Best Practices Library
Welcome to the searchable Best Practices Library! To submit a Best Practice from your municipality, click here.
To use the Best Practices Library, combine any of the below search methods:
- Enter a term in the left-hand “Search” box
- Select a Category (or Categories) under which you would like to find resources. Categories sort by topic of interest.
- Select a Tag(s) under which you would like to find resources. Tags sort by Program, Region, or Type of document.
- Documents may be sorted by Name or by Date via the dropdown menu under the “Search” box.
The Cities Initiative also maintains a French version of the Best Practices Library. Click here to access the French library.
The Best Practices Library is a dynamic, searchable database of Best Practices, Tools, and Information Documents that are specific to municipal issues in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Region. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact admin@glslcities.org.
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Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability
This document, Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability (the Guidelines), addresses the need for information on considerations specific to the assessment of vulnerability to the health impacts of extreme heat events. The stakeholders and assessment steps relevant to the investigation of heat-health vulnerabilities in Canadian communities are presented along with examples of method application and information on key challenges and limitations.
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Community Based Adaptation in Brampton Through the Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (2011)
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has established several pilot programs throughout the Greater Toronto Area to promote climate change adaptation and sustainability in established urban neighbourhoods. The Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP) program based in Brampton focused on the County Court neighbourhood.
Through a series of community and stakeholder engagement efforts and in partnership with local businesses, residents and neighbourhood groups, the SNAP developed an action plan for the community that identified recommended actions for the municipality, the neighbourhood and the private landowners. The case study describes the SNAP program and discusses the features of the Brampton SNAP program. In addition, the case study examines the challenges that were encountered throughout the process and the lessons learned by the project team.
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Creating a Regional Climate Change Strategy in Peel (2011)
The Region of Peel, Ontario, has experienced climate change impacts and expects greater impacts in the future according to available climate projections. To prevent damage related to climate change impacts, and to build adaptive capacity within, the Region of Peel developed the Peel Region Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The strategy was a collaborative effort that included partners in the lower tier municipalities and conservation authorities within the Region of Peel.
This case study reviews the features of this progressive strategy and identifies the benefits of addressing climate change impacts at a regional level. The case study also includes a discussion of the challenges that the Region encountered throughout the process as well as some of the key lessons learned that may assist other Regions to incorporate climate change into their key plans and strategies.
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Guide to Writing Community Climate Change Adaptation Case Studies
This guide is for people who are writing or planning to write community climate change adaptation case studies. This guide is intended to help writers produce case studies that meet the needs of practitioners. The guide provides an overview of different types of community adaptation case studies, including introductory (“gateway”) case studies, worked examples, process case studies, learning histories and comparative case studies. The guide also outlines key considerations for scoping a case study, steps for writing a case study, and challenges and benefits associated with case study writing.
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Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into the Town of Ajax Official Plan (2011)
The Town of Ajax, Ontario, has experienced several climate change impacts including more variable weather, extreme wind events and an increase of invasive species. To prevent damage related to such events, and to build adaptive capacity within the municipality, the Town has incorporated climate adaptation and mitigation strategies into their Official Plan.
This case study reviews the Official Plan in some detail to provide insight into the process of mainstreaming climate change in a municipality. The case study further discusses the primary challenges the Town experienced throughout the process and concludes with lessons learned that can assist other municipalities in building climate change adaptation into municipal plans and strategies.
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Stormwater Management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin: Cities Charting the Way Forward
A presentation on the stormwater management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin: theory, survey results and examples of good practices.
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Wisconsin’s Changing Climate: Impacts and Adaptation
This report is the first in a series that will provide an ongoing assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation strategies in Wisconsin. To adapt successfully, local and state decision-makers must have access to climate science, predicted impacts, adaptation strategies and means of implementing adaptation. This report builds a foundation for long-term integration of climate risk education into Wisconsin's professional and community development efforts.
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Achieving Hazard-Resilient Coastal & Waterfront Smart Growth
This report presents an overview of ideas shared by smart growth and hazard mitigation experts at an August 2011 roundtable. The roundtable participants focused on how coastal and waterfront communities can create environmentally and economically sustainable neighborhoods while minimizing risks from coastal flooding. The report provides ideas for further research, tools, services, and approaches that federal and state agencies, academics, organizations, and practitioners could consider to improve integration of smart growth and hazard mitigation approaches along the coast.
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Wasaga Beach: Great Beaches Success Stories
Wasaga Beach, in the Town of Wasaga Beach, Ontario, is one of the province's most popular beaches. The Beach is Blue Flag certified, and also has historical significance from the War of 1812. Read more about Wasaga Beach's best practices in this document.
