Developing Vaughan, sustainably

Feb. 9, 2023 3:00 p.m.

Seven ways the City of Vaughan is incorporating sustainable development practices in city-building

As a forward-thinking municipality, the City of Vaughan is paving a green future. The mission is to champion a sustainable community, act as a steward to preserve the natural environment and lead with municipal best practices. Sustainable development is not just a trend, it is a significant priority woven into all city-building efforts. 

Here are seven ways the City is building sustainably: 

1. Environmental stewardship

The City is a leader in environmental stewardship and encourages the community to do their part to keep Vaughan green. Some examples are below:

  • Green Directions Vaughan, the City’s long-term community sustainability plan. It outlines sustainable actions the City will take, such as enhancing stormwater management, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and changing how the organization designs, plans and executes programs.
  • The Municipal Energy Plan Revision. Currently underway, this will be a strategic planning document and action framework that outlines how Vaughan can increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit economic risks associated with transitioning to a low-carbon community.
  • Green Guardians, the City’s new environmental stewardship program. As a Green Guardian, residents, groups and businesses can get involved in City-led events or create their own community event. 
  • Earth Hour. Hosting events like the annual Vaughan Earth Hour celebration is one of the many ways the City continues to advocate for the environment and help citizens adopt sustainable behaviours in their own homes. In addition, every year at 8 p.m., City lights power down in recognition of the global movement. 

2. Sustainable buildings

To foster resiliency in Vaughan, the City is retrofitting City-owned facilities. Currently, three City facilities (Vaughan City Hall, Fire Station 7-10 and Fire Station 7-9) are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified. The Civic Centre Resource Library has also achieved LEED Silver certification. LEED is an international symbol of sustainability excellence and green building leadership. The certification recognizes buildings that help lower carbon emissions, conserve resources and reduce operating costs. Future City-owned facilities are also being built to meet LEED certification requirements, including the Carrville Community Centre, Library and District Park, and Fire Station 7-12. 

3. Sustainable development criteria

The City’s Sustainability Metrics Program evaluates the sustainability performance of new development in Vaughan. It is a point-based system in which proposals earn points for achieving specific criteria organized around the categories of built environment, mobility, natural environment and parks, infrastructure and buildings, and innovation. As of Jan. 1, 2023, all development applications must apply the updated suite of metrics and meet Council-approved minimum threshold scores. In 2014, the program was created and implemented as a partnership between the cities of Richmond Hill, Brampton and Vaughan. The City of Markham joined the partnership in 2019. All bordering municipalities recognize the importance this program brings to consistently achieve sustainable communities. 

Vaughan also endorsed Bird Safe Design Standards in May 2022. Through these standards, the City will explore retrofitting existing City-owned buildings with bird-safe design treatments to make the glass safer and more visible for birds. The City is working toward being a Bird Friendly City through certification with Nature Canada. 

4. Active transportation

In 2020, the City completed an update to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. In 2021, more than 130 kilometres of cycling facilities, multi-use pathways and trails were advanced through municipal, regional and partner projects, including:

  • Clark Avenue, which now features pedestrian and accessibility enhancements, 4.5 kilometres of in-boulevard cycle tracks (on each side of the street) and 32 transit stop upgrades. Further pedestrian improvements and in-boulevard cycle tracks are also planned along Jane Street, New Westminster Drive, Martin Grove Road and Weston Road, to name a few.
  • the Vaughan Super Trail, which progressed by connecting trails to existing facilities, such Riverwalk Phase 2A at Doctors MacLean District Park and the Bartley Smith Greenway underpass at Langstaff Park. 

5. Electric infrastructure and green fleet

To help create a low-carbon economy, Vaughan has invested in electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the following City facilities:

  • Vaughan City Hall, which has four level-2 charging stations capable of charging eight vehicles at once. Electrical line rough-ins have also been installed to support an additional 20 vehicles charging with level-2 stations and two vehicles charging with level-3 stations.
  • Civic Centre Resource Library, which has one level-2 charging station capable of charging two vehicles at once.
  • Joint Operations Centre, which has two level-2 charging stations capable of charging four vehicles at once. 

Additional facilities have been identified to install charging stations, including at the Pierre Berton Heritage Centre. Through grant funding from The Atmospheric Fund’s EV Station Fund, supported by Natural Resources Canada, this location will receive a level-2 charging station supporting two vehicles charging at once. 

Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service will introduce electric and hybrid support vehicles to its fleet, including cars, pick-up trucks and SUVs. Nearly 25 of these support vehicles will be purchased over the next eight years – three of them will be on the road by the end of this year. This change will result in a significant reduction in maintenance and fuel costs, with no impact to response times or services. 

The City’s Public Works department purchased its first two electric fleet vehicles in 2019, downsizing from half-ton pick-up trucks to Nissan Leafs. This change will lower operating costs by 93 per cent and result in a 97 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

6. LED Streetlights Retrofit Program

In October 2019, Vaughan began a city-wide Streetlight Retrofit Program to replace high-pressure sodium (HPS) with light-emitting diode (LED) technology. LED lights are more reliable, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve roadway safety for pedestrians and drivers, as they radiate a brighter white light. Smart technology upgrades are also being done, such as a web-enabled lighting control system. This provides accurate energy metering per streetlight, integrated GPS for real-time streetlight performance and the ability to turn on, dim or turn off streetlights remotely. More than 24,000 new lights have been installed.  

7. Renewal at Black Creek

The Black Creek Renewal Project began in 2019 to help prevent flooding in the city’s downtown core. Through it, the City will be able to implement effective flood control measures, enhance the natural heritage system and beautify the area. Most recently, a study identified solutions to reduce flooding and flood damages, improve water quality and limit stream bank erosion – the preferred solution is to reconstruct and renew the Black Creek corridor between Edgeley Pond (north of Highway 7) and Highway 407. The City is currently working to propose potential alignments. 

These are just a few of many ways the City continues to champion keeping Vaughan green. Visit vaughan.ca/environment to learn more.

For updates and news as they happen, subscribe to Vaughan News and follow the official corporate channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.​​​​​​​​

All News