Title: Green Building Tour � West Vancouver

Organizer: Canada Green Building Council�Cascadia Chapter

Description: Tour of 3 green community buildings in West Vancouver: Gleneagles Community Centre, Gleneagles Public Safety Building and West Vancouver Aquatic Centre. Attendees will board a bus at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre and drive to Gleneagles Community Centre along Upper Levels Highway. There will be a resident tour guide on the bus to discuss the sights along the way. The building architect will be in attendance at each of the building to answer all questions and to lead a tour of the building. Where applicable, the facilities manager will also be in attendance. Each of these 3 buildings features unique and sustainable solutions relative to the site. The District of West Vancouver is showing leadership in that these public buildings are saving the District operation costs and showcase the innovation of architects and engineers in Vancouver. Information and registration at conference site

Title: Granville Island walking tour

Organizer: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Description: Visits to unique Granville Island locations like Railspur Alley, the Net Loft, the Public Market and many others will make this tour a memorable and insightful event. Granville Island is a prime example of a revitalised urban neighbourhood that was transformed from a derelict industrial site to a community that harmonizes retail, cultural, industrial and residential uses. A key attribute that continues to underpin the unique character of the island is the adaptive reuse of existing buildings and building materials into new uses. Other sustainability issues that contribute to the vitality of Granville Island such as organic recycling initiatives, partnerships with local non-profits and an introduction to the new Sustainable Building Centre will also be included on the tour. More information about Granville Island

Title: Green roofs for environmental solutions tour

Organizer: BCIT's Centre for the Advancement of Green Roof Technology

Description: The tour of the BCIT's Green Roof Research Facility is located on the Earth: The World Urban Festival site. The research centre is a hub for the local green roof industry, conducting product performance testing and providing demonstration roofs. The Centre for the Advancement of Green Roof Technology is providing research, education and regulatory tools to advance successful green within our region. What are Green Roofs? - Green roofs are engineered roofing systems incorporating the use of vegetation that make environmental, economic, and social contributions to urban areas. Green roofs reduce stormwater runoff and lower a building�s energy demand for cooling/heating through improved thermal performance. They can protect the roof membrane from the elements, thus extending its service life. Strategic coverage of rooftops with green roofs in urban areas can minimize the overall energy intensity of buildings in the community by reducing urban heat island effects. They also enhance the environment through improved air and water quality. Through urban agriculture, biodiversity and habitat, green roofs offer recreational and therapeutic benefits, increasing the quality of life for people who are regularly exposed to these environments. Information and registration at conference site

Title : Anatomy of a Green Building

Organizer : Vancouver Aquarium

Description: The Vancouver Aquarium turns 50 in 2006 which means it�s time for a face lift. The new Discovery Education Centre is the long-awaited and major addition to the Aquarium facility in Stanley Park. Encompassing new classrooms, including a wet lab, additional public display gallery space, a play area for young children, and work space for 90 staff and hundreds more of our volunteers, the building is designed to achieve LEED Gold standards for energy and economic efficiencies. Given the Aquarium specializes in public display and interpretation, it will also serve as a living example of what a green building is, how it got that way � and why deciding to build to LEED standards is important. The Vancouver Aquarium is a self-supporting, not-for-profit community organization. This discussion and tour examines the economics of the project, and provides a personalized tour of a green building nearing the end of its construction. Information and registration at conference site

Title: University Town Bicycle Tours: Want to know more about The University of British Columbia?

