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�鶹��Ƶ professor Andréanne Doyon is laying the groundwork for building more sustainable cities and communities—work that is urgently needed to address climate change while creating more just and equitable societies. 

Setting commuting targets

SFU, as a body, measures and sets targets for more sustainable commuting such as walking, cycling or other non-motorized transport, vanpools, carpools, shuttlebus or public transportation, motorcycle, scooter or moped, or electric vehicles.

SFU's 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan targets:

• 25 per cent reduction in Scope 3 emissions, including commuting emissions

• �鶹��Ƶhas committed to continue work to ensure the Burnaby Mountain Gondola is being built on schedule, with an anticipated completion date in 2027 (Scope 3 commuting strategy is of particular importance to SFU)

Measuring commuting targets

�鶹��Ƶpublishes an annual report on all its sustainability commitments. SFU’s also conducts and publishes a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Report which measures and reports out on commuting emissions as part of a comprehensive GHG emissions calculation. The first GHG Inventory was completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent GHG Inventory was released in November 2024 and covers 2019, 2021 and 2022. Subsequent GHG inventories will be conducted every three years. They can be found on the reports page of the Sustainability and Climate website.

Examples of the creative ways that �鶹��Ƶmeasures its progress toward targets are provided below:

• To meet targets set by the 2025 �鶹��ƵSustainability and Climate Action Plan, �鶹��ƵParking and Mobility Services partnered with the �鶹��ƵSustainability and Climate Office to assess commuting patterns and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation-related sources. The information collected by the �鶹��ƵTransportation & Commuting Survey 2024 will be used to assess SFU’s current transportation-related emissions at all campuses and will guide actions to improve sustainability university-wide. The survey work was led by a current master’s student in Resource and Environmental Management (REM), with support from Parking and Mobility Services and Sustainability and Climate Office. It builds on the work carried out in 2022 by an �鶹��ƵLiving Lab research team. The information gathered in this online survey will be compared to comprehensive “hard” data collected in the Fall of 2019 and 2024 as well as a previous online Transportation & Commuting Survey completed in Fall 2022. The purpose of this analysis is to review SFU’s steps towards GHG reduction in commuting in a post-COVID world.

• Our university’s Sustainable Transportation Working Group hired a graduate student with the skills and experience required to complete a best practice analysis of the most impactful projects to reduce our commuting GHG emissions. The purpose of this work was to make informed and data-driven decisions about which potential transportation actions need prioritization within our university’s context. The project analyzed the GHG reduction potential on campus for 18 sustainable commuting projects. This research directly contributed to the final GHG emissions reduction plan for the commuting category under the �鶹��Ƶ2022-2025 Sustainability Plan. 

�鶹��Ƶundertakes actions to promoting sustainable commuting at SFU

�鶹��Ƶhas a long history of promoting sustainable commuting and reducing barriers for community members wanting to select sustainable commuting options. �鶹��Ƶhas programs for nearly every type of sustainable commuting option and all campuses are accessible by foot. �鶹��Ƶhas participated in many regional and national sustainable commuting campaigns to encourage adoption of sustainable commuting methods including hosting specific �鶹��Ƶ"" events.

Electric vehicle charging plug stations

SFU's Burnaby campus currently has two different types of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on campus. There is no additional charge to use the stations, however the Permit or Daily Rate required in each parking lot remains in effect for the EV Reserved stalls.

Level 1 Charging Outlets

�鶹��Ƶhas 60 Level 1 charging outlets in the 6000 level of the West Parkade. They are available to any indoor permit holder or daily parker. These Level 1 charging outlets are smart outlets, which require a user provided cord and will provide approximately 5 to 8 km of range for each hour charged. Over an 8-hour day this represents more than 40 km of range – more than enough for the average �鶹��Ƶcommuter to drive home

Level 2 Charging Stations

�鶹��Ƶcurrently has 18 Chargepoint Level 2 dual-port electric vehicle charging stations on the Burnaby campus, creating 36 EV charging parking spaces. These Level 2 charging stations dispense electricity approximately 10.5 hours per day per port (or 40 per cent of the time) representing the highest usage amongst the Chargepoint network in Canada. The stations can be activated via the Chargepoint network (card or app) or via tapping a credit card or debit card, but there is no additional charge to use them.

