East Clayton

Location

North Surrey, BC

Canada

Staticmap?center=49.1585, 122.835&size=175x175&scale=2&markers=color:red%7csize:small%7c49.1585, 122
Completion date
ongoing
Site/Building area
250 ha, 1,662 m2 commercial space
Certifications & Awards
Project Team
  • Responsible Parties: City of Surrey; James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments (in the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC); Pacific Resource Centre

Summary

Key Sustainability Features

  • Green Infrastructure: extensive greenway network
  • Stormwater management plan: natural drainage system incorporating surface detention and infiltration; reduced erosion and habitat loss through management of run-off discharge
  • Pedestrian-oriented: shops and transit within 5-minute walk
  • Habitat protection: preservation of riparian areas with restricted human access
  • Open space: school and park sites to contribute to infiltration and bird habitat

The City of Surrey’s ongoing development of the East Clayton neighbourhood is the outcome of a participatory planning process initiated by the city and undertaken with the assistance of the James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments at the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC. Both the city and the Chair are committed to developing a complete and sustainable neighbourhood in East Clayton.

The area’s Neighbourhood Concept Plan (NCP) envisions a community with a diverse range of housing built around an effective street layout that conserves and enhances the natural environment. The plan puts a particularly strong focus on ecologically sensitive stormwater management, because the local storm sewer system is at capacity and periodic flooding has resulted in erosion and loss of habitat.

Directing stormwater into the groundwater system lessens the reliance on the storm sewer system, as well as resulting in significant environmental benefits. The detention ponds and infiltration systems, such as those found in East Clayton, absorb up to 90% of run-off, diverting it from downstream creeks, recharging the natural groundwater system, providing a community amenity, and supplying habitat for migrating birds.

The system operates on both a small and large scale. Most single-family homes have been provided with an on-site infiltration system to manage the run-off from smaller storms. Detention ponds have been built throughout the neighbourhood to manage the runoff from larger storms. Street right-of-ways consist of 30-40% permeable surfaces and allow the free flow of water from paved surfaces to grass boulevards, filtration swales, and detention ponds.

The East Clayton Stormwater Management system not only manages five-year run-off events with ease, but it can also manage a 100-year run-off event.

As of 2010, the neighbourhood is over 70 percent built or under construction. The project has proven that green infrastructure, increased density, mixed housing types, and walkable neighbourhoods are indeed economically feasible. Sustainability measures incorporated in the East Clayton Neighbourhood Plan are being adapted and applied to similar developments throughout the rest of Surrey.

Additional statistics of interest:

  • Density: 2,824 residential units
  • Projected Population:13,000 to 15,000

Tours: Open to the public

 

This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain.