Canada's Greenest Cities of Tomorrow

[W. K. Lis]

From Green Living:

Our cities are leading the way to a cleaner urban future. Find out
which ones will get there first. You’re in for a few surprises.

The cleanest air and water, bountiful green spaces, solar-powered and geothermal-heated buildings…all are tantalizingly within reach in several Canadian municipalities. So, where should you point your biodiesel-fueled moving van? To find out, we asked some of the country’s foremost green experts for their predictions on which cities will be Canada’s environmental leaders in the next 5, 10 and 20 years. We also analyzed the innovative and award-winning plans and policies that promise to transform our cities in the years to come.

Click on this link for Toronto: The boldest retrofitter:

Toronto

Population: 5,113,258
The boldest retrofitter

Toronto’s Tower Renewal project will reclad, relandscape and revitalize Toronto’s concrete apartment complexes. “Only Moscow has more of these inefficient old concrete buildings,†explains WWF Canada's Stewart, noting plans to insulate them, add geothermal heating and reconnect the buildings to surrounding green spaces and ravines. This plan alone could cut greenhouse gas emissions by one million tonnes.

The newly adopted Toronto Green Standard will also spur the development of more sustainable buildings and landscapes. The city boasts a goal to divert 70 percent of waste by 2010 and reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent by 2020, as well as a transit plan that foresees clean, light rail transit moving people across town.

Toronto’s new Environmental Reporting, Disclosure and Innovation Program—which will require businesses and municipal operations to publicly report their use and release of 25 hazardous chemicals—should result in fewer toxins in the environment and encourage other cities to follow suit.

No wonder the Ethisphere Institute, an international think tank dedicated to best practices in corporate sustainability, includes Toronto in its report “Global Sustainability Centers: The 20 Cities Of 2020.â€

Other cities in the GTA, which got honourable mentions:
Hamilton

“It’s the first city in Canada, to my knowledge, to re-evaluate the way it’s growing around a new variable—energy,†says Equiterre’s Thomas Duchaine. “Energy-first planning is fundamental to measure how green can a city become.†This growth strategy and other components of Hamilton’s Vision 2020 plan, such as more waste diversion, better wastewater and stormwater management and the remediation of Hamilton Harbour, will result in cleaner air and recreational waterfront for residents.

and Mississauga

“Hazel [McCallion] was the Queen of Sprawl, but she’s been schooled and there’s a chance that Mississauga might turn around,†says Stewart. “If they switch to intensification and become less suburban, that might bear fruit in 20 years.†Indeed, the city has racked up four FCM Sustainable Community Awards in the past nine years for initiatives ranging from smart transportation to energy-efficient buildings. And there’s no reason to expect Mississauga to change course.