New Neighbourhoods and Green Infrastructure Innovation in Langley Township

Celebrating Green Infrastructure

In 2007,Langley Township was a host municipality for the second year of the Showcasing Green Infastructure Innovation in Greater Vancouver Series.

“The Township is walking the talk when it comes to putting sustainability into practice,” Colin Wright (General Manager, Engineering) stated at the 2007 event. “As municipalities, we are the focal point. We have to show leadership on-the-ground. We have to be in harmony with nature. When we are in harmony with nature, things will go well. In Langley, we believe there is a sea-change about to happen. The community is ready for green infrastructure.”

“The Routley, Yorkson and Northeast Gordon neighbourhood communities illustrate how a ‘water-centric’ approach is changing the way that land is developed in Langley,” stated Ramin Seifi, Director of the Community Development Division.

“Each neighbourhood features a different green innovation: A multi-purpose greenway and shallow infiltration systems on individual residential properties were first implemented in Routley; a ‘third-pipe system’ for roof drainage connects to a sand filtration treatment system and deep-well injection for aquifer recharge in Yorkson; and most recently, we have built truly ‘green streets’ in North East Gordon Estates.”

The Langley event focused on how a ‘water-centric’ approach is changing the way that land is developed. The Township showcased what can be accomplished with large-scale projects when Council, the community and staff are in alignment and embrace a ‘green culture’. Resource protection – for groundwater supply and fisheries habitat – is the driver for implementing ‘green infrastructure’.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Township of Langley Showcases Green Infrastructure Innovation in New Neighbourhoods

The above story about innovation and leadership in Metro Vancouver is extracted from Chapter 7 of Beyond the Guidebook 2010, released in June 2010. This water-centric guidance document tells the stories of how change is being implemented on the ground in BC. To download a PDF copy of the article, click on New Neighbourhoods and Green Infrastructure Innovation in Langley