�鶹��Ƶhas an additional two Chargepoint stations at the Surrey campus (four ports total), which operate in a similar manner.

Cycling infrastructure  

�鶹��Ƶhas a small but vibrant cycling community. Some people ride up-and-down Burnaby Mountain, some take the bus up-and-ride down, and some come specifically to �鶹��Ƶto enjoy the mountain biking trails. Various resources exist, including:

• Map of bicycle racks and storage on SFU's Burnaby campus

Bike cage—Burnaby campus 

The bike cage is located on the northwest corner of the bus tunnel, adjacent to the southbound lanes. It has approximately 40 year-round active users.

Mobi Bikes—Vancouver Campus 

Mobi Bikes can be used to commute, run errands, visit friends or casually cruise around the city of Vancouver. It is ideal for one-way trips and users never have to worry about bike theft.

Evolve E-Bikes—Burnaby Campus 

Thirty Evolve E-Bikes are available to ride around SFU’s Burnaby campus and the surrounding area. The electric pedal-assist bikes can be found at nine designated parking zones strategically located across campus, including outside student residences to the west and adjacent the UniverCity neighbourhood to the east.

Each e-bike includes complimentary use of a helmet if riders do not have their own, and access to safety information, riding tips and advice on the app and at . The program has flexible pricing of $0.35 per minute, or $12.99 per hour, plus an additional $1.25 unlocking fee per trip. Frequent riders can subscribe for $9.99 a month, lowering the rate to $0.10 per minute.

Bike tool lending program 

�鶹��Ƶis also working on a bike tool lending program which will provide resources for cyclists who are in need ofrepairs while on campus.

Carsharing and carpooling

Car sharing services provide vehicles for a fee to individuals for short-term use. Two car sharing companies have partnered with �鶹��ƵParking and Sustainable Mobility to bring their vehicles to SFU's Burnaby campus: , and . These vehicles are heavily used by students living in residences and by the community looking to travel between campuses and for grocery and recreational trips.

Pedestrian priority on campus: �鶹��Ƶprioritizes pedestrian access on campus

As �鶹��Ƶcampuses are in Metro Vancouver municipalities, each campus is within walking distance of amenities. The  is completely walkable once on site and can be reached on foot from the west side by trail from the City of Burnaby or the east side by trail from the City of Coquitlam. The  and  campuses are rated as a walker’s paradise and are easily navigable by foot or bike.

�鶹��Ƶpromotes and allows telecommuting, remote working, and condensed working weeks for employees as a matter of policy and standard practice. 

�鶹��Ƶoffers hybrid work arrangements which include remote working options

�鶹��Ƶsupports flexible work arrangements that promote work-life balance and sustainability through its formal Hybrid Work Program (HWA). The university’s policy allows eligible staff and faculty to telecommute on a regular or hybrid basis, depending on the role and work required. �鶹��Ƶrecognizes the benefits of remote work in enhancing productivity, reducing commuting time and environmental impact, and supporting employee well-being. In addition to remote work options, the university provides flexibility in scheduling, including the possibility of compressed workweeks, to accommodate diverse needs and reduce the frequency of commuting. 

The Hybrid Work Program

At SFU, we value a vibrant campus community experience for our students, faculty and staff. Our Hybrid Work Program is designed to enable and support in-person interactions and collaboration while also bringing flexibility to the way we work. 

Employees participating in the program spend some of their time working on campus and some of their time working remotely from an alternate work location. On-campus work can refer to another physical location other than SFU’s 3 main campuses where an employee is needed to represent or perform work duties on behalf of the university. The amount of time spent working on campus is determined by the Work Persona assigned to a position which is based on an assessment of role responsibilities, departmental operating requirements as well as team connection and collaboration needs. Personas and hybrid work arrangements can vary in terms of the days and frequency of on-campus presence and may be structured or flexible. The right balance may differ across departments and roles. 

A Principle-Based Approach

Our framework for hybrid work takes a principle-based approach to faculty and departmental decision making. Employees participating in the program will work together with their manager and team to ensure arrangements align with operational needs and support the desired workplace culture. Managers are encouraged to review the tools on the Leaders' page which outline specific considerations and resources, recognizing that each unit has unique operating needs that need to be met. 

