COVER STORY SUSTAINABLE CITIES Stockholm: A … · COVER STORY SUSTAINABLE CITIES S ustainability...
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PAGE A6 PAGE A7 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2006 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2006 COVER STORY SUSTAINABLE CITIES S ustainability is finally sexy. Vanity Fair, Vogue and Elle magazines devote glossy pages to climate change. Luxury eco-resorts beckon. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio makes a point of driving a Prius. And sustainability may finally be a reality for ordinary folk here, too, as plans to build a model eco-commu- nity at the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe are set to blossom. At an open house on Wednesday, the public will get a glimpse of what it would be like to live in a more environmentally friendly way. Canada Lands Company, the Crown corporation in charge of the project, will unveil its community design plan for the vast area to be developed during the next 12 years. Spread over 135 hectares (320 acres), the area will likely be the largest eco-communi- ty in Canada. The proposal shows eight distinct neigh- bourhoods made up of stores, offices and 4,500 to 6,000 houses and apartments. It al- so identifies roads and natural areas (see map, right). Ten acres will be set aside for a national museum or a federal institution. Construction is to start in late 2008, with the first residents moving in in 2009. But what does it actually mean to live green? It means designing streets and buildings as though you believe global warming, cli- mate change and oil shortages are for real. In an urban sustainable community, buildings are close together and streets are designed so people can walk easily or cycle instead of driving everywhere. Good public transit is essential. Buildings are designed for maximum energy efficien- cy. Alternative energy systems lend a hand. Recycling and composting gets serious. “We want to do as much as we can to re- duce the actual number of trips in a car,” says Ed Lowans, the project’s Ottawa-based sustainability consultant. “It’s relatively easy to make changes in buildings. Getting people not to use their cars as much is a more difficult challenge. “This is the nation’s capital,” says Mr. Lowans. “We want to demonstrate to peo- ple who visit Ottawa in an official capacity that we can show significant leadership in creating a sustainable community. It’s something that Canada is trying to export. “What the consumer is getting out of it is a lower energy bill, a lower water bill and much nicer biological surroundings,” says Mr. Lowans. “The overall vision is built on the existing ecology and topography of the site because it’s exceptionally rich. It has fabulous views. It has nice flowing topography, a couple of little cliffs and a natural water course. These are the kinds of things that people look for in an ideal setting.“ The plan aims to protect the escarpment, the existing landscape and create green corridors that link the Montfort Woods and the National Capital Commission lands to- ward the Ottawa River, adds Ottawa archi- tect Barry Padolsky, who is in charge of public consultation. Mr. Lowans, who suffers from environ- mental hypersensitivity, hopes to create a less-allergenic environment for people with allergies, asthma and environmental sensitivity. “If we can change the way that we do landscaping in the urban environment, we can have a major impact on the health of the population,” he says. He points out that during the past 50 years there has been a trend toward select- ing male trees that didn’t produce messy nuts or seeds. But they do produce pollen, a culprit in seasonal allergy miseries. “We’d like to use trees and bushes that don’t generate pollen,” says Mr. Lowans, adding that they expect to grow replace- ment trees in an organic, pesticide-free nursery in the community. Canada Lands and its consultants have given the Citizen an inside look at some of the eco-friendly thinking that will shape the massive Rockcliffe redevelopment. What makes Rockcliffe special are the number of sustainability measures and its large size. “Most demonstrations have one or two technologies at a time,” says Mr. Lowans. “We will look at hundreds of innovations. We’re trying to demonstrate this can be done on a wide scale.” The Rockcliffe team have yet to establish targets, but, for example, they hope to make buildings at least 25-per-cent more energy efficient than required by the Ontario building code. Houses built in this way may cost “any- where from a few thousand dollars more to $10,000,” Mr. Lowans says. “But you’ve got significantly reduced en- ergy bills. The payback is within three or four years.” Neighbours of the airbase are expected to participate. The National Research Council, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corpora- tion, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology are all involved in sustainability and ener- gy-efficiency research that could be ap- plied — and demonstrated — in the houses and commercial buildings at Rockcliffe. Rockcliffe: An eco-town starts to take shape As planners unveil their plan for the site of the former air base this week, MARIA COOK looks at what it will take to make it green Imagining a new Rockcliffe Planners are proposing eight different neighbourhoods to be built on the former air base. Photos from other cities show the character of buildings and streetscapes they envision Centretown The town centre would include a “high street” with shops, offices, public transit and a market square. There will be apartments