Vancouver’s inner city is experiencing disproportionate levels of poverty and is under strong development pressure, with concern that few of the associated benefits are being captured by local communities and economies. An appetite exists for innovation in economic development but current community capacity to explore and support these ideas is limited. RADIUS SFU and Ecotrust […]

Agricultural production is a primary contributor to some of the key environmental issues of our time: climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of land and water. At the same time, agriculture is remains inextricably linked to the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. To address these interconnected social and environmental issues, the Brazilian government’s […]

network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). My research will include case studies on two Mexican MPAs to examine what forms of impact assessment, monitoring, and management are taking place, as well as to investigate the perceived effectiveness of these methods by relevant community stakeholders. Using two MPA sites will allow me to compare how social […]

The research will examine the way in which marginalized communities are able to negotiate access to essential conditions of life such as water and housing. Infrastructure development and consumption patterns have failed to adapt to rapid economic growth and urban expansion. This has created an inequitable rift between social groups, with marginalized groups such as […]

The proposed research is intended to identify stakeholder issues that should inform the City of Vancouver’s proposed Fall 2015 public consultations on its proposed building GHG and energy reporting and public disclosure policy and regulation.  A literature review and interviews with key stakeholders such as building owners and managers, utility conservation programs and public sector […]

Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership. (Clearwater) is a Nova Scotian company that has grown to be one of the global leaders in the market of seafood. it is dedicated to improving the sustainability of its operations in order to protect the valuable resource upon which it relies. In fisheries science and management, as well as food […]

Post-construction monitoring and bird and bat carcass searches will be performed over two terms from mid-May to the end of June, and mid-October to mid-August at 8 wind energy sites around Nova Scotia. The data collected will be collected at each site 3 times per week at first light and will include counts, species, time […]

Residential high-rise buildings consume large amounts of energy for their cooling and heating needs. A large portion of this energy is wasted due to aging infrastructure, lack of proper maintenance, and occupants’ lack of awareness about energy conservation measures. While the economic and environmental benefits of physical retrofit of aging high-rises is well understood in […]

Transitions between adjacent plant communities are important features of landscapes that might harbour greater diversity. However, forest edges created by human activities can have negative consequences for wildlife habitat. Both types of transitions dominate fragmented agricultural landscapes in tropical forests. Understanding the vegetation structure in such heterogeneous landscape could help predict animal movements across natural […]

The Energy Futures Lab (EFL)9 is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder dialogue and public engagement process designed to answer the question “How can Alberta’s leadership position in today’s energy system serve as a platform for the transition to the energy system that the future requires of us?” The aim of this research project is to investigate the […]

Without careful management, the growing number and intensity of human activities can negatively affect ecosystem health and cause conflict between users. Recognizing the need for integrated management, the Province of British Columbia and 18 Coastal First Nations collaborated to develop an integrated spatial Marine Plan for the North Pacific Coast. A critical part of implementing […]

Given tre extraordinary natural resources used for the construction, operation and demolition of buildings and the extensive impact that buildings have on natural cycles and the environment, there is an urgent need to shift towards greener buildings. In Canada, regulation presents obstacles to building green. This project will investigate the building code variances used in […]