Hybrid Work Framework

The Hybrid Work Program Framework provides information on each Work Persona; requirements and limitations of hybrid work; and the process of establishing and modifying arrangements. All managers and employees are required toreview the Framework prior to starting their hybrid work arrangements.

Learn more

Collaboration for Sustainable Planning and Development

SFU works with local authorities to address planning issues and development to ensure that local residents have access to affordable housing and vibrant, safe, sustainable, and livable community infrastructure. Among the top issues is affordable housing, which is particularly relevant to the high costs of living in Metro Vancouver.

The intersection of social justice, sustainability, resilience, urban planning, and livability are key focus areas for SFU. The university has been engaged with numerous partners over the last 10 years to integrate social considerations into planning and infrastructure development and current and future social infrastructure. This work is part of SFU’s commitment to being an engaged university and positions the university as an anchor institution within our communities, improving and elevating the prosperity and conditions for thriving for all residents.

UniverCity

�鶹��Ƶ has collaborated closely with the UniverCity Community Trust to develop affordable and sustainable housing on Burnaby Mountain, transforming the area surrounding its main campus into a vibrant, mixed-use community. Over the years, this partnership has focused on creating housing options that are environmentally responsible, architecturally innovative, and financially accessible for students, faculty, staff, and local residents. Through initiatives such as Verdant, an affordable housing project for �鶹��Ƶfaculty and staff, and other mixed-income developments, �鶹��Ƶand the Trust have prioritized affordability while maintaining high standards of livability and design. 

Research at Urban Studies: Hey Neighbor Collective

Hey Neighbour Collective (HNC) is a group of researchers and practitioners, lead by �鶹��Ƶfaculty members Meg Holden, Meghan Winters and Atiya Mahmood, interested in the domain of social connections and neighbourliness in urban housing. HNC brings together housing providers, non-profits, researchers, local and regional governments, housing associations and health authorities to experiment with and learn about ways of building community, social connectedness and resilience in BC’s fast-growing multi-unit housing communities. Their Building Social Connections project works with local authorities in Metro Vancouver to address planning and development issues with a focus on safe and affordable housing. From July 2023 to June 2024, HNC worked with six jurisdictions in Metro Vancouver to co-create new design policies to support wellbeing for residents in multi-unit housing. This work comes at an ideal time for the region, ensuring that new, denser housing contributes to happier, healthier communities for all.

Community Housing Canada

�鶹��Ƶfaculty members Yushu Zhu and Meg Holden are part of the Community Housing Canada research project, co-leading the sector of this project that addresses the affordable housing needs of vulnerable populations. This research group includes student researchers, community housing partners and local government agencies. The group promotes a better understanding of and solutions to housing challenges faced by vulnerable populations for local authorities and organizations.

ACT’s 2021 Low Carbon Planning Handbook for Local Governments

In 2018, SFU’s Action on Climate Team (ACT) launched the Integrated Climate Action in B.C. Communities Initiative (ICABCCI) to co-create low carbon resilience (LCR) pathways with partner communities of all shapes and sizes, and work with local authorities to address planning issues/development. This yielded a systemic planning approach that coordinates and mainstreams adaptation and mitigation planning, while advancing key co-benefits for governments and local residents. ACT has identified and honed key entry points and opportunities for local governments to embed the LCR approach in climate planning, community planning, asset management, and corporate strategy. Their handbook compiles the results of the ICABCCI, draws on best practices and key learnings, and outlines an integrated climate action planning process that is systemic and cross-cutting.

Read the Handbook

Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi)

Based on a collaborative research infrastructure, SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) promotes principles of participation, cooperation, social transformation, and knowledge translation to lift and strengthen the capacity of SFU’s researchers and students, to engage respectfully and ethically with community organizations, Indigenous Nations, community members, and leadership. Working with various local authorities on issues such as climate change, affordable housing, independent economic development, CERi’s 312 Main Research Shop has completed projects related to planning and development issues. Their partners include Indigenous governments, local climate action agencies, and community associations.

Learn More

Collaboration with CIL

Through the — a partnership between �鶹��Ƶand the City of Burnaby—the university is sharing its leading-edge research and strengths in innovation and sustainability to advance practical solutions for the city’s most pressing urban issues, from diversity and housing to sustainable growth and environmental challenges caused by climate change.