and offices above shops as well as residential buildings looking out over a network of linear parks. Montreal Road Gateway Currently vacant lands owned by National Research Council would be developed as a mixed-use area fronting onto Montreal Road. It would include offices, retail stores and a mix of low to mid-rise apartment buildings. Public transit would enter the site through here. North,South and West villages Located at the west end of site, these areas are currently occupied by military housing, which could be renovated and updated. It is potentially a mixed-use area, but not one of high density. Forest Houses The northeast corner of the site, currently occupied by the former residences of officers, could be redeveloped as a showcase for custom designed houses within a treed landscape. Research City Connected to Centretown on the east side by a main street, this area is beside the current National Research Council campus. It would be a mixed-use district of housing, office and retail with an emphasis on employment related to research. Hill Town Located on top of the escarpment, this is a sloped area that overlooks the Ottawa River. It would be mostly residential, likely a mix of single-family houses, rowhouses and apartments. See ROCKCLIFFE on PAGE A8 Hammarby Sjöstad is a waterfront devel- opment built on a decontaminated industri- al site in the centre of Stockholm, spread over 200 hectares — about half the size of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. Gleaming five-storey apartment build- ings are designed to maximize access to sunlight and views of the surrounding lake. The neighbourhood’s parks, canals, water- front walks and handsomely paved streets help to make it one of Stockholm’s most de- sirable areas. The project is half finished, with about 13,000 residents, 200 companies, a school, a library and church. When completed in 2015, Hammarby Sjöstad will have 9,500 apartments and 2.7 million square feet of commercial space. Altogether, 35,000 peo- ple are expected to live and work in the area. Thousands of foreign visitors come to learn from Hammarby Sjöstad. One thing they learn is that people don’t really want to live differently — even in an eco-town. “People don’t move here to live in a sus- tainable city area,” says Ms. Wangel. “They move here because it’s close to the city, it’s close to nature and it’s a newly built area with nice architecture. So far, we haven’t managed to get inhabitants to change their behaviour to more environmental ways of life.” It’s an important lesson for the develop- ers of the former Rockcliffe air base, which will also attract residents who want to be in a beautiful natural setting close to down- town. Hammarby Sjöstad was originally intend- ed to be the Olympic village in Stockholm’s bid for the 2004 Summer Olympics. When the International Olympic Committee chose Athens instead, Stockholm planners set about to create a mixed-use neighbour- hood, keeping the high goals for environ- mental performance — “twice as good as the norm.” Or, as Ms. Wangel puts it, “to be half as bad.” The focus was to be on renewable energy, waste reduction, ecological building mate- rials, and alternative transportation op- tions. At first, the planners had imagined a car-free area. Politicians nixed that. When it came time to build residential parking garages, the city wanted no more than three spots per 10 units. That’s when people went ballistic. Not everyone seemed clear on the con- cept. For instance, when Stockholm’s condo market softened, one developer offered a free car with every apartment at Hammar- by Sjöstad. “The city tried to say this is supposed to be a sustainable city, you don’t have to use your car, but somehow the ownership of a car is so deep buried inside the Swedish soul. People really want to keep their car. So the politicians have removed this goal from the environmental program.” The current ratio is about eight spots per 10 units. About 66 per cent of households own a car, which is similar to the average for the inner city. Still, they use them less than in other areas. A 2005 survey found that two-thirds of all trips are made by pub- lic transport, bicycle or walking and a third of trips are by car. The alternatives include a new light rail tram, two local buses, a ferry and pedestri- an bridges. Two big shopping malls are reachable in 15 minutes by bike. You can walk to a supermarket in 15 minutes. One in eight families belong to the car pool. These cars, mostly hybrids or biogas, are available with the swipe of a smart card and eligible for the best parking spots in town. As Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.” That means developers must make it easier for people. “It’s very important to install public tran- sit at the same time as building the new area because you want to install new travel habits,” says Hans Lundberg, professor at the Swedish Environmental Research Insti- tute. For the developers of the former Rock- cliffe air base it underscores the need for excellent transit from the beginning, as well as schools, parks, preschools, recreation centres and stores. Ms. Wangel notes that two of the biggest demographic groups in the area are seniors who have downsized and young families. The city has been praised for taking steps to attract shops and services to the area in the early phases of development by offering Stockholm: A neighbourhood where it’s easier being green Like many of us, Swedes don’t want to give up driving or live differently — even in this new environmentally sustainable development. But here, it’s no extra effort to leave the car behind, save