Markham’s Sustainability Strategies
In response to the global forces of
change and Markham’s vision and sustainability priorities, the following
integrative strategies have been established to guide Markham toward becoming
one of the most livable and sustainable cities in North America:
1.
Strategy: Creating Complete Neighbourhoods as the Foundation
of a Great Community
Strong
and sustainable neighborhoods are the foundation of Markham. They are the places where people of all
means, abilities, beliefs and backgrounds come together to share a sense of
belonging and neighborliness.
Neighbourhoods provide opportunities for people to learn about one and
other to create a common voice for engaging local government and maintaining a
high quality of life. They are safe places
where children feel comfortable exploring their world and all people feel
comfortable freely expressing themselves.
Neighborhoods combine with other neighborhoods to create a great
community.
Strong and sustainable neighbourhoods meet
all of peoples’ daily social, economic and environmental needs within walking
distance of where people live. They form
the base which all other aspects of the community are built. Neighbourhoods that are walkable reduce
energy consumption, contribute to individual health, provide ecosystems services
and are hubs for social interaction.
In a sustainable Markham, a neighborhood includes the following
physical elements:
•
Many types of housing forms including single detached homes, duplexes,
townhouses, live/work units, and medium and high rise apartments in densities
that support transit service.
•
Housing tenure diversity that includes ownership, rental, non-market
affordable and supportive housing that promotes greater income and household
diversity and allows for aging in place.
•
Accessible, inclusive, and appropriately scaled:
• Schools and other learning
institutions.
• Cultural and recreational amenities
including libraries, community centres, gathering places, parks, and trail and open
space systems
• Places to access social
services
• Places to work
• Food stores, small or large grocery
stores and restaurants
• local serving businesses
such as retail stores and offices
• Places of worship
•
Distributed energy facilities
•
Connections to surrounding communities
1.1. Goal 1 - Walkable,
Accessible, and Inclusive Neighbourhoods: Create places that Bring People
Together.
How this Goal Addresses our Priorities:
•
Equity: Families benefit from
walkable and complete neighbourhoods because they can reduce the cost of living
by reducing travel costs. If the daily needs are within short walking distances
from home, seniors and the mobility-challenged have greater opportunity for
convenient, low cost and independent living.
•
Health: Walkable mixed use
neighbourhoods enable more active lifestyles and promote human interaction and
expression.
•
Shelter: Greater housing diversity
(building typologies, affordability, etc.) creates more opportunities for
affordable, rental and non-market housing and allow people of all means to
interact.
•
Food: Development
intensification in existing urban areas reduces pressure on farmed land in
non-developed portions of Markham and the region. Complete neighbourhoods also
promote greater access to healthy food and grocery stores.
•
Mobility: Intense development leads to
more viable and frequent transit and greater mixed use will make walking more
viable and desirable.
•
Ecosystems: Development
Intensification will not decrease ecosystems in non-developed portion of
Markham.
•
Energy: Compact development will
create emission reductions that result from greater transit use and
walking/cycling. Similarly, higher density housing is more energy efficient
that single detached housing.
•
Water: High density communities
create more opportunity for viable water reuse (eg. centrally collected
wastewater can be treated and reused for irrigation in parks and/or
landscaping)
1.1.1. Objective 1: Regenerate existing neighbourhoods through
sensitive evolution.
Recommendations:
•
Regeneration: Create a department of
regeneration focused on infrastructure modernization, public engagement, and
socio-cultural aspects of neighborhoods built prior to 201X to respond to
issues related to climate change and increasing energy costs.
•
Geographically define Markham neighborhoods within existing communities
as follows:
§ Pedestrian Oriented Redevelopment: Focus
regeneration on pedestrian needs.
§ Centre: The heart of a neighborhood.
It contains a mixture of uses located on a neighborhood “high-street,” is
approximately 2 blocks in length or no more than 250 meters, includes viable
local-serving retail, varied housing choices including low rise apartments, access
to services and community facilities, and rapid or frequent transit.
§ Extent: The 15 min walkshed, measured from the neighbourhood’s
centre, loosely defines the neighbourhood. This represents 1 200 walkable meters
from the neighborhood centre (as opposed to a 1 200 meter radius) and should
take into consideration barriers such as large and hostile streets, rail
crossings, large format blocks, and natural
features.
§ Structure: The structure of a complete
neighbourhood is defined by a well connected street and trail network and appropriately
sized blocks. Generally, the perimeter
of a block should not exceed 450 meters or approximately a five minute walk for
a person travelling at 1.5 meter per second.
Where finely grained blocks are not feasible, emphasis should be placed
on creating pedestrian connections.
§ Identity: Define planning units within larger existing
communities by identifying new neighbourhoods.
Develop high quality public realm, including heritage preservation, as a
means to identity the distinct neighborhoods.
§ Design: Develop neighbourhood appropriate urban design and architectural
character guidelines that promote placemaking and general Markham guidelines
that promote built form focused on liveability and walkability to support
community development and gathering.
