Designing a Sustainable Community of the Future

Any five of: energy-efficient or net-zero buildings, renewable energy, comprehensive public transit, bike lanes and sidewalks, mixed-use / complete community design, green canopy, native-species parks, community or rooftop gardens, stormwater ponds or green roofs, water and waste recycling, affordable and accessible housing.

A community where people can meet most daily needs (homes, jobs, shops, school, parks, health care) close by.

Any four of: cost, population growth, urbanization, dependence on fossil fuels, existing car-based design, cold climate, habits, fairness/affordability, competing interests.

It collects solar heat in summer, stores it underground, and uses it to heat homes in winter.

They can reduce the need for diesel fuel that must be flown or shipped in, and they provide clean energy and income.

Homes there can become expensive, pushing out people with lower incomes, unless affordable housing is included.

Your audience: who they are and what they need to know.

Combining different land uses, such as apartments above stores.

A building that produces as much energy as it uses over a year (or offsets it).

Plants and animals that naturally belong in a region.

Coal, oil (or gasoline) or natural gas.

For example: local food that doesn't travel far, green space, people working together, habitat for pollinators.

Because homes, jobs, shops and services are close together, people can walk, cycle or take transit instead of driving, which burns less fuel.

Challenge: cold winters need a lot of heating energy and snow-cleared paths. Reason: because so much energy goes to heating, efficient homes save the most energy and money here.

Roads, houses and stores are already built far apart. Changing them means new zoning, new buildings, new transit and people changing habits, which takes decades and a lot of money.

Town council: a short report or slideshow with costs, benefits (lower cooling costs, less runoff) and evidence such as Toronto's green roof rule. Grade 3 class: a colourful drawing or model with simple words: "Plants on the roof keep the building cool and give bees a home."

More people need more homes, water, energy, transport and food. Building quickly can lead to sprawl onto farmland and more pressure on the environment.

(B) Transit is better for sustainability. Environmental: buses carrying many people produce less pollution per person, and new highway lanes often fill with more cars. Social: transit serves people who can't drive or afford a car (youth, older adults, people with lower incomes). Economic: it moves more people in the same space and can encourage homes and businesses near stops. A strong answer may note challenges for transit (cost, needing enough riders).

For example: (1) Heat pumps instead of gas furnaces (difficulty: cost to install). (2) Electric buses (difficulty: cost and charging stations; cold weather reduces battery range). (3) Solar panels on public buildings (difficulty: starting cost; less sun in winter). Any three reasonable steps with matching difficulties.

Work well: energy-efficient buildings (very cold climate), renewable energy such as solar in the long summer days or wind to reduce diesel, waste reduction (waste is hard to ship out). Need to change: large green parks and rooftop gardens (very short growing season; indoor or greenhouse growing instead), bike lanes (snow and ice much of the year), stormwater ponds and pipes (permafrost). Plans should be made by and with the community.