energy or sort the garbage two years rent-free. The city also reserved ground floors of buildings on main streets for business. Ms. Wangel’s advice to anyone hoping to create a sustainable area is to set up an in- formation centre from Day 1. One is planned for Rockcliffe. “This info centre opened in late 2002, and by then people had been moving in at least two years,” she says. “It’s very important the minute they settle that they get information about the sustain- ability concept of the area.” Many residents still do not make even small changes such as avoiding running wa- ter when doing the dishes, changing to low energy light bulbs or turning out lights when they leave home, she says. “People are quite lazy. They don’t want to change their behaviour if they don’t have to.” However, because of the innovative waste system in the area, they must do some things differently, such as sorting waste for recycling. “They’re sorting waste better here than in similar areas in Stockholm, but not as good as they could,” says Ms. Wangel. In Hammarby Sjöstad, about 65 per cent of the apartments are purchased and 35 per cent are rental. It costs about four-per-cent more to build in an environmentally friend- ly way than conventionally, says Ms. Wan- gel, but in the longer term owners and oper- ators save money on energy bills Property values here are about the same as newly built housing in similar areas of Stockholm, says Ms. Wangel. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, the British govern- ment’s adviser on architecture and public space, recently evaluated Hammarby Sjös- tad and found that accessibility to public transit was a key to the district’s success. The light rail tram “has proved to be an es- sential public sector investment in infra- structure, which has acted to stimulate the market for residential development in the area,” says the commission’s report. “The particular lesson from the Hammar- by Sjöstad case study is the powerful role that strong public sector leadership can play in ensuring development of the high- est quality,” it added. Residents seem to agree. A survey last year found that residents were generally “very satisfied” with the environment at Hammarby Sjöstad. Open house this week When: Wednesday. The public may view displays starting at 5.30 p.m. Formal presentations and a public forum take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Where: Canada Aviation Museum More at ottawacitizen.com ■ An interactive map with more images, views and examples of the types of communities being considered. ■ More images from the innovative Stockholm neighbourhood of Hammarby Sjöstad. ■ Read previous stories by Maria Cook about the Rockcliffe redevelopment. BY MARIA COOK STOCKHOLM J osefin Wangel shudders as she recalls the outrage that greeted plans to build fewer than usual parking spots at Hammarby Sjöstad, the city’s stunning new showcase of environmental urban development. “It wasn’t the effect we had hoped for,” says Ms. Wangel, the infor- mation officer at the Glass House, the project’s environmental demonstration and learning centre. “It wasn’t the happy bicycle-riding in- habitants, but a furious population who wanted to know why there were no parking spots for them.” 1. GREEN ROOFS Roofs covered in stonecrop or sedum plants absorb rainwater that would otherwise drain into sewers. 2. SOLAR ENERGY Solar panels on some of the roofs absorb heat from the sun and use it to heat hot water. The sun’s light energy is harnessed and turned into electricity in solar cells. 3. BETTER CONSTRUCTION Houses have been designed to use half the energy and water of a typical 1990 property. Only sustainable, tried and tested eco-friendly products are used: ■ Highly-insulated windows reduce heat loss. ■ Non-toxic materials ■ Class A energy-saving devices. ■ Builders must meet strict standards on the use of recyclable materials and energy efficiency. 4. DIVERTED STORM WATER Rainwater from the streets is collected, purified and then released into the lake Hammarby Sjö instead of ending up in the sewer system and burdening the wastewater treatment plant. The purification takes place in sand filters or in the artificially established wetlands in the area. 5. HEATING Thermal power plant supplies district heating and district cooling from treated wastewater and biofuels. 6. BIOGAS Biogas is produced in the on-site sewage treatment plant from the digestion of organic waste or sludge from the waste water. The waste water from a single household produces sufficient biogas for the household’s gas cooker. Most of the biogas is currently used as fuel in eco-friendly cars and buses. Lessons from Hammarby Sjöstad Nine ways the new community reduced its environmental impact See MORE LESSONS on PAGE A8 VICTORIA HENRIKSSON Hammarby Sjöstad sits on a former industrial site in Stockholm. ‘People don’t move here to live in a sustainable city area. They move here because it’s close to the city, it’s close to nature and it’s a newly built area with nice architecture.’ KPMB ARCHITECTS, GREENBERG CONSULTANTS INC., PFS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, BPA ARCHITECTS MCGILL UNIVERSITY AND GENOME QUEBEC INNOVATION CENTRE, MONTREAL. ARCHITECTS: KPMB ARCHITECTS COMPLEX RED TREE FROG, BURMOOSS, AUSTRIA. ARCHITECT: SPLITTERWERK. PHOTO: PAUL OTT REFURBISHED MILITARY HOUSING. SOURCE: CANADA LANDS COMPANY TORONTO. ARCHITECT: KPMB ARCHITECTS. PHOTO: PETER SELLAR HARVARD SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. SOURCE: KPMB ARCHITECTS
Transcript of COVER STORY SUSTAINABLE CITIES Stockholm: A … · COVER STORY SUSTAINABLE CITIES S ustainability...