•
Neighbourhoods Co-Creation
Process: Use a co-creative and engagement communication
model of neighbourhood planning for regenerating neighbourhoods. Work with and educate residents to create
more complete neighbourhoods through identifying and creating new buildings,
streetscapes, landscaping, and infrastructure measures that will reduce
greenhouse gases, waste generation, and improved energy and water efficiency.
•
Retrofit Neighborhoods to be
More Resilient: Promote sensitive resiliency
redevelopment in the following order of priority:
•
Live-work: Promote live-work
development adjacent and within neighbourhoods and along major roads.
•
Intensification Areas: Strategically intensify
underutilized areas such auto-oriented retail places, strip malls, large-format
retail sites, and undeveloped sites in and around existing neighbourhood to
serve as neighborhood centres and to increase residential densities to support
transit.
•
Leverage Transit through
Active Transportation Investments: For areas within a 5 minute walk from existing or
planned rapid transit stations, create compact, mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly
neighbourhood centres.
•
Residential Intensification: Promote sensitive
redevelopment of existing housing to higher intensity grade related housing
semi-detached, town- or row-housing, and low rise apartments.
•
Focus on water, energy, and socio-cultural resiliency in the
neighborhood regeneration through the use of smart systems, monitoring, and
communication.
1.1.2. Objective 2: Plan, design & construct high performance
new neighbourhoods.
Recommendations:
•
Intensive Mixed Use
Development: Prioritize
intense mixed use development for new neighbourhoods:
•
Pedestrian Oriented
Development: Ensure
residential densities and other uses support pedestrian oriented activities and
are transit-supportive at all scales.
•
Greater Mixed Use: Pursue a more mixed-use
model of community planning and design that integrates business, industry and
residential development in one neighbourhood.
•
Open Space Systems: Integrate parks and open
spaces, such as actively programmed parks and plazas that promote community gathering
and physical activity for all users, with emphasis on families, youth and
seniors.
•
Housing Choices: Make full use of policy and
regulatory tools and pursue partnerships and government funding to deliver
housing tenure diversity, and non-market affordable and supportive housing
options in large scale redevelopment.
•
Energy Optimization: Planning new neighbourhoods
using appropriate modeling and analytical tools, including asset mapping, that
demonstrate optimized neighbourhood design that delivers minimum energy
consumption and greenhouse gas generation and responds to socio-cultural needs.
•
Social Capital: As a condition of approval,
new neighborhoods should include a plan that identifies how social assets
(galleries, recreation centres, libraries, parks, plazas, squares, etc. – both
public and private) will be made accessible to residents
•
Soils: Maintain the health and
quality of soils throughout the development of new neighborhoods and work with
natural topography and hydrology.
1.2. Goal 2:
Multi-Modal Transportation System: 40% of (combined) trips to work make use of
transit, walking and cycling.
How this Goal Addresses our Priorities:
•
Equity: Transit, walking and cycling
are more affordable mobility options than car ownership and usage and therefore
minimize the negative impacts of having a low income.
•
Health: Re-introducing daily
activity such as walking and cycling into daily lives positively affect
individual health and reduce incidences of obesity and cardio-vascular disease.
•
Mobility: More investment in
transit/active transportation infrastructure (including corresponding density
increases) will reduce auto-dependency while also creating significantly more
choice for personal transportation.
•
Climate Protection: 33% of Markham’s GHG
emissions come from transportation sources, most of which comes from personal
vehicles. Shifting to low impact modes of transport such as cycling, transit,
and walking as the main modes of travel reduces GHG emissions and therefore
mitigates climate change.
1.2.1. Objective : Create a culture of walking, cycling and transit
usage
Recommendations:
•
Pedestrian Oriented
Redevelopment: Focus on pedestrian needs as a priority.
•
Transportation Demand
Management: Increase
funding and seek partnerships to implement transit demand management
initiatives including:
Support Pricing Policies: Implement local and/or
support regional pricing policies, such as toll roads and congestion fees that
encourage transit use and active transportation.
Partnerships: Partner with schools and
employers to reduce automobile trips by implementing transportation demand
initiatives.
Car Sharing: Promote the use of car
sharing as a viable choice offsetting vehicle ownership
Active Mode Priority: Require that all new
development be designed primarily for pedestrian and cycle circulation
Efficiency: Work with employers and
other destinations to spread out peak use of roads.
•
Shift Spending &
Planning Focus: Shift spending and planning priorities to promote greater walking,
cycling, transit use; this implies a shift in community planning and development
to place a greater emphasis on optimizing land use and public realm design to
increase the viability of these modes.
•
Integrated Routes &
Facilities: Expand
multi-modal network improvements by creating dedicated and integrated
pedestrian and cycling routes that connect predominant housing areas to
employment areas, amenities and institutions. Create transit opportunities for
non-employment destinations such as entertainment precincts, tourist
destinations, services. Integrate
transit and cycling facilities by ensuring cycling network and bus route
connectivity and installing bike lockers at stations and on-bus bike racks.
