Relating our work to Kingston’s Strategic Plan

Written By Brendan McKee

The City of Kingston has developed multiple strategies and action plans that underscore their commitment to creating a smart, livable and leading city.

We at Bombus feel like this is a philosophy that we can easily get behind. So we thought it would be worth identifying how our efforts synergize with Kingston’s vision to create resilient, sustainable and highly livable communities. Relating specifically to the goals listed in Kingston’s Strategic Plan.

The headers in bold represent the City’s ongoing initiatives, and the bulleted points reflect our intended actions. Read on!

Demonstrate leadership on climate action

  • Plant trees to increase urban canopy cover on privately owned lands

  • Design for energy efficient landscapes (lower heating and cooling costs)

    • Shade during hot summer days

    • Maximize sun in cold winter days

    • Funnel summer breezes

    • Shelter cold winter winds

  • Install communities of plantings that;

    • Sequester carbon

    • Regulate temperatures

    • Improve air quality

  • Treat water as a precious resource by;

    • Regulating and managing stormwater (absorb and retain more water to mitigate flash flooding events)

    • Enhance water quality through purification

    • Use plants to moderate local hydrological cycles to mitigate extreme weather events

  • Build healthy soil;

    • increase permeability, structure and organic richness

    • Reduce erosion

    • Enhance complexity of soil biota

  • Cycle (compost) nutrients to reduce waste

  • Increase biodiversity and complexity of local ecosystems

    • Genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity

    • Provide habitat and food to increase local carrying capacities

    • Manage invasive species

    • Biodiversity provides the natural mechanisms to suppress pests and diseases

  • Native plants support more wildlife than non-native plants

    • Native plants: trees, shrubs, perennial forbs, graminoids,  ferns, vines

    • Mushrooms, mosses and lichen

    • Insects: Bees, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Katydids, Moths

    • Birds

    • Amphibians

    • Mammals

  • Provide the means for pollinators to complete their life cycles

    • Pollinators lead to higher food production yields, transition to local food economy

    • Regenerative planting designs

Promote Affordable Housing

  • Promote social, economic and healthy equity by providing services that are accessible to various demographics

  • Use landscaping to Improve property values

  • Partner on the development of garden suites, as an affordable housing solution

  • Promote food security through at-home food production

Improve Walkability, Transport and Roads

  • Improve the pedestrian experience / make walking & cycling more attractive by; 

    • Rewarding the user with a pleasing experience that is desirable to repeat (basis of 15 minute city concept)

    • Planting vibrant green corridors (on private lands) that are sensually pleasing and provide comfortable, cool and shaded microclimates

    • Plantings as way to calm traffic, buffer traffic noise, reduce stress, and promote a safer pedestrian environment

Strengthen Economic Development Opportunities

  • Advance a local green economy by

    • creating new, local employment opportunities in an environmentally friendly / sustainable business platform

    • Inciting a broad cultural awareness of environmental stewardship practices

    • Work is inclusive of general or skilled labourers, young or old, internships (relates to environmental programs offered in highschools, colleges and universities) 

  • Encourage a ‘green’ culture which provides the means for others to start business ventures of their own;

    • Food / fruit / veggie / honey / tea production

    • Cut flowers,

    • Medicine (sweetgrass etc),

    • Seed collection,

    • Plant propagation, 

  • Favour the use locally sourced products

Foster Healthy Citizens and Vibrant Spaces

  • Create safe, comfortable, and attractive outdoor living spaces to encourage outdoor activity

  • Develop new hobbies, skills or knowledge bases through outdoor activity

  • Gardens as an educational resource - ‘nature knowledge deficit’

    • Be more attuned to your surroundings -  what is this plant, what does it do, what does it attract, what happens to the butterflies / bees in the winter, etc

    • Stronger awareness of our natural heritage

  • Landscape as a canvas for artistic expression - a natural extension of home and personal values

  • Gardening as a gateway to environmental stewardship

    • The solution to climate change could be found in our yards

  • Amplify the already-strong cultural heritage visible in the City


Brendan McKee
Next

Why Native Plants? Part 1 - Native Plants as Food