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COVER STORY SUSTAINABLE CITIES
Sustainability is finally sexy.Vanity Fair, Vogue and Ellemagazines devote glossypages to climate change.Luxury eco-resorts beckon.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio makes apoint of driving a Prius.
And sustainability may finally be areality for ordinary folk here, too, asplans to build a model eco-commu-nity at the former Canadian ForcesBase Rockcliffe are set to blossom.
At an open house on Wednesday, thepublic will get a glimpse of what it wouldbe like to live in a more environmentallyfriendly way. Canada Lands Company, theCrown corporation in charge of the project,will unveil its community design plan forthe vast area to be developed during thenext 12 years.
Spread over 135 hectares (320 acres), thearea will likely be the largest eco-communi-ty in Canada.
The proposal shows eight distinct neigh-bourhoods made up of stores, offices and4,500 to 6,000 houses and apartments. It al-so identifies roads and natural areas (seemap, right). Ten acres will be set aside for anational museum or a federal institution.Construction is to start in late 2008, withthe first residents moving in in 2009.
But what does it actually mean to livegreen?
It means designing streets and buildingsas though you believe global warming, cli-mate change and oil shortages are for real.
In an urban sustainable community,buildings are close together and streets aredesigned so people can walk easily or cycleinstead of driving everywhere.
Good public transit is essential. Buildingsare designed for maximum energy efficien-cy. Alternative energy systems lend a hand.Recycling and composting gets serious.
“We want to do as much as we can to re-duce the actual number of trips in a car,”says Ed Lowans, the project’s Ottawa-basedsustainability consultant. “It’s relativelyeasy to make changes in buildings. Gettingpeople not to use their cars as much is amore difficult challenge.
“This is the nation’s capital,” says Mr.Lowans. “We want to demonstrate to peo-ple who visit Ottawa in an official capacitythat we can show significant leadership increating a sustainable community. It’ssomething that Canada is trying to export.
“What the consumer is getting out of it isa lower energy bill, a lower water bill andmuch nicer biological surroundings,” saysMr. Lowans.
“The overall vision is built on the existingecology and topography of the site becauseit’s exceptionally rich. It has fabulous views.It has nice flowing topography, a couple oflittle cliffs and a natural water course.These are the kinds of things that peoplelook for in an ideal setting.“
The plan aims to protect the escarpment,the existing landscape and create greencorridors that link the Montfort Woods andthe National Capital Commission lands to-ward the Ottawa River, adds Ottawa archi-tect Barry Padolsky, who is in charge ofpublic consultation.
Mr. Lowans, who suffers from environ-mental hypersensitivity, hopes to create aless-allergenic environment for people
with allergies, asthma and environmentalsensitivity.
“If we can change the way that we dolandscaping in the urban environment, wecan have a major impact on the health ofthe population,” he says.
He points out that during the past 50years there has been a trend toward select-ing male trees that didn’t produce messynuts or seeds. But they do produce pollen, aculprit in seasonal allergy miseries.
“We’d like to use trees and bushes thatdon’t generate pollen,” says Mr. Lowans,adding that they expect to grow replace-ment trees in an organic, pesticide-freenursery in the community.
