment. Addressing such a problem requires adequate funding at both the provincial and federal levels, not to mention a coordinated effort by all municipalities in the area.
In June, the Ontario government announced a $17.5-billion investment in a rapid-transit action plan for the GTA and Hamilton. The plan will extend the Yonge Street subway north to Highway 7, electrify the GO Lakeshore line to increase speed and reduce emissions, expand express bus service across Highway 407, and add two new rapid-transit lines across Hamilton.
This plan represents a bold new, integrated transit vision. That same kind of thinking is needed to address other issues in major urban areas, and the most important one of all may very well be environmental sustainability. In the past year, the environment has emerged as the burning issue in the hearts and minds of Canadians. With more and more people flocking to our largest urban centres - the population of the GTA including Hamilton is now about five million - the time to act is now.
Markham Centre is one such response. It is the largest, planned, mixed-use development in Canada today. Proponents suggest Markham Centre may turn out to be as influential as the Toronto suburb of Don Mills was back in the 1950s when it was Canada's first, major planned community.
In those days, however, the automobile was front and centre in the plan. Not so with Markham Centre.
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
Environmental sustainability is a key element in an approach that includes managing growth with diversity. The idea is to have development, but with minimal impact on the environment. Of course, transportation is a big part of any development, and the challenge is how to efficiently move large numbers of people.
In Markham Centre, the development involves capitalizing on the GO rail system, construction of a future Highway 407 Transitway, a municipal rapid-transit system in a dedicated corridor (the Region of York's 'VIVA' transit system), as well as bicycle routes and pedestrian pathways.
So far, the municipality has done the following things to protect and sustain the environment:
* Designated official Environmental Protection Areas across the Town.
* Opened the first phase of a bicycle network that will eventually cover 400 kilometres and link with similar trails in adjacent communities.
* Passed an anti-idling by-law to help reduce smog-related emissions and another by-law that will restrict the use of non-essential pesticides.
* Achieved its target for diverting 70% of waste from landfill, which is the highest of any municipality in North America, and has since upped that to 75%.
* Worked with developers to encourage the installation of green roofs, and to construct LEED buildings, which use less electricity and reduce water consumption.
DISTRICT ENERGY
Energy conservation is key to the whole approach. Markham District Energy Inc. - a municipally owned energy distribution company - has joined forces with developers to deliver heating and cooling to both commercial and residential developments that will reduce emissions by up to 50%. Heated or chilled water runs through a community-wide system of underground pipes with connections to each building. As water enters the building, thermal energy is extracted via heat exchangers to provide heating and cooling. The water is then returned to the plant so it can be reheated or cooled.
The system is built around a cogeneration plant where electricity, fuelled by natural gas, is produced for the local distribution grid. Thermal energy is recovered from the generator and is then used to heat and cool buildings. In the cold months, the recovered heat goes to producing hot water for space heating and domestic hot water. In the hot months, the thermal energy drives absorption-chilling technology to produce chilled water for space cooling.
Canada has more than 90 district energy systems, but although that might sound impressive, it represents less than 3% of the country's total building stock (residential, institutional, commercial). Markham's district energy system will result in a 50% reduction of CO2 emissions from the buildings in Markham Centre.
This will be accomplished through the use of high-efficiency equipment, along with heat and power technologies fuelled by clean natural gas. Whether for smaller townhouses or larger buildings, the advantages of district energy include:
* more efficient use of energy since less energy is wasted
* lower maintenance costs and simpler building operations
* reduced space needs since no chillers and boilers are required
* a better long-term return on investment.
ENCOURAGING LEED
Markham Centre also encompasses LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residential and office developments. Development must meet specific environmental standards in various categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation & design process to obtain one of four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold or platinum.
Markham Centre is home to green roof technology. Green roofs are complex growing systems on the rooftops of buildings, incorporating irrigation and drainage systems, high-quality waterproofing and root-repellant membranes to prevent roots from penetrating into the roofing membrane.
Last year the Town of Markham hosted a Green Roof Symposium for municipal staff, representatives from the development industry, and professionals who met to learn about green roof projects in Canada and around the world. Today, a green roof sits atop the recreational centre of the Tridel 'Circa' building at the corner of Highway 7 and Town Centre Boulevard.
Several others are planned. The environmental benefits of green roofs include:
* reduced storm runoff
* better heat and sound insulation
* improved air quality
* reduced ambient heat
* increased park space
* enhanced aesthetics.
In cities throughout North America they're talking big about sustainability, smart growth and people living in concert with the environment. Markham Centre achieves those results.
The Markham Centre Master Plan calls for sustaining a natural heritage system and promoting a pattern of mixed land use and transit-oriented development that reduces dependency on cars. The plan has 11 guiding principles with ecological sustainability at the very top of the list. Others include protection of the Rouge River Valley lands, encouraging pedestrian activity and public transit, and maintaining a high-quality public environment.
Mayor Scarpitti began his mandate last year with an outline of critical areas he wanted to address. The first is growth and how it can be harnessed to help and not hinder residents. The second is the environment and the high standards the municipality should strive for.
He also talked about the municipality's citizens creating a legacy for their children and grandchildren - a small footprint on the environment. So far, Markham is well on the way to honouring these commitments.
Jerry Amernic is a writer based in the Greater Toronto Area.
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