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ACT (Affordability and Choice Today) encourages housing
affordability and choice through regulatory reform. The program is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in collaboration with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (funder), the Canadian Home Builders' Association and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
ACT has 4 new solution sheets available.
These and other solutions are available by clicking on www.actprogram.com.
You can also access a solution sheet by clicking on one of the titles below.
Surrey, BC Subdivision Leads Way in Incorporating Principles of Sustainability
This project sought to address seven principles of sustainability: natural drainage systems; five-minute walking distances to transit and commercial services; different dwelling types in the same neighbourhood; detached dwellings that present a friendly face; car storage and services handled in lanes at the rear of dwellings; a grid street pattern; and narrower streets with lighter, cheaper, greener, smarter construction. Each of the seven principles has, to varying degrees, been met in the East Clayton development.
Subdivision Introduces Innovative Lot/Design Concepts that Sell
Conventional subdivision standards can give rise to the following drawbacks: garage-dominated streetscapes; lack of privacy on corner lots; and under-valuation of pie-shaped lots compared to rectangular lots, in terms of land and linear infrastructure consumption per home. Four new design concepts include a lot with a permanent garden suite, private corner lots, live/work housing lots and herringbone lots, which have wide frontages and short yards on an angle to the street. As a by-product of creating innovative lot configurations and design concepts, it was discovered that four additional lots could be included in the subdivision.
Terrain Demands Leading-Edge Water Plan
For Yellowknife, the cost benefits of on-site wastewater recycling extend beyond day-to-day reductions in water supply requirements and sewage collection and treatment requirements. A system that requires reduced water treatment capacity allows more flexibility in locating housing, as development does not need to be near water and sewer lines. Housing affordability would be enhanced because the City would be able to make more efficient use of what, at times, can be a restricted land base.
Achieving Smart Growth in British Columbia
Smaller municipalities tend to lack the staff, the financial resources or the regulatory capacity to implement smart growth principles. With the support of a multi-disciplinary group of professionals, West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) developed a Smart Bylaws Guide to assist municipalities in adopting smart development practices. WCEL received ACT funding to use in demonstrating the application of the Guide with four municipalities.
Sharon Margison
Manager, ACT
Gestionnaire, ACT
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Fédération canadienne des municipalités
613-907-6242
Fax / Télécopieur : (613) 244-1515
Ces feuilles sont disponibles en français ici : www.programmeact.com
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