Canada Lands and its consultants havegiven the Citizen an inside look at some ofthe eco-friendly thinking that will shape themassive Rockcliffe redevelopment.
What makes Rockcliffe special are thenumber of sustainability measures and itslarge size.
“Most demonstrations have one or twotechnologies at a time,” says Mr. Lowans.“We will look at hundreds of innovations.We’re trying to demonstrate this can bedone on a wide scale.”
The Rockcliffe team have yet to establishtargets, but, for example, they hope to makebuildings at least 25-per-cent more energyefficient than required by the Ontariobuilding code.
Houses built in this way may cost “any-where from a few thousand dollars more to$10,000,” Mr. Lowans says.
“But you’ve got significantly reduced en-ergy bills. The payback is within three orfour years.”
Neighbours of the airbase are expected toparticipate.
The National Research Council, theCanada Mortgage and Housing Corpora-tion, Natural Resources Canada and theCanadian Centre for Housing Technologyare all involved in sustainability and ener-gy-efficiency research that could be ap-plied — and demonstrated — in the housesand commercial buildings at Rockcliffe.
Rockcliffe: An eco-townstarts to take shape
As planners unveil their plan for the site
of the former air base this week, MARIA COOKlooks at what it will take to make it green
Imagining a new Rockcliffe Planners are proposing eight different neighbourhoods to be built on the former air base. Photos from other cities showthe character of buildings and streetscapes they envision
CentretownThe town centre would include a “high street” with shops, offices, publictransit and a market square. There will be apartments and offices above shopsas well as residential buildings looking out over a network of linear parks.
Montreal Road GatewayCurrently vacant lands owned by NationalResearch Council would be developed as amixed-use area fronting onto Montreal Road.It would include offices, retail stores and amix of low to mid-rise apartment buildings.Public transit would enter the site throughhere.
North,South and West villagesLocated at the west end of site, these areasare currently occupied by military housing,which could be renovated and updated. It ispotentially a mixed-use area, but not one ofhigh density.
Forest HousesThe northeast corner of the site, currentlyoccupied by the former residences of officers,could be redeveloped as a showcase forcustom designed houses within a treedlandscape.
Research City Connected to Centretown on the east side by a main street, thisarea is beside the current National Research Council campus. Itwould be a mixed-use district of housing, office and retail with anemphasis on employment related to research.
Hill TownLocated on top of the escarpment, this is a sloped area thatoverlooks the Ottawa River. It would be mostly residential, likely amix of single-family houses, rowhouses and apartments.
See ROCKCLIFFE on PAGE A8
Hammarby Sjöstad is a waterfront devel-opment built on a decontaminated industri-al site in the centre of Stockholm, spreadover 200 hectares — about half the size ofOttawa’s Central Experimental Farm.
Gleaming five-storey apartment build-ings are designed to maximize access tosunlight and views of the surrounding lake.The neighbourhood’s parks, canals, water-front walks and handsomely paved streetshelp to make it one of Stockholm’s most de-sirable areas.
The project is half finished, with about13,000 residents, 200 companies, a school, alibrary and church. When completed in2015, Hammarby Sjöstad will have 9,500apartments and 2.7 million square feet ofcommercial space. Altogether, 35,000 peo-ple are expected to live and work in thearea.
Thousands of foreign visitors come tolearn from Hammarby Sjöstad. One thingthey learn is that people don’t really want tolive differently — even in an eco-town.
“People don’t move here to live in a sus-tainable city area,” says Ms. Wangel. “Theymove here because it’s close to the city, it’sclose to nature and it’s a newly built areawith nice architecture. So far, we haven’tmanaged to get inhabitants to change theirbehaviour to more environmental ways oflife.”
It’s an important lesson for the develop-ers of the former Rockcliffe air base, which
will also attract residents who want to be ina beautiful natural setting close to down-town.
Hammarby Sjöstad was originally intend-ed to be the Olympic village in Stockholm’sbid for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Whenthe International Olympic Committeechose Athens instead, Stockholm plannersset about to create a mixed-use neighbour-hood, keeping the high goals for environ-mental performance — “twice as good asthe norm.”
Or, as Ms. Wangel puts it, “to be half asbad.”