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Beaches: Toronto
Seven of Toronto's Beaches are certified as “Blue Flag” beaches, which is the international eco-label for quality beaches. Blue Flag beaches must meet 27 criteria in order to be certified as exceptionally healthy, clean, and environmentally-friendly waterfront recreation areas.
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Beach Grooming Tactics in Racine, Wisconsin
The City of Racine's Beach Grooming Tactics are intended to reduce swimming bans at the city's waterfront recreation areas. These tactics are intended to reduce non-point source pollution to Lake Michigan. Best Practice submitted in 2010 after implementation began in 2003.
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Beaches: Goderich, Ontario
Read about the Town of Goderich, Ontario's beach health programs. Goderich's Rotary Cove Beach is a Blue Flag beach, and the town also participates in the Green Ribbon beach program.
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Toronto Beaches: Bluffer’s Park
The City of Toronto, Toronto Water, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority assessed and rehabilitated the Bluffer's Park beach to reduce contamination from E. coli bacteria. The restored beach is now a high-quality habitat, and water quality has improved dramatically. The Bluffer's Park beach recovery is one of the best examples of beach restoration; pre-restoration, the beach was in a health advisory 80% of the time. Post-restoration, the beach has been open 85% of the time and is now a Blue Flag beach.
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Beaches and Coasts Workshop Summary
In April 2010, the Cities Initiative held a workshop on best practices for beaches and coastal areas in the Great Lakes Region, specifically on the lakes that border the Province of Ontario. This series of presentations provided a sense of the current state of Ontario’s beaches and coasts, the important role of tourism and trails, opportunities to improve beaches and coasts, and inspired beach and coastal success stories from around the province. A summary of these presentations is available here.
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Beaches Workshop Materials
In April 2010, the Cities Initiative hosted a Great Beaches workshop in Ontario. All presentations from the workshop are included here. Topics included the Blue Flag program, Southern Georgian Bay Initiative, Great Lakes Coastal Environmental Scan, Beach Health in Ontario, Wasaga Beach and Ontario Parks, beaches in the City of Toronto, the Ontario Provincial Trails Strategy, Promoting Great Lakes Beaches and Coasts, and Grand Bend/Lambton Shores Beaches.
All Presentations
- Beaches Workshop Agenda
- New Opportunities (Sarah Rang, GLSLCI)
- Southern Georgian Bay
- Great Lakes Coastal Scan (Eric Boysen, Ministry of Natural Resources)
- State of the Great Lakes Coasts (John Marsden, Environment Canada)
- Improving Ontario's Beaches & Coasts (Sarah Rang, GLSLCI)
- Beach Quality in Ontario (Tim Fletcher, Ministry of the Environment)
- Raising the Blue Flag (Sarah Winterton, Blue Flag Program)
- Ontario Parks
- Toronto Water and Beaches
- Ontario Trails Strategy (Ministry of Health Promotion)
- Promoting our Beaches and Coasts (Ministry of Tourism and Culture)
- Grand Bend Beach Enhancement (Municipality of Lambton Shores)
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Climate Adaptation Tool (CAT)
Created by the Norfolk Climate Change Partnership (UK), the Climate Adaptation Tool (CAT) is an excel-based risk management tool designed to guide organisations through the full process of adapting to the risks that inevitable climate change poses. The 3 stage process includes:
- Conducting a climate change risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities;
- Deciding on adaptive responses to those risks;
- Implementing and reviewing the decisions.
You can download the CAT guidebook here, which explains in detail each step of the excel-based, climate change risk management tool.
You can download the Excel sheet (the tool) by clicking on the “Visit site” button below.
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Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities: Case Studies Section (2010)
Adapting to Climate Change: An Introduction for Canadian Municipalities is a compendium of eleven case studies developed by Natural Resources Canada to provide municipal decision-makers and staff with examples of climate change adaptation actions, focusing on how to develop and implement strong adaptation measures. Each case study outlines the climate change impacts on the selected community, the plan-making process, measures adopted, next steps and lessons learned. The case studies included in the report are:
- Clyde River’s Community Climate Change Adaptation Plan
- City of Kamloops’ Wildfire Protection Plan
- Metro Vancouver’s Stormwater Management Plan
- Edmonton’s Urban Forest Management Plan
- Regina’s Water Conservation Program
- London Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
- Toronto’s Heat Health Alert System
- Quebec City’s Environmental Services Adaptation Plan
- Le Goulet’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan
- Planning for Sea-level Rise in Halifax Harbour
- Preparing for Storm Surges in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
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Promising Practices in Adaptation & Resilience: a Resource Guide for Local Leaders
This Resource Guide represents a synthesis of the best available information we were able to find about the ways in which experts and practitioners across the country are working to meet the challenges outlined above. The Resource Guide is intended to help practitioners in cities and metropolitan regions resolve local issues, by showcasing promising practices in climate adaptation and resilience, and by providing efficient access to some of the very best information and resources that are available.
