Download Toronto Waterfront Scan and Environmental Improvement Strategy

Toronto Waterfront
Scan and Environmental
Improvement Strategy
Project - Economic
Opportunity in a
Sustainable Waterfront
Presentation
to the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities Sustainable
Communities National Conference
February 7, 2002
City of Toronto & SENES Consultants Inc.
Three Governments
One Vision
Three governments
agree on historic deal
to renew the Toronto
Waterfront
• Federal
• Provincial
• Municipal
Waterfront Revitalization
Funding and Private Sector
Investment
• Each of the three levels commits $500 million
• Total of $1.5 Billion
• To assist with the revitalization of the Waterfront
and to leverage private sector investment
Toronto’s Strategic Plan
Vision for the City
Toronto is a clean,
green and sustainable
city
• We integrate
environmental
stewardship into our
daily activities
• We maintain and
improve the health of
the environment for
present and future
generations
Toronto’s Strategic Plan
Goals for the Community
Environmental
Sustainability
• Environmental
sustainability
encompasses principles of
environmental balance
and integration of
environmental
considerations in our
social and economic
activities.
Toronto’s Environmental Plan
Sustainability Goal
• The City of Toronto’s
environment, community
and economy should be
healthy and vibrant and
should meet the needs of
today without
compromising the ability of
future generations to meet
their needs
Environmental Sustainability
Concept for the Waterfront
Scan
• evaluate cumulative environmental effects of the
alternatives being considered in all sectors (air, land,
water, energy, transportation, natural heritage)
• assess all waterfront renewal alternatives, enabling
combined effects to be managed, thereby
REDUCING overall City impacts on the
environment
• consider net environmental benefits and
sustainability issues
• optimize combinations of alternatives for all sectors
Waterfront Scan Key Concepts
Under Review by the Three
Governments
• Integrated Energy
Concept
• Comprehensive
Coordinated
Infrastructure Approach
• Cooperative
Environmental
Assessment Process
• Coordinated Public
Consultation Process
Focus on Integrated Energy Concept
• How does the
Integrated Energy
Concept support the
creation of economic
opportunities in the
Waterfront?
• Does this concept have
implications for the
economic
opportunities of other
infrastructure?
Challenges to Sustainable
Development in the Waterfront
1. Investment Return
Expectations
2. Development
Feasibility
3. Technical Feasibility
Perceptions
Toronto Port Lands Energy
Example
• development will require heating and cooling
• presently the necessary heating and cooling
infrastructure does not exist
• assumption that traditional technology will best
suit marketing and development needs
• current cooling technology is dependent on
electricity supply from Ontario Power Generation
and other suppliers when market opens in May
2002
Toronto Port Lands Energy
Example
• Potential for higher electricity costs due to market
forces, increased demand, or increased production
costs
• potential risk related to capacity of electricity
transmission system for downtown Toronto
• sustainability analysis would in addition to the
currently available technology assess other
potential technology such as Deep Lake Water
Cooling, District Heating, Anaerobic Digestion,
Wind, Solar and Geothermal energy systems
Toronto Port Lands Energy
Example
Considerations
• large investment up front
• need to develop all of the infrastructure before any
buildings built
• need to ensure that when the buildings are built
they can immediately hook-up
• longer term operating cost to the building owner
will be lower
Integrated Energy Concept Potential Energy Infrastructure
• Deep Lake Water
Cooling
• District Heating
• Anaerobic
Digestion
• Co-generation
How do we achieve Integrated
Energy Concept in the Waterfront?
Sustainability perspective
• building infrastructure in anticipation of demand
Issue
• how can this be funded?
Shift from Conventional to Unconventional Thinking
Municipal & Private Sector
Infrastructure
Unconventional Thinking
• re-evaluate the appropriateness of government
funding for various infrastructure components
• re-evaluate the historic role of public and private
sector in infrastructure development
• consider private sector construction and/or
operation of infrastructure components normally
developed by public sector
• free up public sector funds for other needs
Up Front Investment in Energy
Infrastructure for Long Term
Security
• requires up front planning and investment
• initial return on investment could be low
• initial low return offset by known cost of energy
and reduction in future risk
• initial low return offset by elimination of need for
supplementary electricity transmission line in the
future
Up Front Investment
Results
• long term economic
and environmental
sustainability
• income and jobs
retained in the
community
• with this comes
social sustainability
Market Interest in Waterfront
Energy Infrastructure
• some major pension investment
funds have expressed interest in
energy infrastructure
• local production of energy
reduces issues of supply
restriction and external market
forces
• energy production jobs and
income retained in the
community
Conclusion - Pathway to
Sustainable Waterfront
• Retain a focus on the Scan Sustainability
principle of Reducing emissions, not
mitigation
• Involve investment/financial and
development sectors and the Waterfront
Revitalization Corporation in furthering the
Scan Concepts
• Treat energy, transportation and
water/wastewater, and communications as
one Integrated Infrastructure
Conclusion - Pathway to
Sustainable Waterfront
• Apply the lessons of Integrated Energy Concept
and Up Front Investment model to maximize the
economic opportunities and cost reduction
potential for transit, water/wastewater and other
infrastructure
• Implement Cooperative Environmental
Assessment Process and Coordinated Public
Consultation Process to achieve public consensus
regarding Integrated Energy Concept and
Coordinated Comprehensive Infrastructure
Approach
Conclusion - Path to
Sustainable Waterfront
• Ensure Consistency with Central Waterfront
land use plan and Waterfront Corporation
Business Plan
• Maintain an ongoing Three Government
strategic alliance role to assist the Waterfront
Corporation and the Revitalization
Sustainability Goal
The City of Toronto’s
environment,
community and
economy should be
healthy and vibrant
and should meet the
needs of today without
compromising the
ability of future
generations to meet
their needs
Moving Forward