Building Sustainable and Resilient Grand Rapids

Haris Alibašić, Ph.D.

City of Grand Rapids

June 26, 2014

Agenda • Sustainability and Resiliency Overview

• Supporting and Implementing Resiliency and Sustainability Efforts

• Applied Sustainability

• Tracking and Measuring Sustainability

• Grand Rapids Climate Resiliency Report

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Sustainability DefinedSet of effective and efficient actions taken by an organization to ensure the economic stability, growth, and financial success, with the most positive societal outcome and the least negative environmental impact.

Resiliency Planning

Resiliency planning takes into consideration emergency preparedness, energy planning, health, and safety issues.

Alibašić (2013). Local Governments Must Take Charge of Building Resilient Communities

http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/07/building-resilient-communities/

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Resiliency Planning in GR

Timeline of Sustainability in GRHaris Alibasic

Supporting and Implementing Resiliency and Sustainability Efforts

• Office of Energy and Sustainability

• Internal and External Support/

▫ CSP, WMEAC, WMSBF

• Working with local universities

▫ Internship opportunities

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Sustainability PlanHaris Alibasic

Grand Rapids Sustainability

Economic Issues:• A Strong Economy• Diverse Supplier Base• Employment & Workforce Training• Financial Management/Sustainability• Enhanced Customer Service• Vital Business Districts

Social Issues:• Great Neighborhoods• Strong Education, Arts & Community• Civic Engagement• Healthy Lifestyles & Healthy

Environments• Public Safety

Environmental Issues:• Energy & Climate Protection• Environmental Quality & Natural

Systems• Land Use & Development

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FY2013 Sustainability Plan

Progress Report

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• Climate Resiliency

• Transformation

• Economic Highlights▫ Brownfield Redevelopment

▫ Micro Local Business Enterprise firms

• Social Highlights▫ LEAD Youth Employment Program

▫ Volunteerism

▫ Local food sources: Downtown Market, Urban farming

• Environmental Highlights ▫ Bikeway Network

▫ LEED Certification

▫ Extreme weather events (heat waves/flood)

▫ Tree Canopy

▫ Solar panel system

The Sustainability Plan Progress ReportHaris Alibasic

Overall Progress

• In FY 2013, 51% of all targets are shown as completed, compared to last year’s 36%.

52%50%

53%

48%50%

44%

3%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Economic Social Environmental

Complete In Progess Little to No Progress

FY 2013 By Theme

51%48%

1%

Complete In Progress Little to No Progress

FY 2013 Results

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52%

48%

FY 2013 Economic Progress

50%50%

FY 2013 Social Progress

53%44%

3%

FY 2013 Environmental Progress

Complete In Progress Little to No Progress

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Applied Sustainability

• Energy efficiency in city owned buildings and in residential homes▫ Geothermal at fire stations▫ Better Buildings for Michigan

• Achieved 20% renewable energy target before 2008, and the City is now committed to 100% renewable energy by 2020▫ Solar project at LEED certified administration building

• The City installed Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) charging stations last year.▫ Stations were used over 1,800 times since installation.

Solar Energy Application

Geothermal Project at Fire Stations

DOE/EECBG*Grant

funded

Annual Utility

Savings (kWh)

Total Cost

Savings

GHG Reduced

(metric tons)

Geothermal

Fire Stations$300,000 266,000 $22,610 191

Geothermal Project at Fire Stations is to

implement a geothermal heating and cooling

system that extracts an pumps heat from

underground. The system will reduce

energy costs and pay back the city’s upfront

expense in 7.5 years

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Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

• The City installed seven Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) charging stations last year. .

• Stations were used over 1,100 times since installation.

2012 vs. 2013 use

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Solar at Butterworth Landfill Superfund Site

• With EPA funding, completed a feasibility study for large scale solar.

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RE Projects Under Consideration

Request for Proposals : Sustainable Biosolids Management Programs

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Applied Sustainability (contd.)

• Bio-retention islands▫ Seven new bio-retention islands

installed last year• Refuse and recycling

▫ MyGrcity Points• Bike lanes

▫ Adding additional 100 miles of bike lanes

• Urban forestry▫ Grand Rapids Urban Forest Project

which set a 40% tree canopy goal

Resiliency Planning Process

2005

2005

2006

2008

2009

2010

2007

2011

A comprehensive climate change

strategy improves the current

conditions and lessens the future impacts of weather

events

Emergency Planning and Resiliency

•

The climate knot

“Climate change impacts each sector in isolation, but it also impacts the interaction of each to others and the function of the system as a whole. Therefore, understanding the needs of the community, major relationships between sectors, and the ability of the sectors to provide those needs in a changing climate world is key to building resilience. (Grand Rapids Climate Resiliency Report, 2013)

Connecting Issues

Water

Energy

Built Systems/ Infrastructure

Transportation

Emergency Preparedness

Climate Resiliency Report & Grand Rapids Sustainability Plan

Water

• Strengthen Efficiency

• Capture first flush

• Use critical climate infrastructure

Energy

• Increase Energy Efficiency

• Reduce GHG emissions

Built Systems/ Infrastructure

• Improve access to food sources

• Increase # of certified sustainable buildings

Transportation

• Change transportation culture to one built around multimodal, vital streets for all residents.