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Designing Climate Change Adaptation Initiatives: a UNDP Toolkit for Practitioners
This Toolkit aspires to support all those involved in the design of measurable, verifiable, and reportable adaptation initiatives. It provides step-by-step guidance. As such, it seeks to answer the following question: What are the basic steps in planning and designing an adaptation initiative? This Toolkit provides guidance on developing adaptation initiatives that are distinct to baseline development needs. -
Learning to Adapt to Climate Change
Part One of this document deals with the human, economic and environmental characteristics of Quebec. It contains the most recent scenarios, within the context of climate change for Quebec. Part Two describes the anticipated impacts and the possible adaptation strategies for the built environment, as well as the health of populations and of ecosystems and biodiversity. The conclusion, reviews the main issues relating to climate change impacts and adaptation includes a table of examples of adaptation measures applied in Quebec communities and in various realms of activity. -
Getting Ready for a Changing Climate: Supporting Councilors’ Leadership Role in Adaptation
Adapting to climate change means adapting the way we do things – in all areas of our lives – to respond to the changing circumstances. Councillors (elected members) play a key role in championing adaptation and the local level. Their awareness of the risks of business as usual and their passion for community wellbeing puts them in the best position to develop public awareness of, and the political will, for taking action on adaptation. This paper identifies councillors' leadership role in the adaptation agenda and presents five recommendations to increase councillor efficacy.
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Adaptation and Risk Management
Risk management approaches are increasingly being recommended for adaptation assessments at both national and local levels. The reorientation of adaptation from an assessment focused solely on anthropogenic climate change to broader issues of vulnerability/resilience, sustainable development and disaster risk, especially through a risk management framework, can draw from existing policy and management understanding in communities, professions and agencies, incorporating existing agendas, knowledge, risks, and issues they already face.
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Chicago’s Guide to Completing an Energy Efficiency & Conservation Strategy
Chicago's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Guide will help cities and counties to thoughtfully plan for long-term and sustainable energy efficiency and conservation and maximize the opportunity EECBG planning dollars (distributed by the US Dept. of Energy) represent. A strong strategy can provide not only a roadmap for reducing energy use, but also for lowering government business and resident energy costs, and promoting economic development and job creation.
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Smart Growth For Coastal & Waterfront Communities
Developed in consultation with the national Smart Growth Network, the interagency guide builds on the network's ten smart growth principles to create coastal and waterfront-specific strategies for development. The guide includes an overview of the unique development challenges and opportunities along the water and provides specific approaches to development that include a description of the issues, tools and techniques, and case studies.
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Chicago Climate Action Plan
This report can be thought of as an overview document to help everyone learn about Chicago's Climate Action Plan – how it was created, why it is necessary, what are its goals. The Plan outlines 26 actions for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and nine actions to prepare for climate change. These actions call upon a range of government bodies – local, regional and national – to improve policies. The Plan also details steps for organizations of all kinds and suggests actions for every individual. It covers those issues: stormwater management, heating, cooling, air quality, green urban design, plants and trees, public engagement, businesses, and future planning.
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Dune Swales: North Beach Project (Racine, WI)
The City of Racine created dunes and covered them with vegetation to answer many issues the area faced. Now these structures limit the beach erosion caused by rain and wind, limit the use of the beach by seagulls, and aid the infiltration of non-point source pollution.
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Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change on Stormwater and Floodplain Management – A Preview of Adaptation Plans and Practices
This study aims to summarize what has been done to date in adapting stormwater and floodplain management practices to prepare for the impacts of climate change, both in Canada and elsewhere. The specific focus of this review was on identifying adaptative approaches to the planning and design of stormwater management and drainage infrastructure, as well as changes in land use and floodplain management practices to account for the potential impact of climate change on drainage infrastructure and flood vulnerable areas.
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Developing a Geospatial Decision Support System to Address Extreme Heat and the Urban Heat Island Effect in the Greater Toronto Area (2008)
To address the growing threat of extreme heat events to the population of Toronto, Ontario, the City partnered with the Clean Air Partnership, the GTA Clean Air Council and Natural Resources Canada with the end goal of developing a GIS-based decision support tool for decisionmakers. CAP conducted a user needs study to assess current GIS capacity of end users; identify the need for GIS based decision support with regard to heat-related decisionmaking; identify the technology, policies, data and services that would be required to address extreme heat within the City; and assess the Canadian Geospatial Data Inventory (CGDI) to understand its potential use for the tool.