The focus was to be on renewable energy,waste reduction, ecological building mate-rials, and alternative transportation op-tions. At first, the planners had imagined acar-free area. Politicians nixed that. Whenit came time to build residential parkinggarages, the city wanted no more than threespots per 10 units. That’s when people wentballistic.
Not everyone seemed clear on the con-cept. For instance, when Stockholm’s condomarket softened, one developer offered afree car with every apartment at Hammar-by Sjöstad.
“The city tried to say this is supposed tobe a sustainable city, you don’t have to useyour car, but somehow the ownership of acar is so deep buried inside the Swedishsoul. People really want to keep their car. Sothe politicians have removed this goal from
the environmental program.”The current ratio is about eight spots per
10 units. About 66 per cent of householdsown a car, which is similar to the averagefor the inner city. Still, they use them lessthan in other areas. A 2005 survey foundthat two-thirds of all trips are made by pub-lic transport, bicycle or walking and a thirdof trips are by car.
The alternatives include a new light railtram, two local buses, a ferry and pedestri-an bridges. Two big shopping malls arereachable in 15 minutes by bike. You canwalk to a supermarket in 15 minutes. One ineight families belong to the car pool. Thesecars, mostly hybrids or biogas, are availablewith the swipe of a smart card and eligiblefor the best parking spots in town.
As Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy
Bein’ Green.” That means developers mustmake it easier for people.
“It’s very important to install public tran-sit at the same time as building the newarea because you want to install new travelhabits,” says Hans Lundberg, professor atthe Swedish Environmental Research Insti-tute.
For the developers of the former Rock-cliffe air base it underscores the need forexcellent transit from the beginning, as wellas schools, parks, preschools, recreationcentres and stores.
Ms. Wangel notes that two of the biggestdemographic groups in the area are seniorswho have downsized and young families.
The city has been praised for taking stepsto attract shops and services to the area inthe early phases of development by offering
Stockholm: A neighbourhood where it’s easier being greenLike many of us, Swedes don’t want to give updriving or live differently — even in this newenvironmentally sustainable development. But here, it’s no extra effort to leave the car
behind, save energy or sort the garbage
two years rent-free. The city also reservedground floors of buildings on main streetsfor business.
Ms. Wangel’s advice to anyone hoping tocreate a sustainable area is to set up an in-formation centre from Day 1. One isplanned for Rockcliffe. “This info centreopened in late 2002, and by then people hadbeen moving in at least two years,” she says.“It’s very important the minute they settlethat they get information about the sustain-ability concept of the area.”
Many residents still do not make evensmall changes such as avoiding running wa-ter when doing the dishes, changing to lowenergy light bulbs or turning out lightswhen they leave home, she says.
“People are quite lazy. They don’t want tochange their behaviour if they don’t have
to.”However, because of the innovative waste
system in the area, they must do somethings differently, such as sorting waste forrecycling.
“They’re sorting waste better here than insimilar areas in Stockholm, but not as goodas they could,” says Ms. Wangel.
In Hammarby Sjöstad, about 65 per centof the apartments are purchased and 35 percent are rental. It costs about four-per-centmore to build in an environmentally friend-ly way than conventionally, says Ms. Wan-gel, but in the longer term owners and oper-ators save money on energy bills
Property values here are about the sameas newly built housing in similar areas ofStockholm, says Ms. Wangel.
The Commission for Architecture and
the Built Environment, the British govern-ment’s adviser on architecture and publicspace, recently evaluated Hammarby Sjös-tad and found that accessibility to publictransit was a key to the district’s success.The light rail tram “has proved to be an es-sential public sector investment in infra-structure, which has acted to stimulate themarket for residential development in thearea,” says the commission’s report.
“The particular lesson from the Hammar-by Sjöstad case study is the powerful rolethat strong public sector leadership canplay in ensuring development of the high-est quality,” it added.
Residents seem to agree. A survey lastyear found that residents were generally“very satisfied” with the environment atHammarby Sjöstad.
Open house this weekWhen: Wednesday. The public may view displaysstarting at 5.30 p.m. Formal presentations and apublic forum take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Where: Canada Aviation Museum
More at ottawacitizen.com■ An interactive map with more images, viewsand examples of the types of communities beingconsidered.■ More images from the innovative Stockholmneighbourhood of Hammarby Sjöstad.■ Read previous stories by Maria Cook aboutthe Rockcliffe redevelopment.
