Surrey: Healing the Black Eye with Innovation and Sustainability

"It was littered with rubbish: car parts, rusty bicycles, 

a dilapidated 1970s swing set, a Mr. Turtle pool 

filled with rainwater and leaves, and an old German

 shepherd who appeared equally defeated." (pg. 45)

- Everything Was Goodbye, By Gurjinder Basran

Over the years, Surrey has been known as a run down city of Metro Vancouver where shootings and gang violence are an every day occurrence. However, Surrey has taken a sharp turn. Its 6 cities have undergone major changes ranging from new amenities, condos, city centres and hospitals - earning the title of the second fastest growing city in Metro Vancouver. Not only has Surrey proven to be a city for innovation, it has also shown how a fast growing city can be sustainable and very green. 

One of Surrey's major projects is the half-billion dollar expansion of Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH). It will house the second largest Emergency Department in Canada and top of the line technology. SMH is located within "Innovation Boulevard" alongside Simon Fraser University, and Surrey's City Centre. Innovation Boulevard contains a network of organizations, companies and people whose goal is to create a world class centre for health technology. For example, SFU is one of only two places in North America that offers a Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) program. The research and projects from this program alone are responsible for various technology used in healthcare, ranging from the development of green energy to surgical robots. Collectively, the work of Innovation Boulevard will no doubt make Fraser Health one of the leading health authorities in B.C.

As Surrey continues to develop into a modern city with leading technology, it will still manage to stay green. According the the Sustainability Charter Progress Report, Surrey aims to be a "green" business leader and reduce fossil fuels while also being carbon neutral by 2058. The City plans on reaching this goal by intervening in the following indicators:

1. Age of buildings: older buildings consume more energy and require more maintenance that can be hazardous to one's health (ie: asbestos). By keeping track of the age of buildings in Surrey, updates like retrofitting can be made to reduce the carbon footprint of that building. 
2. Green buildings: Green buildings consume less energy, create less waste and pollution and are generally safer for people's health. The City uses green building certification systems to maintain a standard in the areas of maintenance, construction, siting, design and renovation. 
3. Energy retrofits: For the buildings that aren't green, retrofits are an innovative way to reduce their contribute of green house gases (GHG). Energy retrofits are new technology or features that are added to older systems. In Surrey, energy retrofits have proven to reduce GHG.
4. GHG emission in various areas: The city monitors GHG emissions from vehicles, public transportation, buildings and facilities. The objective data allows The City to keep track of their improvements. In the area of public transportation, Surrey is promoting public and active transportation by creating new bus routes and bike lanes. Mayor Dianne Watts is hoping for a light rail in the near future that runs along 104th Avenue in the Guildford area. There is also some talk for street cars in Cloverdale. 

Surrey is quickly growing out of its stereotype. Soon it will no longer be the city with dilapidated back yards - but a vibrant, green and innovative city. 

Sources:

City of Surrey (2013). Sneak Preview of New Emergency Department at Surrey Memorial Hospital. http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/13645.aspx Last accessed on August 8, 2013.

City of Surrey (2013). Sustainability Charter: a commitment to sustainability. http://www.surrey.ca/files/Sustainability_Charter.pdf Last accessed August 8, 2013.

City of Surrey (2013). Innovation Boulevard. http://www.surrey.ca/business-economic-development/13158.aspx Last accessed on August 8, 2013.

City of Surrey (2013). Sustainability Dashboard. http://dashboard.surrey.ca/#energysystems/energyuse_transportation Last accessed on August 8, 2013.

Sinoski, K. (2013). The New Surrey: Developing Six Cities At Once. The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved on August 8, 2013 from http://www.vancouversun.com/news/surrey/Surrey+Developing+cities+once/7874086/story.html