•
Transfer Facilities: Integrate multi-modal
transportation exchanges in neighbourhood centres including bus stops, bicycle
storage, share cars, and private vehicle and taxi parking.
•
Accessible & Safe: Make walking, cycling and
transit use safe, convenient and usable for all of Markham’s residents with
emphasis on youth and children, people with disabilities, non-English speaking
or reading residents and low income individuals.
1.2.2. Objective 2: Create roads for all users
Recommendations:
•
Capacity: Increase transportation
system capacity through policies focused on creating network efficiency,
increasing modal split, incentives for private sector transit operators,
intelligent transportation technology, while not investing in road widening.
•
Goods and Services: Focus on goods and service
transportation including rail modes.
•
Road Classification: Create a simple Markham
street classification system focused on three layers: neighborhood, community,
and region. Create standards that
respond to these contexts and work with other levels of government to meet
Markham’s needs related climate change resiliency and energy use.
•
Active Mode Priority: Implement measures that
enable transit, cycling and pedestrian priority over single occupancy vehicles
on all major routes and intersections.
•
Safe Environments: Implement design and land use
measures that maximize pedestrian & cyclist-friendly comfort on all streets.
•
Design: Equitably design streets so
that non-automobile modes are viable year-round, safe, comfortable, and
efficient. Focus efforts on high-streets
in regeneration areas.
1.3. Goal 3:
Integrated Open Space Network: Create a network of parks, trails and valleys
lands that promote habitat and connectivity.
How this Goal Addresses our Priorities:
•
Food: Parks and open spaces in
neighbourhoods provide ample opportunity for food growing and celebration.
•
Mobility: Interconnected urban
network facilitates easy passage of cycles and pedestrians.
•
Health: Re-introducing daily
activity such as walking and cycling into daily lives positively affect
individual health and reduce incidences of obesity and cardio-vascular disease.
•
Ecosystems: 46% of Markham is urbanized;
within this area, streets, yards and parks offer significant opportunities for
naturalization initiatives. Any increase
in vegetation in these areas also creates habitat and reduces the heat island
effect (an urban forest can help reduce urban ambient temperature by absorbing
sunlight that would otherwise be reflected by hard surfaces). Finally, network
connectivity in urban areas can connect with regional ecosystems and green
areas.
•
Culture and Identity: Cultural heritage and
interpretation of open spaces contribute to sense of place and creates
neighborhood destinations
1.3.1. Objective 1: Connect Communities
Recommendations:
•
Urban Trail Network: Develop an urban trails and
greenway network that facilitates walking and cycling to major civic
institutions and employment areas within the community. Specifically:
•
Prioritize off-road trails and greenway networks
•
When off-road routes are not feasible or viable, provide safe and
separated bike lanes within the street right of way.
•
When separated on-road cycle lanes are not viable, implement safe and
convenient on-road cycling lanes within the street right of way.
•
Habitat Enhancement: Take a ‘habitat enhancement’
approach to park planning, maintenance and management for all new landscaped
areas. Make use of public lands and
power line right of ways for planting of native plants.
•
Urban Forest: Create an urban forest and
set achievable targets for urban canopy coverage in public open spaces. Continue the Trees for Tomorrow tree planting
program and funding but focus efforts to be consistent with an urban forest
strategy.
•
Educational Resources: Develop eco-education
resources for homeowners and businesses to raise awareness of landscape
planting and management practices that promote habitat creation.
•
Maintenance: Maintain pedestrian paths
and bicycle trails year-round at the same service levels as automobile routes
•
Meet the Needs of an Aging
Population:
Provide places to rest, orient, get a drink of water, or use a washroom within
the public realm of trails and greenways.
2.
Strategy: Robust and Resilient Infrastructure
Sustainable communities are supported
by reliable and resilient infrastructure that adapts to the needs of
users. Robust infrastructure requires
less energy to function, harnesses natural processes, and is relevant to
evolving community form.
2.1. Goal 4 - High
Performance Buildings: Net Zero Energy, Water, Waste and Emission Buildings by
2030.
How this Goal Addresses Markham’s Priorities:
·
Education: Learning
opportunities for homeowners and businesses related to energy efficiency,
renewable energy and green buildings.
·
Health: Greener
buildings promote material use and construction techniques that produce
healthier indoor environments.
·
Identity and Culture: Buildings in Markham
will be open and inviting, enhancing public space. Large commercial centres with expansive
grounds should double as public parks on weekends.
·
Ecosystem Integrity: Our buildings and their surrounding grounds should provide
and enhance wildlife habitat, an example would be birdhouses on site.
·
Shelter: New
homes in Markham must be flexible to allow for changing family demands. Retrofits should not be limited to energy
improvement, they must allow for intensification and many generations of one
family living comfortably under one roof.
·
Materials Management: Green buildings create demand for recycled materials and
green technologies, services and materials. Buildings can also be designed to
facilitate waste diversion and avoidance.
