Presenter:

Dale Mikkelsen, Manager, Planning & Sustainability, SFU Community Trust

UniverCity is envisioned as a model sustainable community and testing ground for innovative sustainable development strategies. These include a robust set of market-oriented green building requirements, Canada’s first community transit pass program, an award-winning stormwater management system, and a set of innovative initiatives to maintain housing affordability. UniverCity also will use education to promote sustainable development, including bricks and mortar educational facilities to promote these principles in tangible ways. This dual strategy will be highlighted through discussion of two specific projects. 1) The development of a new elementary school in the heart of the community. Housed in an existing building renovated to LEED Gold standard, the school will also feature a curriculum that emphasizes sustainability using the building and the UniverCity community as a teaching tool. 2) The development of a new 50-space childcare centre to be housed in a purpose-built facility that will be one of the first buildings in Canada to seek to meet the Living Building Challenge for new construction.

Following an opening presentation, participants will engage in facilitated conversation about: 1) Ways to bring the advocacy/education and infrastructure elements of green thinking together in other projects and the benefits of doing so. 2) The power of partnership in moving forward with these kinds of initiatives. 3) The role children can play by mainstreaming sustainability messages, but also by using them as a gateway to engage older generations.

Session Format:  BREAKOUT SESSION. 

Presenter Bios

Dale Mikkelsen

Dale is the manager of planning and sustainability for the SFU Community Trust, developer of UniverCity, a model sustainable community adjacent to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. Prior to working with SFU Community Trust, Dale was the lead project planner for the City of Vancouver’s 2010 Athlete’s Village. He also acted as the City’s Green Building Planner. He serves as a board member for the Cascadia Chapter of the Canadian and US Green Building Council. Dale has a graduate degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of British Columbia.