Institute of Urban Ecology Plans Land Use Series workshops

December 21 , 2004

The Institute of Urban Ecology (IUE) at Douglas College has received a $15,000 grant from the Vancouver Foundation to help make the development of northeast Coquitlam more environmentally-friendly.

The grant represents nearly one-third of the $51,000 project designed to prevent habitat loss, limit the impact of the development on the environment and to encourage biodiversity.

The IEU project features a series of workshops following three themes - action kits for sustainable living, aggregates and cities and biodiversity and greenspace management. The action kits separately address the interests of the developer, the builder and the homeowner.

Aggregates and cities addresses the need, benefits and challenges of using asphalt, concrete and cement. Biodiversity and greenspace management describes urban biodiversity and addresses protective regulations; it also reviews integrating safety and biodiversity using principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).

"The Vancouver Foundation grant enables us to provide these workshops for free to schools," says Val Schaefer, the Institute's Executive Director.

The IUE will work with developer, Wesbild Holdings, municipal staff and community groups during the project. A series of at least 15 workshops for municipal staff, professionals and the public are planned.

The IUE initiative is being supported by Wesbild, which sees the project as complementing their development strategy. Some 5,400 hectares of Burke Mountain will be developed, providing housing for 20,000 people.

- 30 -

For more information, please call Don Hauka at the Communications and Marketing Office, 604-527-5325