·
Energy & Climate: The largest source of GHG emissions in Markham is from
buildings (66% of total emissions from buildings (45% from single detached
alone)). Focusing on improving the performance of all buildings and existing
single detached will yield significant GHG reductions.
·
Water: Green
buildings promote water conservation and building retrofits will reduce water
consumption.
·
Economic Vibrancy: Markham’s aggressive building targets will create expertise
and leadership that our developers and builders will be able to market and
export to other jurisdictions.
2.1.1.
Objective 1: Aggressively improve resource efficiency and reduce
waste and emissions from existing buildings.
Recommendations:
·
Educational & Awareness Resources: Increase building owner (or operator) awareness of energy
efficiency opportunities and renewable energy
generation in existing buildings. Benefit from Town energy efficiency and
renewable energy generation leadership by hosting building manager information
sharing events and developing regular report newsletters that communicate
financial and environmental benefits.
·
Retrofit Programs: Develop home and commercial building retrofit programs that
aim for net zero, green buildings with homeowners, commercial building
operators and technology providers that make full use of policy, regulatory
tools and that leverage partnership and funding opportunities. Special incentives should be developed that
promote intensification in developed areas.
2.1.2.
Objective 2: Require high performance and green new buildings.
Recommendations
·
Commitment: Accept
the Living Building Challenge 2.0 by requiring all new Town buildings meet this
standard starting in 2015.
·
Green Building Strategy: Develop a strategy for net zero, green buildings for new
buildings with developers and builders. In the strategy, ensure development
approval processes do not create barriers to implementing net zero buildings
and align all policies and regulations to reduce any barriers to net zero
building development.
·
Energy Modelling: Require intensive and accurate energy
modelling as a part of the integrated design process for all new building. Mandate that building design and orientation
are optimized for passive solar gain and shading depending on the season.
·
Operations: Develop incentive tools and education
programs so that new buildings are continually operated to meet or exceed their
original energy model efficiency.
·
Dual plumbing systems: Require that all new buildings have dual plumbing and
systems to harvest rainwater, reuse grey water and process black water so that
high quality drinking water is not used to convey waste or for irrigation. (could
be redundant as this is the LBC 2.0)
·
Recycled and Regional Content: Set targets for recycled and regional material content for
new buildings as a means to create demand for recycled materials.
·
Split Incentive: Adopt or develop financial tools and programs that balance
the ‘split incentive’ where energy efficiency improvements are paid for by the
builder but savings are reaped by the occupants.
·
Awards: Implement
green building award program(s) to raise the profile of new developments and
their developers and operations teams for achieving excellence in building
performance.
Early Actions & Catalyst Projects:
·
Promote
the use of private sector tools such as green building rating programs
(LEED™EBOM, Energy Star or BOMA Go Green) as a policy measure and/or through
incentive programs as a means to improve building energy performance.
2.2. Goal 5 -
Smart and Resilient Water, Energy, Waste Management and Information Infrastructure
and Services
How this Goal Addresses Markham’s Priorities:
·
Economic
Vibrancy:
Local employment generation from research, development and testing of new smart
technologies in Markham by Markham companies from local infrastructure
construction.
·
Energy &
Climate:
Neighbourhood distributed and networked combined energy and water systems
reduce emissions and reuse wastewater and promote greater local resilience.
·
Materials
Management: Waste
diversion potential with integrated infrastructure and targeted waste diversion
strategies.
·
Water: Smart infrastructure will increase water
safety and up time of service.
·
Access +
Mobility:
Resilient information infrastructure will allow telecommuting, low or no cost
wireless access across the Town, and emergency bulletin distribution swiftly.
2.2.1. Objective: Develop a Smart and Reliable Infrastructure
Network
Recommendations:
·
Infrastructure
Monitoring: Develop
the ability to monitor, understand, and manage infrastructure to use resources
optimally and ensure a high level of service
·
Smart City
Initiative: Partner
with technology firms and infrastructure industry to develop Smart City
technology tested in Markham and delivered to the world.
o
Initiatives could include but not be limited to; traffic/roads,
parking, water, street lighting, energy services management and electric
vehicle demand and supply to the grid
·
Neighbourhood Distributed
Energy:
Implement distributed carbon neutral energy systems for the heating and cooling
of Markham’s new and retrofitted buildings. For Markham's existing district
energy system, pursue an energy “greening strategy” to replace natural gas
powered equipment.
2.2.2.
Objective: Build and
retrofit adaptable and integrated infrastructure for new infrastructure
systems.
Recommendations:
·
Adaptable?
·
Integrated
Systems: Implement
integrated infrastructure for all community services to sustainably manage
water, energy and material resources.
·
Waste Heat
Recovery: Where
available harvest waste heat from any reasonable source; from homes to
neighbourhoods and business parks.
2.2.3.
Objective: Achieve zero waste.