Over the long-term, the initiative will provide the city with a permanent research base, where students and researchers apply their education and knowledge to develop real-world solutions, helping solidify the city’s role as a leader in solving urban issues.

"From taking action against climate change to addressing reconciliation and equity, diversity and inclusion in a meaningful way, there are pressing challenges facing our cities today—challenges that �鶹��Ƶstudents and researchers are eager to tackle," says �鶹��ƵPresident Joy Johnson.

"This partnership gives �鶹��Ƶan exciting opportunity to deepen our decades-long relationship with the , while upholding our commitments to knowledge mobilization and community engagement."

The city approved the and has also created a non-profit society that will provide a path to seek federal and provincial grants.

Urban Innovation Lab

The Urban Innovation Lab (UIL) 2023-2025 was a pilot initiative between the City of New Westminster and �鶹��Ƶ that aimed to open up new ways of learning and idea generation from students and faculty to help solve complex urban challenges with local authorities. Designed to bridge municipal innovation and student learning in a range of dimensions of urban public sector management, the UIL worked on projects that addressed planning and development issues across municipal departments for the benefit of local residents. Project topics included a downtown livability strategy, community-informed opioid management, innovative small green spaces (parklets), accessible recreational and cultural resources, and community-centered heat-resilience. 

Planning Development – new build standards for sustainability

�鶹��Ƶis committed to constructing new buildings to high sustainability standards as part of its Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. All new major campus buildings are designed and built to meet or exceed LEED Gold certification or equivalent green building standards, ensuring energy efficiency, reduced water consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. �鶹��Ƶintegrates sustainable design principles such as advanced energy management systems, green roofs, natural lighting, and the use of low-impact, locally sourced materials. More recently, the Sustainable Energy Engineering Building (SE3P) in Surrey, incorporates innovative mechanical systems and energy-efficient materials to minimize environmental impact. Through these initiatives, �鶹��Ƶdemonstrates its ongoing leadership in sustainable construction, aligning campus growth with its long-term goals for carbon neutrality and environmental stewardship.

The third building of the Residence and Housing Master Plan is currently under construction and is expected to be LEED Gold certified. This housing building is being construction from mass timber which showcases SFU's commitment to sustainable building practices. This building will also meet the and standards.

More examples of sustainable building standards and examples can be found in SFU’s Climate Action Reports.

Building on brownfield sites

�鶹��Ƶexclusively builds on brownfield sites. 

At SFU’s Burnaby campus, all new buildings since the first main construction have been built on brownfield sites such as parking lots and old building sites. Currently, new construction is planned on the site of a decommissioned gas station.

Burnaby Campus:

• Gibson Art Museum was built on a parking lot

• First Peoples' Gathering House was built where the previous Annex buildings existed

• The Shrum Science Complex was renewed instead of being rebuilt

• The Student Union Building was built on a parking lot and mixed space area

• Newest Student Housing buildings were built on a parking lot and mixed space area

• The McTaggart-Cowan building has been around since 1985 and

Surrey Campus

• The School of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) building was built on a parking lot

• The future site of the �鶹��ƵMedical School will be on an old recreation building

• Surrey campus was built on top of the ruins of another university on top of a mall

Vancouver:  

The Vancouver and the Surrey campuses were built on brownfield sites. All newer buildings in the downtown campus including Harbour Centre, Woodwards and the Charles Chang Innovation Centre were built on former shoreline/industry/railway tracks. 

The building, touted as a ‘living lab’ for its sustainable spaces and operations, is the university’s first major step in expanding beyond its Central City campus, creating an integrated academic precinct within Surrey’s evolving City Centre downtown core.

The LEED designation demonstrates SFU’s commitment to being a leading post-secondary institution in sustainability research, learning, innovation, outreach, and practice. The building is an example of how �鶹��Ƶuses campus infrastructure and operations as living environments in which interdisciplinary learning, applied research and practical work advance sustainability and resiliency on campus and beyond.

The building comprises teaching and research labs, study and lounge spaces, offices, an open atrium, and a 400-seat lecture hall, serving the campus and the community.

Its award-winning façade is composed primarily of framed, high-performance, undulating precast concrete panels. Its distinctive design is derived from abstracted circuit board imagery, which symbolizes the technological subject matter being taught in the building.

More examples of sustainable building standards and examples can be found in SFU’s Climate Action Reports.