Organizer: University of British Columbia

Description: The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) is located on the beautiful Point Grey peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The 1000-acre campus is home to world-class teaching, learning and research, and is also currently transforming from a traditional commuter campus to a new and sustainable University Town. The University Town Office, in partnership with the UBC TREK Program Centre, the UBC Sustainability Office, UBC Community Affairs, the UBC Bike Kitchen and the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition are hosting �University Town Bicycle Tours� during the World Urban Forum in June 2006. Opting for sustainable transportation, participants will have the opportunity to explore the UBC Vancouver campus to learn more about UBC�s new University Town while pedaling the relatively flat terrain of the UBC campus and enjoying the fresh air. Bikes will be provided by the UBC Bike Kitchen or you are welcome to bring your own. The tours will be 2-1/2 hours in duration, require basic cycling abilities and will proceed rain or shine (please wear appropriate attire). Areas of interest will include academic and green buildings, new residential neighbourhoods, and prominent landscapes and vistas. The WUF-University Town Bicycle Tour will take place on June 20, 2006 from 4:30 pm- 7:00 pm and will start promptly from the north side of the Student Union Building (6138 Student Union Boulevard) at The University of British Columbia (www.maps.ubc.ca) Program details will be updated as June 2006 approaches. Please check back at www.universitytown.ubc.ca for updates.

Title: UniverCity Walking Tour

Organizer: Simon Fraser University - UniverCity

Description: UniverCity is a complete, sustainable, mountaintop community, comprising walkable neighborhoods on approximately 200 acres of university land, surrounding the SFU Burnaby Mountain campus. It includes approximately 4500 multi-family residential units, along with a commercial village center, new schools, parks and other community amenities, with a total value in excess of $1.4 billion. The community goals are twofold: to create an attractive, healthy and safe community, appealing to a variety of markets that will bring new life to the campus; and to generate long-term revenues for university endowment funds. More details: Click here Information and registration at conference site

Title: Restoring nature in the city: A look at efforts in Vancouver�s Jericho Park

Organizer: Jericho Stewardship Group

Description: A walking tour of Jericho Park would show some of the work the Jericho Stewardship Group has been doing to provide better habitat for wildlife in the city. Jericho Park is the second-largest park in the City of Vancouver and one of the very few with a significant amount of natural area. Historically, the area was a tidal estuary and old-growth forest. It was also home to a First Nations village. In the 1860s, the area was logged. Since then, the area has been the site of a whaling station, the first golf course west of the Mississippi, an RCAF base and perhaps, most significantly for WUF participants, the site of the first Habitat Forum in 1976. All of these site disturbances unfortunately helped in bringing the natural areas of Jericho to the state they are today -- many parts overwhelmed by a variety of invasive species that diminish habitat for wildlife and make for a less pleasant experience for park users

Title: Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society Buildings Tours

Organizer: Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society

Description: Three building projects in the Lower Mainland to be visited, with guides and history. The buildings were developed through federal and provincial program assistance, on the foundation of the dream of three 'single moms'. Three buildings in East Vancouver comprise the stops on the tour. Guides would present the buildings and describe the inspirational 20 year history of this successful non-profit woman-generated housing society. For a complete description of buildings, see : www.enfhs.org/housingprojects.html

Title: Urban Aboriginal Strategy tour of the Downtown Eastside

Organizer: World Urban Forum-Urban Aboriginal Diversity: Supporting Communities Site Tour of the Downtown Eastside

Description: Participate in an eye-opening tour with the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) -World Urban Forum working group to examine first hand Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) initiatives in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The UAS is an innovative approach designed to improve policy development and program coordination at the federal level and with other levels of government to improve the socio-economic conditions of urban aboriginal people. The UAS is showing success in improving the way the Government of Canada does business with the urban aboriginal community in major urban centres across Canada including Vancouver. The UAS in Vancouver is being led by the Greater Vancouver Urban Aboriginal Strategy Steering Committee, which is made up of 16 members representing the Greater Vancouver urban Aboriginal community including Youth and Elders, representatives from the federal government and provincial government and the City of Vancouver and the City of Surrey. In this tour, the Urban Aboriginal Strategy-World Urban Forum Working Group will showcase innovative projects supported by the steering committee servicing Vancouver's aboriginal people such as: the Knowledgable Aboriginal Youth Association's (KAYA) Aboriginal arts and culture mentoring project,the Centre for Native Policy Research (CNPR) as well as referencing other social development initiatives in the Downtown Eastside. Participate in an eye-opening tour with the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) -World Urban Forum working group to examine first hand Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) initiatives in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Please dress casually and do not bring any valuables or cameras. Participants are required to sign a waiver.