Recommendations:
·
Culture Shift: Develop a
culture of conservation and waste minimization – water, energy, materials, and
other resources through education and access to real time information.
·
Community
Diversion Days: Schedule two days a year where Markham residents will place
used but not used up items on their curbside for other residents to select and
take home for continued use to reduce waste generation.
·
Seek
Commitments from Businesses: Work with local businesses to adopt
zero waste strategies and seek partnerships with local business to accept
returned waste materials generated by consumer goods purchased at the business.
·
Producer
Responsibility: Where possible, require or advocate for producer
responsibility regulations for waste materials.
·
Green
Procurement: Ensure service agreements for municipal services include
sustainability provisions such as requirements for energy efficiency, renewable
energy generation, zero waste management, reuse of recycled materials, and/or
achieving social objectives such as local employment targets.
·
Increase Waste
Diversion: Address
diversion opportunities for ‘non-residential’ waste such as commercial and
small businesses, government operations and services such as Libraries, Parks,
Community Centers, Fire, Police, Administration, and Works. Consider
alternative technologies for managing waste materials such as “Pipe Technology”
for large scale new developments
·
End of Life
Financing:
Require materials that are not readily recyclable be taxed at a rate consummate
with their safe disposal cost
2.2.4.
Objective: Maximize
water efficiency and minimize wastewater generation.
Recommendations:
·
Integrated
Storm water Management: Implement integrated storm water management practices for
all new, retrofit and infill development. Implement and integrated into the
planning process context-appropriate ecological storm water management
practices such as bioswales, permeable paving, streets trees and others. Ensure a site’s natural hydrology is maintained
and enhanced.
·
Displace
Drinking Water Use: Implement policies and structures where grey water is
reused, black water is recycled and storm water is captured for use; displacing
consumption of high quality drinking wherever possible.
·
Distributed
Water Strategy: Develop an integrated, distributed and safe water management
system (potable, grey and black water) that uses potable water for drinking and
human contact uses and non-potable water for all other uses
o
Strategy needs to include residential, and industrial,
commercial, industrial and fire suppression uses.
·
Efficiency: Promote programs to increase water fixture
efficiency upgrades and mandate minimum efficiencies for all new water fixtures
installed.
·
Water Pricing: Implement
conservation pricing for potable water that will push users to move to
harvested, reused and recycled water for non potable needs.
2.3. Goal 6 -
Viable Ecosystems and Landscapes: Net increase in extent of Natural function
within Markham’s urban environment and preserve existing natural areas.
How this Goal Addresses Markham’s Priorities:
·
Education: Wild spaces and
naturalized areas provide opportunities for an ‘outdoor classroom’. Focus on the value of wildlife to our
society.
·
Ecosystems: Increasing
natural areas, including networking open space, that allow for storm water
absorption, allow for healthy stream environments and wildlife habitat. Ecosystems and their processes will improve
air and water quality.
·
Climate and
Energy:
Increased tree and green coverage in Markham will reduce urban heat island
effects, lowering ambient temperatures, reducing summertime cooling demands and
therefore decreasing overall energy use.
2.3.1.
Objective 1: Thirty percent tree canopy and vegetation
coverage in the urban environment.
Recommendations:
·
Urban Forest: Develop and
maintain an urban forest planting strategy and plan
·
Native Species: Improve natural processes in urban areas by using native and resilient
plant species.
Specify plant species that are “Climate Change Ready”; these plants are native
and diverse and should prevent or manage potential for invasive species and
resilient in the face of extreme weather events and increasing average annual
temperatures.
·
Markham Nursery: Create a native tree and plant
nursery for to supply the Town and residents needs.
·
Appropriate Tree Type and Location: Develop rules
and guidelines with academic and industry experts for tree type and placement
for home owners and developers that will maximize energy efficiency.
·
Wildlife Habitat:
Implement private development landscaping
standards by integrating plant species and planting strategies that attract
songbirds, insects and other urban animals.
Do not limit ourselves to ground level, green roofs and green spaces in
or on buildings can provide wildlife habitats as well.
·
Private Sector
Codes: Revise
standards and make use of green building rating programs (such as LEED™) to
advance native landscaping requirements and site canopy coverage.
·
Tree Care: Provide
education and assistance programs for home owners to properly care for and
manage their trees to extend their lives as long as possible.
·
Understory and
Canopy Regeneration: Ensure that new trees are planted to replace aging trees in
mature areas.
·
Reclaim Urban
Timber: Harvest end of
life tree materials for recycling and reuse within Markham.
·
Local Food: Community gardens and street fruit and
nut trees will assist in providing green space as well as local food
opportunities.
·
2.3.2.
Objective 2: Develop and support wildlife habitat
Recommendations:
·
Connect
Disconnected Green Spaces: Deliberate connection of disconnected spaces to allow
wildlife movement across the Town.
·
Flexible Multi-Faceted
Landscapes:
Provide green spaces that are biodiverse, climate adaptable, flexible and for
all creature’s enjoyment.