BY MARIA COOK
STOCKHOLM
Josefin Wangel shudders as she recalls the outrage that greeted plansto build fewer than usual parking spots at Hammarby Sjöstad, thecity’s stunning new showcase of environmental urban development.
“It wasn’t the effect we had hoped for,” says Ms. Wangel, the infor-mation officer at the Glass House, the project’s environmental
demonstration and learning centre. “It wasn’t the happy bicycle-riding in-habitants, but a furious population who wanted to know why there were noparking spots for them.”
1. GREEN ROOFSRoofs covered in stonecrop or sedum plantsabsorb rainwater that would otherwise draininto sewers.
2. SOLAR ENERGYSolar panels on some of the roofs absorb heatfrom the sun and use it to heat hot water. The sun’s light energy is harnessed andturned into electricity in solar cells.
3. BETTER CONSTRUCTIONHouses have been designed to use half theenergy and water of a typical 1990 property.Only sustainable, tried and tested eco-friendlyproducts are used:■ Highly-insulated windows reduce heat loss.■ Non-toxic materials■ Class A energy-saving devices. ■ Builders must meet strict standards on theuse of recyclable materials and energyefficiency.
4. DIVERTED STORM WATER Rainwater from the streets is collected,purified and then released into the lakeHammarby Sjö instead of ending up in thesewer system and burdening the wastewatertreatment plant. The purification takes placein sand filters or in the artificially establishedwetlands in the area.
5. HEATINGThermal power plant supplies district heatingand district cooling from treated wastewaterand biofuels.
6. BIOGASBiogas is produced in the on-site sewagetreatment plant from the digestion of organicwaste or sludge from the waste water. Thewaste water from a single householdproduces sufficient biogas for the household’sgas cooker. Most of the biogas is currentlyused as fuel in eco-friendly cars and buses.
Lessons fromHammarbySjöstadNine ways the newcommunity reduced its
environmental impact
See MORE LESSONS on PAGE A8
VICTORIA HENRIKSSON
Hammarby Sjöstad sits on a former industrial site in Stockholm. ‘People don’t move here to live in a sustainable city area. They move here because it’s close to the city, it’s close to nature and it’s a newly built area with nice architecture.’
KPMB ARCHITECTS, GREENBERG CONSULTANTS INC., PFS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, BPA ARCHITECTS
MCGILL UNIVERSITY AND GENOME QUEBEC INNOVATION CENTRE, MONTREAL. ARCHITECTS: KPMB ARCHITECTS
COMPLEX RED TREE FROG, BURMOOSS, AUSTRIA. ARCHITECT: SPLITTERWERK. PHOTO: PAUL OTT
REFURBISHED MILITARY HOUSING. SOURCE: CANADA LANDS COMPANYTORONTO. ARCHITECT: KPMB ARCHITECTS. PHOTO: PETER SELLAR
HARVARD SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. SOURCE: KPMB ARCHITECTS
PA G E A 8 S U N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 0 6
Canada Lands expects to demonstratenewer technologies that are currently toocostly for mass use, and incorporate themin later phases as they become affordable.These includes light-emitting diode(LED) lights for streets and buildings andsolar collectors that work in northern cli-mates to generate both electricity and hotwater.
Canada Lands’s Benny Farm project inMontreal proved environmentally friend-ly housing could be built affordably. ButRockcliffe is a bigger and more compli-cated project.
The crunch will come when it’s time tosell land — Canada Lands will eventuallysell parcels of the site to developers whowill be expected to build their vision.
“Canada Lands is governed in such away that they have to get the highest val-ue and that’s all that counts,” saysJonathan Westeinde, managing partner of
Ottawa-based Windmill DevelopmentGroup. “Their own measurement toolsfor achievement are going to hinder themfrom getting what they want.”
Will Canada Lands be required to ac-cept the highest bid, but with a compro-mised product such as taller buildings,less public space or fewer energy fea-tures? Or will Rockcliffe truly become amodel for 21st-century living?
Jim Lynes, Canada Lands acting presi-dent and CEO, has said that at Rockcliffethey hoped to pursue the best proposals,not necessarily the highest price offeredby developers for the land parcels.
“I think we’ll be much better placed inthis particular development of goingthrough a process that will identify keypeople who actually have the skill set andshare the vision of what we are trying toachieve,” he said.
