Ksenia Mokrushina Thesis

deadlines. Driessen, a SEFC OV park planner, describes the unprecedented level of cooperation achieved in the project: Throughout this project, we had a level of cooperation with other agencies that we don’t always have, and I think the key was that from the start we said, ‘Let’s not talk jurisdictional lines. Let’s have a process where our goal is that everyone agrees, where we make decisions based on everybody accepting that the solution is the best one given the circumstances.’ It was a very good process. I hope we can continue that, because it made a lot of sense. (The Challenge Series, n.d.)

Public engagement was also an important aspect of the SEFC OV project. Starting from the beginning of the design process in 2003, the City Planning Department held numerous public meetings, workshops, hearings and open houses (The Challenge Series, n.d.). Vancouver citizens were informed about and had an opportunity to comment on conceptual designs and proposed changes to design of the Village, as well as the design and technology solutions of the Neighborhood Energy Utility (The Challenge Series, n.d.). The groups that were involved in the SEFC OV planning process included the Southeast False Creek Working Group, Southeast False Creek Stewardship Group, Designers for Social Responsibility, and City Advisory Committee (The Challenge Series, n.d.). The planning process also benefitted from an input from business and residential associations (The Challenge Series, n.d.). Citizens offered their research efforts and recommendations on a number of issues, including housing quality, community spaces, mobility, health care, etc.

(The Challenge Series, n.d.).

Since there is no single approach to sustainable community development, the rich scope of discussion, diverse points of view and comprehensive input to the City – as well as the challenges of defining the input and guidance process and outcomes – were all critical elements in the SEFC process[…] Despite the shifts caused by successive Councils, the Olympic bid and various interests and pressures, this vision has held strong. (The Challenge Series, n.d.).

The City also engaged the citizens through occupant sustainability education. The Net Zero energy strategy required the Village occupants to change their behavior with regards to energy consumption. The City informed the occupants about the goals of Net Zero strategy and encouraged them to change their behavior by using energy meters to track their energy consumption in real time (The Challenge Series, n.d.). Moreover, contributing to the Net Zero strategy objectives was part of their occupant agreement. The City provided user’s manuals for occupants describing how their activities affect overall building energy consumption (The Challenge Series, n.d.). Ramslie, the City Sustainability Manager, says: You know you’ve achieved a successful green building not when you get the plaque, but when occupants are engaged. (The Challenge Series, n.d.)

In sum, the success of the Olympic Village project planning strategy seems to have hinged on a highly collaborative, inclusive and coordinated process involving multiple City agencies, private sector, citizens and users, and VANOC. In setting up the SEFC OV design 63