·
Renaturalize: Streams and
habitats that have been built over by restoring watersheds and subwatersheds of
the Don and Rouge Rivers.
·
·
Natural
Heritage Network: Develop an interconnected Natural Heritage Network. Work
towards connectivity between existing green spaces and ensure they are of sufficient
quality and size to support wildlife.
·
Urban Edge: Define a
permanent urban boundary that both preserves remnant green spaces and farming
where appropriate. The edge will define a permanent urban / rural boundary by
using strong land use and design tools (land use, parcelization, buildings,
open space, roads, community gardens, small edge hobby farms, etc.).
·
Refuge: Work with local
partners to develop a local wild life refuge, shelter and rehabilitation centre.
2.4. Goal 7 -
Create & Support a Local Food System: Significantly increase food growing, celebration
and processing in Markham.
How this Goal Addresses Markham’s Priorities:
·
Social Equity: Families can
reduce household food expenditures if they are able to grow their own food.
·
Health: Garden grown
food and gardening promote healthy eating and living.
·
Food Security: Local food
growing and processing will increase food security in Markham.
·
Identity &
Culture: Local
food growing reinforces Markham’s identity as an agricultural community and
will provide culturally appropriate foods to residents.
·
Education &
Skills:
Families can make food choices that are healthier, better for the environment,
more ethical, and that supports the local economy.
·
Local Economy: Local jobs can
be created as food growing, processing and celebration opportunities increase.
·
Energy &
Climate: Localizing
food growing and processing can help reduce GHG generation.
2.4.1.
Objective: Support education and engagement in the local
food system
Recommendations:
·
Food Policy
Council: Create
a group of representatives from many sectors of the food system to identify
opportunities in Markham
·
Food Literacy: Provide
training for food preparation, cooking, nutrition, ethical and environmental
choices, and growing at existing facilities or create new facilities (community
kitchens, community food centres).
·
Incubate New
Farmers: Create
training, mentorship and land access opportunities for youth and immigrants.
·
Garden Network: Assist
gardeners in sharing knowledge and resources through events, workshops and
resources.
2.4.2.
Objective: Significantly increase community food producing opportunities.
Recommendations:
·
Community
Gardening: Plan
and implement community gardens on town-owned land and community kitchens in
community centers.
·
Private
Community Gardens: Implement requirements for community garden plots for higher
density developments that meet the needs of residents
·
Backyard
Sharing Program: Provide a forum for residents to share available land and
gardening knowledge
·
Learning Gardens:
Promote
healthy eating and living by promoting local food by developing demonstration
gardens and implementing food growing educational programs at town facilities
·
Community
Orchard:
Plan and implement community based orchards as part of enhancements to the
urban canopy
·
Residential
Soil Standards: Set soil standards in new communities so that yards and
boulevards are “garden ready” and provide assistance to existing neighbourhoods
to amend soil
·
By-law
Alignment: Review
all Town by-laws to ensure the support of food production within the urban
boundary
2.4.3.
Objective: Significantly increase the viability of local
commercial food growing and processing.
Recommendations:
·
Implement the recommendations from the Agricultural
Assessment Study
·
Celebrating locally produced and seasonal food at events
and/or Town facilities
·
Promote existing and support further food events that
celebrate local, seasonal, and culturally diverse foods
·
Increase opportunities for farmers to sell food locally by
encouraging roadside food sales, kiosks in high traffic areas, and Community
Supported Agriculture (CSAs).
·
Establish small plot intensive (SPiN)farming support network
·
Promote food vending of locally grown/processed food in
local schools and institutions.
·
Plan and promote the development of a food precinct as a
means for local food brokerage, vending, processing and consumptions as a means
to create greater connections between local farmers and their markets [what is a food precinct side bar box]
·
Incorporate the production of local food into Markham’s
future economic plans
·
Support the success of existing farmers through ongoing
consultation, advocating for long-term leases, financial incentives, land use
policy, farm-friendly infrastructure, and innovative programs
3.
Strategy:
Continuing Health and Prosperity
Sustainable communities promote individual and community
health and create opportunities for people to meet their physical,
intellectual, and emotional needs.
3.1.
Goal 8: Healthy
People: Proactively create the conditions for physical and mental health within
Markham for all citizens.
How this goal addresses our priorities:
·
Social Equity -
Fosters community interaction, and develops teamwork and leadership. Welcoming
services and interaction with fellow citizens promotes understanding and
learning.
