Both the Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener have a stormwater credit system. There is a stormwater charge on each utility bill, the value of which depends on the size and type of your property. This charge can be reduced by installing facilities that help manage stormwater run-off (rain barrels, French drains, rain gardens, and permeable pavers).
These measures are incentivized this way, but I'm not sure how it works for a complex like this. Are these going to be rentals? Then the incentive might be worth the developer's while. Maybe less so if they are going to be condos and the buyers won't be willing to pay for the savings.
Permeable surfaces are going to be critical going forward, to manage stormwater and reduce the heat island effect. I'm not sure how much traffic the type you mention can take (when grass or ground cover is growing between, there has to be sufficient turnover in cars so the plants can get air and sun), but there is actual permeable asphalt that has been designed that is quite similar to asphalt in performance, the only difference being that it allows water through.
I can honestly say that this is the first time I have heard the notion that permeable surfaces could be used to design a place that serves as both storage for cars and an amenity, and would thus show people how much space their cars consume. That's novel, at least for me, and I love that idea.
These measures are incentivized this way, but I'm not sure how it works for a complex like this. Are these going to be rentals? Then the incentive might be worth the developer's while. Maybe less so if they are going to be condos and the buyers won't be willing to pay for the savings.
Permeable surfaces are going to be critical going forward, to manage stormwater and reduce the heat island effect. I'm not sure how much traffic the type you mention can take (when grass or ground cover is growing between, there has to be sufficient turnover in cars so the plants can get air and sun), but there is actual permeable asphalt that has been designed that is quite similar to asphalt in performance, the only difference being that it allows water through.
I can honestly say that this is the first time I have heard the notion that permeable surfaces could be used to design a place that serves as both storage for cars and an amenity, and would thus show people how much space their cars consume. That's novel, at least for me, and I love that idea.