Projects

Lecture by MICHAEL GELLER, Canadian Specialist on Sustainable Development, in Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering, organized by Center Agency in Kazan

• In Vancouver we use the mechanism of preserving historical buildings, when we give permission to the developer to build a skyscraper next to a low-rise building.
• In Canada, the “car to go” program has become popular — it is an alternative to “car-share”. Thus, you get mobility, while you actually don’t have to pay any costs, arising out of owning your car.
• The Mayor of Vancouver plans to make our city the most sustainable on the planet by 2020. This solution has a feasibility study.
• One of the key indicators is the number of buildings, which meet the LEED certification criteria (sustainability of buildings). The developer would not just accept any project from architects or architectural bureaus that are not backed with such a certificate.
• By sustainable development we also mean stimulating people to walk and cycle more.
• When you visit Vancouver, you can see that the streets are becoming greener every day — now we plant not only on the roofs, but also on the walls of the buildings. We are closing some of the lanes, which were previously opened for cars, and open them for pedestrians, where they can walk freely. Previously, this was met with resistance from drivers.
• The popularity of the bicycle has dramatically increased and it has become a viable means of transport. When it snows, the cycling lanes are cleared first before the driving ones.

VIDEO