·
Identity & Culture – Promotes a sense of belonging through celebrations,
festivals and block parties
·
Individual
Health
- Supports and promotes active living and healthy lifestyle choices through
partnerships with neighbourhood schools, community gardens, and social clubs, with
an emphasis on neighbourhood focused retail, walkable streets
·
Food Security –
Nutritional, healthy and culturally appropriate foods to nurture physical and
metal health
·
Access & Mobility – Complete and connected neighbourhoods encourage active
transportation
·
Education &
Skills
Promote greater participation in town recreational programs and services
3.1.1. Objective 1: Promote and support physical health of Markham citizens
Recommendations:
·
Provide equal access to all public recreation programs for
Markham citizens regardless of means
·
Establish safe routes to schools and walking school bus
programs with York Region School Boards
·
Develop a plan where community facilities act as heating or
cooling centres during times of need
·
Develop and deliver
healthy eating and lifestyle curriculum and vending with Markham Libraries and
Community Centres and local schools
·
Ban smoking at all sites and buildings that serve the public
in Markham, including outdoors
·
Eliminate sales of
high calorie, low nutrition, foods and drinks from public facilities and
discourage marketing of these items to children
3.1.2. Objective 2: Promote and support the mental health of Markham citizens
Recommendations:
·
Coordinate, monitor, and align with public health
organizations to ensure comprehensive mental health services are available
within community facilities at no cost
·
Partner with agencies to provide accessible life long
learning opportunities
·
Work with neighborhoods to promote a sense of belonging by
ensuring that they are well cared for,
safe, inspire pride, create a sense of spiritual well-being and increase
opportunities for neighbours to meet (celebrations and festivals)
·
Reduce isolation of vulnerable individuals by providing
accessible services, support networks, outreach and community spaces
·
Establish community connection programs that put seniors and
youth together
·
Foster a sense of openness and understanding about mental
health within the community
3.1.3. Objective 3: Reduce the impacts of household poverty
Recommendations:
·
Engage and empower vulnerable residents to build individual
and neighbourhood capacity to address economic and social challenges
·
Develop a housing plus transportation geared to income
housing affordability strategy
·
Assign
social planning role within town
·
Work toward 10,000 new jobs (10% of new 2031 ELE jobs) to be
provided through local economic development and/or poverty reduction
initiatives;
·
Partner with local businesses to develop criteria and set
targets for employing low income individuals who reside in Markham (e.g. 5%
local employee target for large businesses)
·
Create community resource centres in schools, libraries, and
community centres where goods and services can be exchanged, reclaimed or
recycled
·
Partnerships for food programs, clubs and growing
3.2. Goal 9: Inclusive and Engaging Government: Council and Committees are
representative of Markham’s cultural, household income, and gender composition.
How this
goal addresses our priorities:
·
Social Equity Opportunities
for greater youth involvement
·
Markham’s
Mosaic Index is one of the highest in Canada (if not highest); welcoming
services and interaction with fellow citizens promotes understanding and
learning.
·
Diversity
is under-represented on Council and Committees highest in Canada
·
Maintain
performance as community grows
3.2.1. Objective 1: Encourage greater existing and new resident involvement in
decision making and community stewardship.
Recommendations:
· Civics classes
to help residents understand the planning, infrastructure and budget process so
they know how to ask for changes in their community
· Work with
governmental service providers to coordinate and integrate service delivery
within neighborhoods.
· Implement an
“Active Neighbourhood Associations” governance model, as an alternative to or
replacement of Ratepayers Associations that aims to empower individuals to be
more active in neighbourhood environmental, social and economic stewardship,
program and services delivery and local decision making.
· Identify
committee representativeness criteria and strategically target corresponding
demographic groups for participation on Town committees so as to achieve a more
representative membership. Where
required, provide appropriate level of support services so as to ensure success
of more diverse committees such as personal assistants, and signing and
language support.
· Develop a
community engagement policy and approach to as to ensure greater diversity of
involvement in community planning and increase voter turnout
3.2.2. Objective 2: Promote greater youth involvement in decision making and
participation.
Recommendations:
· Develop social media
as a means to communicate with youth
·
Develop a
shadow youth council where members of council and staff serve as mentors to
engage youth in the political process
·
Develop
targeted services to engage at-risk youth
·
Seek
youth input in planning decisions and other decisions that shape the community
·
Create
spaces for youth at community centres and the Civic Centre
·
Encourage
youth to celebrate the community and their neighbourhoods through festivals and
events
·
Create
mentorship opportunities for youth in Markham, including peer-to-peer and
adult-to-youth
·
Create a
compensation mechanism to make servicing in government attractive for youth
3.3.
Goal 10: Nurture Sustainable
Economic Development: create 100 000 new jobs
How this
goal addresses our priorities:
· Social
Equity Higher than York average low income
households and child poverty; targeted local employment programs/services for
this group will provide greater security and should decrease costs associated
with travel to work
·
Identity & Culture Businesses that capitalize on local assets reinforce
Markham’s identity
·
Food Security
Agro-business efforts improve the viability of farming operations.
·
Economic Vibrancy Local renewable energy generation has potential for local
green jobs.
3.3.1. Objective 1: Facilitate and support Markham’s existing businesses.
Recommendations:
· Implement Markham
2020 Strategic Directions economic
development plan
· Implement a buy local campaign for locally produced or
packaged goods and services.