“We want to find a mechanism otherthan a competitive highest bid to set a fairvalue.”
Rockcliffe: Will the bottom linecompromise the lofty aims?
TRANSPORTATION■ Light rail has been considered a keyelement, either coming into the area orpassing along its edge along Montreal Road.This is in jeopardy as Ottawa’s mayor-electLarry O’Brien has said he wants to rethink thelight-rail plan and will seek a six-month delay.■ Car alternatives include bike paths, carpools, a shuttle to the Transitway and payingOC Transpo to provide a higher level ofservice. Canada Lands expects to market thearea to people who are interested in lessreliance on a car or people who can’t affordone — 25 per cent of the housing is to beaffordable.■ Narrower roads use less asphalt and thusallow more green space, which has a coolingeffect in summer and reduces the need for airconditioning. The obstacle will be to convincethe city, which favours wider roads for theease of fire trucks and snow plows. The city issetting up a committee of people from
various departments to work with CanadaLands on such issues. Could the city rethinkthe size of vehicles? Fire trucks have beengetting bigger, and the city clears snow onresidential streets using the same plows ason collector roads.
WATER■ Reduce usage: Use 50-per-cent lesswater than a conventional building using suchdevices as low-flow toilets and showerheads.■ Collect rainwater: Use to flush toilets,irrigate gardens and wash cars.■ Reduce stormwater runoff: Excesscould flow into a stormwater retentionsystem that includes ornamental wetlandsand ponds. Shallow ditches between roadswould allow the water to infiltrate soil. “We want to have little or no stormwaterleaving the site,” says sustainabilityconsultant Ed Lowans.
ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDINGS■ Renewable or recyclable materials:Such as wood from crop trees rather than oldgrowth. Use materials produced in region,which would draw on less energy to get to thesite. Use any trees cut on site for lumber.■ Solar energy: Orient buildings accordingto sunrise and sunset to take advantage ofpassive solar energy and shade.
■ Solar roof panels: Boost theeffectiveness of high-efficiency furnaces andgood wall insulation.■ Green roofs: Use to cool buildings insummer and retain heat in winter.
AIR QUALITY■ Indoors: Choose materials that don’t giveoff gases, such as wood floors or ceramic tilerather than carpet. Reduce emissions fromsuch building materials as paints, plastics and plywood. Improve ventilation systems,reduce the use of pesticides and begininformation campaigns to discourage use of perfume, bug spray and chemical cleaners.■ Outdoor: Plant female tree and plantspecies, which do not generate pollen.
GARBAGE ■ Compost from grass clippings, woodchips, food waste from restaurants andkitchen waste from houses could be used foron-site greenhouse, fish farm and treenursery.
SMART METERS■ Measure energy efficiency. Technologycould control the amount of energy usedduring peak periods, such as heat waves andcold snaps.
Green goals for RockcliffeSome of the ideas being considered for the Rockcliffe sitethat would make it more environmentally sustainable:
BRUNO SCHLUMBERGER, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
Ed Lowans, the project’s Ottawa-based sustainability consultant, near the site’s currentmilitary housing. ‘Most demonstrations have one or two technologies. We will look athundreds of innovations. We’re trying to demonstrate this can be done on a wide scale.’
PHOTOS: MARIA COOK, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
PHOTO: VICTORIA HENRIKSSON
More lessons from Hammarby Sjöstad
Continued from PAGE A7
7. A VACUUM SYSTEM FOR GARBAGE ANDRECYCLINGThere are no garbage trucksroaring up and down streets,smelly dumpsters or piles of garbage at the curb. Instead, residents put theirgarbage, paper, plastic,cardboard, glass and foodwaste in 11 different bins.Each is sucked away tounderground storagechambers (far right). On collection days, wastedisposal vehicles suck outthe contents of thechambers. The material isreturned as biofuels,electricity and heat.
COVER STORY
8. CAR ALTERNATIVESNew light rail tram, buses,biogas-operated ferry, carpools, beautiful footpathsand cycle paths were built.The city also created anunderground motorway toserve the area.
9. VEGETATIONThe footpaths, preserved oakforest, parks and newlyplanted trees help to collectrain water, ensure cleaner airand provide counterbalance to the dense urban landscape.
STRASBOURG, FRANCE. SOURCE: GEHL, JAN & LARS GEMOZE
