In this engaging discussion, Carolyn Weitzman, a housing researcher, leads a conversation on innovative housing solutions. Former City Manager Sadhu Johnston and Jeb Brookman, both climate resilience experts, emphasize the urgent need for climate-ready infrastructure. Jen Angel, CEO of Evergreen, underlines the importance of community building in this context. Together, they tackle the challenges of integrating public land for affordable housing, enhancing community engagement, and preparing cities for climate change impacts.
Infrastructure design significantly influences community engagement and quality of life, requiring municipalities to critically evaluate design choices.
Canada's 'Public Land for Homes' initiative aims to increase rental housing by repurposing surplus government land through collaborative partnerships.
The Climate Ready Infrastructure Service empowers municipalities to integrate climate resilience into projects, fostering collaboration and providing essential technical expertise.
Deep dives
The Interconnection of Design and Infrastructure
Infrastructure cannot be separated from design, as both elements significantly influence the human experience. Many perceive infrastructure simply as a technical issue managed by engineers and policymakers, but every infrastructure project has design aspects that impact how people engage with these spaces. Public buildings, roads, and other infrastructures incorporate design choices that determine functionality and accessibility for users. It is essential for municipalities to critically assess design decisions to ensure infrastructure serves community needs and enhances the quality of life.
Innovative Housing Solutions in Canada
Canada's upcoming housing plan includes a 'Public Land for Homes' initiative aimed at increasing rental housing for middle-income earners on surplus government land. This initiative encourages collaborative partnerships between federal, provincial, municipal entities, and private developers to develop underutilized land. The federal government intends to fund these developments through programs linked to the National Housing Strategy, aiming to alleviate chronic homelessness and improve living conditions for low-income households. Insights draw on successful practices from other countries, including France, which has enacted laws requiring municipalities to foster non-market housing.
Public Sector's Role in Affordable Housing Development
The Canada Lands Company plays a pivotal role in transforming former federal properties for housing development, focusing on delivering 20% of projects as affordable housing. By combining infrastructure services with strategic partnerships, they are able to revitalize these lands and integrate them effectively into surrounding communities. Collaboration with non-profit organizations, municipalities, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation allows for leveraging additional resources and funding. This approach highlights the need for the federal government to take an active role in addressing pressing housing issues through direct building and land repurposing.
Climate-Ready Infrastructure Initiatives
Small municipalities often face challenges in addressing climate change due to limited resources, making initiatives like the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service essential. This program aims to support local governments in integrating climate resilience into infrastructure projects while promoting collaboration among various stakeholders, including First Nations. The service is designed to provide technical expertise and resources necessary for developing climate-adaptive strategies that benefit the community and enhance infrastructure durability. By fostering a community of practice, the program helps disseminate knowledge and experiences among municipalities.
Measuring Multi-Solving Outcomes
To effectively address the complexities of infrastructure projects, meticulous measurement of outcomes is essential, particularly when considering multiple benefits. For example, urban initiatives aiming to increase social cohesion or manage stormwater must establish baseline metrics to assess progress. Integrating outcomes related to community well-being and environmental sustainability into performance evaluations can facilitate a broader understanding of infrastructure success. Ultimately, establishing clear measurement frameworks will aid in realizing the multifaceted impact of infrastructure investments within communities.
As host Mary Rowe stated early in this series, once you understand what infrastructure is, you can't help but see it everywhere around you.
This episode features two discussions recorded at the State of Canada's Cities Summit in Ottawa last December, both dealing with bricks-and-mortar aspects of infrastructure; a session on securing real estate and lands needed to address the housing gap, and another on perhaps the most urgently needed resource - climate-ready infrastructure.