· Engage businesses to work together to identify opportunities
for local business growth
· Develop
Eco-Business Districts that promote business networking and information sharing
that aims to reduce greenhouse gases, energy consumption (from buildings and transportation)
from businesses and/or business parks.
· Promote
community and business mentorship programs for Markham’s youth, underemployed
and new Canadians that seek to create awareness of workplace skill requirements
and professional work environments.
·
Facilitate
businesses that have active employees through live-work balance, healthy
lifestyles, and bicycle facilities
3.3.2. Objective 2: Promote green business development and business greening
strategies of existing and new employers.
Recommendations:
· Strategically target ‘green jobs’
·
Create
demand for local employment in the green energy sector and local food production
and processing
· Engage all
sectors to promote sustainability excellence through research and new
technology deployment
· Promote viable
local food businesses and services.
·
25,000
green jobs (25% of new 2031 ELE)
· Work with local
farmers and energy producers and distributors to develop infrastructure to
produce green energy from waste (animal and/or fiber waste) and/or crop
products
· Work with industry
to develop a Markham-based centre of green technologies
· Create green
incubators and mentorship opportunities
3.3.3. Objective 3: Support additional areas where employment can occur.
Recommendations:
· Promote
employment activities within areas that are served by higher order transit
· Increase the
number of businesses that can be walked to
3.4. Goal 11: A Culture of Excellence
How this
goal addresses our priorities:
·
Social
Equity Higher than York average low income households and child poverty;
targeted local employment
·
Develop
institutions focused upon entrepreneurial, cultural, and athletic excellence
·
Develop
future generations of leaders that will support Markham from within and beyond
· Maintain affordable places for incubating innovation
· Maintain or increase library visits/usage.
· A strong sense of community is a result of healthy social
interaction and cultural understanding. Cultural and artistic expression is a
catalyst for these outcomes.
· As community grows, new facilities will be required thus creating
opportunities for venue and programming diversity.
· Placemaking guidelines reinforce community identity.
· Neighbourhoods are places where it is safe to play and work,
are clean and cared for, and promote a culture of walking
· Increasing learning opportunities can increase the
participation in learning and skills development ability and therefore in
improve employability
3.4.1.
Objective 1: Life Long Learning & Skills Development
Recommendations:
· Promote access to education and skills development opportunities
at all stages of life and career.
·
Work with
local schools to develop sustainable curriculum programs for residents,
businesses and students.
·
Seek
partnership (York Region School Boards, private service providers, libraries) for
home or distance learning that is affordable, accessible, and innovative.
·
Promote
awareness of sustainable living choices.
·
Ensure
barrier free access to education, training and skills development by promoting
affordability and language skills development.
·
Promote sustainable
curriculum programs for residents, businesses and students (e.g. green roofs
for your buildings, energy efficiency in your home, etc.)
·
Promote
arts and cultural education within schools, private sector, community centres
and libraries
·
Use of schools
as neighbourhood resources including gyms, libraries, computers and meeting
spaces.
·
Create
the University of Markham and other partnerships to increase post-secondary
education in Markham
3.4.2.
Objective 3: Promote and Celebrate all that Makes Markham
Great
Recommendations:
· Implement a ‘Global Citizenship’ programming for citizens
and ‘Business Greening’ networking / information sharing for businesses.
· Capitalize on Markham’s history, natural heritage and
diversity for marketing and branding.
· Harness the talents of new residents
·
Develop urban design placemaking design guidelines for all
new Markham development that reflects the community’s heritage, natural setting
and cultural diversity.
· Implement a Public Art Policy
· Create a community coordinator position for festivals,
community events and engagement exercises that aims to foster cross cultural
understanding and experiences
· Support and enhance Markham’s arts community by developing
more opportunities and venues for theatrical and artistic (including visual
arts, music and dance) expression.
· Develop programs and events that celebrate and explore those
aspects of Markham that all cultures share (e.g. food celebration, stories of
settlement, music, etc.)
· Facilitate interaction among diverse cultural groups at
events and facilities
·
Markham placemaking guidelines for all new development;
doubling of cultural venues by 2030.
·
Increase opportunities for pedestrian-oriented travel
·
Cultural heritage is protected and celebrated
·
Work with the business community to promote corporate social
responsibility
Early Actions & Catalyst Projects: Markham Museum – New Building to accommodate the stories of
settlement initiative (and others) – telling the story of the ongoing
adaptation to a new life in Canada, from settlement to present day
4.
General Recommendations
In addition to the recommendations
provided for the specific strategies, goals, and objectives the following
overarching recommendations are provided to monitor the progress of the
Greenprint.
Recommendations:
· Task Sustainability Office to:
o
Measure and report indicators every two years
to determine progress.
o
Facilitate partnerships among governments,
non-governmental organizations, institutions, and the business community to
align common goals and objectives and to avoid duplication of services
o
Seek out
funding opportunities for implementing the strategies
· Build capacity within individual commissions to achieve
sustainability
· Provide strong leadership within and beyond local government
to achieve a Markham defined sustainable outcome.