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Understanding and Supporting Sustainable Housing Innovators

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Understanding and Supporting Sustainable Housing Innovators Understanding and Supporting Sustainable Housing Innovators By Marianne Joan Grégoire A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Environmental Studies in Environment and Resource Studies Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2008 ©Marianne Joan Grégoire 2008 Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l’édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-54790-8 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-54790-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L’auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l’Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L’auteur conserve la propriété du droit d’auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author’s permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privée, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont été enlevés de thesis. cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n’y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. Author declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. Marianne Grégoire ii Abstract Canadian societies have developed a paradoxical relationship with change, where we commend “bold and visionary” leaders and adventurers, yet staunchly resist major change in our own lives. Nonetheless, instances of extensive and pervasive societal change inevitably occur. A notable example of current change is sustainable housing, now appearing in various forms throughout a diverse cross-section of society. This movement is in a period of growth and so there is still much to learn about how concepts of sustainability will take hold, and in terms of understanding who are effecting the changes we are starting to experience. Significantly, housing represents a sector that is directly linked to physical health, happiness, the economy and sustainability. Innovation has been the flash point for progress since the dawn of time. Advancement in thinking moves like a relay hurdler, taking even measured logical steps forward until periodically there is a leap, a movement up and over an obstacle into a new zone before the baton is passed to the next runner. These innovators present a new direction of thought and action, and challenge established procedures and routines. The aim of this thesis is to identify and understand influential sustainable housing innovators in order to determine whether it is possible to support them deliberately. The intended use of the results is to determine practical guidelines for sustainable housing innovators and organizations in hopes of improving their influence in the conventional housing arena. A varied and extensive literature review identifies key characteristics of societal leaders and innovators. Case studies, from North America and the Region of Waterloo focusing on the profiles of innovators from the sustainable housing sector are considered in the context of those characteristics. Primary data collection consisted of interviews and personal observations of several sustainable housing groups. Six key characteristics were found in influential sustainable housing innovators. Four were highlighted in the literature search (i.e. possessing charisma, a goal oriented personality and environmental ethic, and a willingness to share knowledge). Two more were derived from the primary data collection (i.e. community awareness and exceptionally effective collaborators and facilitators an ability to be an effective collaborator/facilitator). Results reveal that iii sustainable housing innovation may be integrated more effectively into mainstream practice in two ways: one, through education and marketing to reduce resistance from fear of the unknown and two, with the introduction of an intermediary moderator between innovators and official city or government decision makers. This study concludes that there are common key characteristics among influential sustainable housing innovators. Understanding those characteristics that identify such innovative leaders is an important step toward mainstream acceptance of sustainable housing. iv Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful for the guidance, support and camaraderie of my thesis supervisors Jennifer Lynes and Mary Louise McAllister. Jenn, you made me feel welcome and that my ideas are valid and important, and you showed me a better way to live green. I'll never forget that there is in fact a tool for pitting cherries next time I have three boxes to preserve. Mary Louise, I can hardly believe how lucky I am to have you on my team. I learned more than I expected to during the last year and I appreciate so much the knowledge and wisdom you shared with me. Your enthusiastic support for my research and me as a person is a tremendous honour. Many thanks go to Jim Robinson, Steve Murphy, Maren Oelbermann, Maria Lucia Zapata and Greg Michalenko for having me as a TA and consequently teaching me even more about my field and some of the unique and wonderful people within it. I have much gratitude for my external examiner, Diana Denton. Thank you for your very thoughtful and interesting contribution to my defence panel. I would like to offer a big thank you to the participants in my study. Karin Kliewer, Greg Roberts, Mary Jane Patterson, Chantal Cornu, Heather Cain, Adam Krop and Taarini Chopra. Your willingness to participate and your thoughtful discussions brought me a lot of joy during my research, and I feel richer for knowing you. Your contributions to your community are endless and so important. Thank you. Thanks to my good friends, old and new, for reminding me that it's possible to have fun anywhere. Claire Beckstead, I promised you I'd get your name in my thesis. Ha! It's impossible for me to feel like I can fully express how grateful I am to my family. Thank you to my parents, Joan and Conrad Grégoire for giving me the best life anyone could dream of and for your unconditional and constant support. Thank you to my sister Carolyn, for being an incredible role-model and an exceptional person. I'm so glad we're sisters because sisters are forever. Thank you to my brother in law Murray, for being an inspirational student of life. I love your sense of curiosity and humour and I'm so grateful to have you in my life. Rob, thank you for being the best possible partner I could ever have hoped for. We did this thing together. I've never laughed so much and felt so at home, and it's because of you. I love you. v Dedication To Mom and Dad To Carolyn and Murray To Rob I'm proud of you, too. vi Table of Contents List of figures...................................................................................................................xi 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................1 1.1 Research questions....................................................................................................3 1.2 Thesis Rationale: Why Housing, Why Now.............................................................3 1.3 Background on Urban and Sustainable Housing......................................................6 1.3.1 The Case for an Urban Focus: Vitality and Environment..............................6 1.3.2 Sustainable Housing.......................................................................................7 1.3.3 Measuring success..........................................................................................9 1.4 Theoretical Overview................................................................................................9 1.4.1 Social Trends and Influential People............................................................10 1.4.2 External Influences.......................................................................................12 1.5 Methodology..........................................................................................................13 1.5.1 Literature Review..........................................................................................14 1.5.2 Open-Ended Interviews and Narrative Inquiry.............................................15
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