Emergency Preparedness

• Analyze the effectiveness of resources used during extreme events, continue providing efficient response

Water

• Reduce customer water consumption

• Reduce stormwaterdischarge

• increase square footage of green roofs, pervious pavement, and parks

Energy

• Reduce City’s consumption of gasoline, diesel, and natural gas

• Achieve at least 30% renewable energy portfolio

• Reduce direct and indirect GHG emissions

Built Systems/ Infrastructure

• Increase access for development of community gardens

• Improve access to farmer’s markets

• Increase # sustainable redevelopment projects, and certified buildings

Transportation

• Increase miles of on-street bike lanes to 70

• Develop new sidewalks

• Decrease total vehicle miles traveled by city employees

• Increase mix of alt. vehicle fuels

Emergency Preparedness

• All City employees involved in the National Incident Management Sys-tem will maintain 100% of the training requirements to ensure preparedness.

• Regionalize Emergency Preparedness Planning by 2015

Climate Resiliency Report Recommendations

Grand Rapids Sustainability Plan Corresponding Targets

Climate Resiliency Report

Uses the system-wide approach to understanding climate change and concrete impacts on the local community.

Resiliency Report (Contd.)

Focus on localization of climate change impact, and a specific set of recommendations to build resiliency in the local community and strengthen disaster recovery and resilience by local government.

Localization of Climate Science

The MAGICC/SCENGEN 5.2.3 Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change with the Regional Scenario Generator modeling software was used.

Results

• The climate change variables of temperature and precipitation were projected through the years 2022 and 2042 to coincide with the City’s 20-year Master Planning process. Temperatures and precipitation were compared to baseline annual average and monthly average data from 1961-1990.

Results (Contd.)

A sample of the analysis and findings from the report that describe climate change impact in Grand Rapids area:

• Average temperature and precipitation will increase by 1.1oC and 2.6 percent, respectively, by 2022, and further increase by 2.2oC and 8.5 percent, respectively, by 2042.

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Results (Contd.)

• Seasonally, the largest increases in temperature are projected to occur during the winter. The least in summer.

• The largest percent increase in precipitation is predicted to occur in the winter and spring months.

• Summer is the only season projected to actually become drier.

• The Great Lakes region can expect more variable and volatile weather, and that could lead to more extreme weather events such as storms and more freeze-thaw cycles in winter and spring.

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Conclusions and Recommendations

A number of in the areas of process improvements – social, economic, and environmental.

• Under processes, encourage use of an economic, triple bottom line cost-benefit approach in financing and implementation of major projects.

• Under crime prevention, the report suggests to increase the use of crime prevention tools through environmental design of parks and public spaces.

Recommendations

• Seek to move from a centralized energy system, toward a more distributed energy system.

• Continue to encourage the construction of best-in-class green building projects.

• Implement a forestry program addressing heat island, air quality, and other resiliency values delivered by a diverse, healthy urban tree canopy.

Articles

Alibašić, H. (2012). How Energy Efficiency Strategy Pays Off in Grand Rapids http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/08/energy-efficiency-strategy-pays-grand-rapids/

Alibašić, H. (2013). Local Governments Must Take Charge of Building Resilient Communities http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/07/building-resilient-communities/

Alibašić, H. (2013). Building Sustainable and Resilient Grand Rapids. German American Chamber of Commerce Water Technology Magazine, Page 28 http://www.gaccmidwest.org/fileadmin/ahk_chicago/2013_GAWT_Initiative/GAWT_Magazine_2013-2014_FINAL.pdf

Alibašić, H. (2013). The Evolution of Sustainability Planning in Grand Rapids http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/11/evolution-sustainability-planning-grand-rapids/

Articles (Contd.)

Alibašić, H. (2013). Grand Rapids Publishes Climate Resiliency Report http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/12/grand-rapids-climate-resiliency-preparedness-report/

Alibašić, H. (2014). Planning and Implementing Climate Resiliency in Grand Rapids, Cover Story on Page 24 of the Michigan Municipal League’s magazine: http://www.mml.org/resources/publications/mmr/issue/may-june2014/review-mayjune2014-online.pdf

Alibašić, H. (2014). Michigan Cities Building a Sustainable Energy Platform: Focus on Grand Rapids http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/05/michigan-cities-building-sustainable-energy-platform/

Alibašić, H. (2014). Michigan Cities Building a Sustainable Energy Platform: Holland, Ann Arbor and Beyondhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2014/05/michigan-cities-building-sustainable-energy-platform-holland-ann-arbor-beyond/

Source: Office of Energy and Sustainability

Thank you!Email: halibasi@grcity.usWebsite: www.sustainablegr.orgTwitter: @HarisAlibasic

Haris Alibasic