The case study explores the process and results of the User Needs Assessments and makes recommendations for next steps that the City can pursue to establish the GIS-based decision support tool and integrate it into health and planning decisionmaking processes.
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Water Conservation Framework – Participating Cities Best Practices
This document from the Cities Initiative gathers summaries of the best practices of cities participating to the Water Conservation Framework program. Participating cities that feature in this file are: St. Catharines, Toronto, Durham Region, Region of Peel, Chicago, Hamilton, Montreal, Buffalo, Beaconsfield, Rochester, Cobourg and Sault Ste. Marie. Best practices are sorted into these categories: “Public Education and Outreach”, “Rebate Programs for Water Efficient Appliances”, “Universal Metering”, “Water main Rehabilitation, Leak Detection and Repair” and “Conservation Rate Structures”.
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Stormwater Management Planters – Milwaukee
The City of Milwaukee has carried out 14 stormwater management planters that capture and treat water runoff of two acres of roadways. The vegetation planted in those structures tolerates salt and needs a very low maintenance.
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Urban Stormwater Management in the United States
This report on stormwater management from the National Research Council clarifies the mechanisms by which the pollutants present in stormwater affect the environment, defines the elements of a protocol linking the pollutants to ambient water quality criteria and studies how can monitoring help determine the level a discharge is potentially polluting water and assess a stormwater management plan.
In PDF is the prepublication version. You can have a free access to the published document (PDF) here: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12465/urban-stormwater-management-in-the-united-states
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Canadian Communities’ Guidebook for Adaptation to Climate Change
This Guidebook is intended to help those who are looking for ways to reduce the impacts of climate change (increasing heat waves, water shortages, intense storms and sea-level rise) while decreasing GHG emissions and ensuring sustainable development for their communities. Recognition of the need to integrate climate risks into development priorities and decision making has driven the integration of adaptation and mitigation in the context of sustainable development. This Guidebook provides one method to achieve such integration.
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Climate Change Adaptation Options for Toronto’s Urban Forest
This case study presents some of the expected climate change impacts challenging Toronto's urban forest as well as a number of adaptation options that can be undertaken to protect these vulnerable species.
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Developing Our Coastlines – Four Michigan Communities Take Stock of Their Great Lakes Assets
In 2005, the Michigan Environmental Council conducted a study regarding the coastal development in Michigan. It consulted four communities to do so.
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Identifying Adaptation Options
This guidance note is aimed atsupporting decision and policymakers who are faced with identifying and appraising the effectiveness of adaptation measures that address identified climate risks. It should be considered as a companion piece to other UKCIP tools such as the Adaptation Wizard; Risk, Uncertainty and Decision-making framework, Business Areas Climate Impacts Assessment Tool (BACLIAT), Adaptation Actions database and the guidelines on costing the impacts of climate change.
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Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Communities: Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Response to Adaptation Strategies
A collaborative research project that assessed the vulnerability to climate change of wetlands in the Great Lakes area. The report explores human-directed adaptations and responses to climate change.
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Toronto Outdoor Water Efficiency
The Toronto Outdoor Water Efficiency program is a multi-pronged approach to educating citizens about efficient uses of water. The two primary goals were reducing water use during peak hours and encouraging citizens to plant water-friendly gardens. The campaign included information about water-friendly plants and other lawn and garden practices. The city began this campaign as an alternative measure to increasing flow capacity; instead, the city invested resources in water use reduction efforts.
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City of Chicago Water Education Campaign
In 2005, the City of Chicago began a water education campaign to demonstrate grassroots stormwater best management practices through rain barrels and rain gardens. 400 residences were equipped with rain barrels, and the city estimated that over 170,000 gallons of water were conserved from these rain barrel installations. Additional information about the campaign's ongoing programs can be found by clicking on the adjacent link.
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Duluth Educational Outreach Program
The City of Duluth, Minnesota has created an outreach program to educate its citizens on water quality issues that affect the health of Lake Superior. The program focuses on watershed awareness and involved stream-specific educational cards that were distributed to schoolchildren.
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Superior, Wisconsin Stormwater Education Program
Through the City of Superior's Stormwater Education program, fifth and sixth graders are able to tour the city's wastewater treatment plant.The plant invites all fifth and sixth grade classrooms each year and provides funding for buses, bus drivers, and snacks at the treatment plant. Treatment plant staff also discuss water quality programs like rain barrel installation, rain gardens, composting, and beach clean-ups. Because poor weather can cause visit cancellations, the wastewater treatment plant also created a “virtual tool” option. The program has become a great success and is a highlight of the year for many students and teachers
