Urban Areas

Urban development has a profound impact on biodiversity and protection of aquatic environments.  The Province of BC lists urban and agricultural development as the largest threats to endangered species.  120 streams in the Fraser Valley have been lost to urbanization; 61% of the remaining streams are classified as endangered. 

Smart Growth

Although there are many aspects to protecting biodiversity and aquatic environments in urban areas, most of them center around the notion of smart growth.  Smart growth refers to urban development practices that are fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible.  Hallmarks of smart growth include:

·          Creating walkable neighbourhoods with buildings that have a friendly face;

·          Containing growth in more compact, mixed use areas;

·          Ensuring short walking distances to transit and shops; 

·          Preserving greenspace;

·          Allowing rainwater to infiltrate back into the soils and using the natural ecological infrastructure to filter and channel water;

·          Creating a range of affordable housing opportunities and choices.

·          Creating buildings that make efficient use of water, energy and building materials.

There is a wide range of legal and planning tools that can be used to achieve smart growth tools.  These include provincial enactments, such as the Steamside Protection Regulation, which requires local governments in certain rapidly developing areas to pass bylaws protecting riparian areas, or the Agricultural Land Reserve Act, which has helped contain growth in many BC urban areas by protecting farm land.  More importantly, local governments have a variety of tools to achieve smart growth goals.  These include numerous powers under the Local Government Act to regulate development.  Powers of local governments include powers to regulate land use through zoning, powers to set site specific requirements for protection of the environment through creation of development permit area, and powers to stream protection bylaws. There are also a number of local government planning processes that are crucial to the shape of urban development.  See Local Government Planning. 

 

Related Guide Pages:

·          Local Government Planning

·          Local Government Act

Off-Site Links

·          Smart Growth BC, homepage

·          West Coast Environmental Law, Smart Growth Guide to Local Government Law and Advocacy.