Green or Greenwashed? A case study of Urban Greenery in Sustainable Residential Development in Vancouver

2025

This thesis investigates the incorporation of urban greenery in the form of nature-based solutions (NbS) in high-rise residential developments in the City of Vancouver and critically examines how greenwashing practices may undermine their authenticity and effectiveness. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research analyses urban greenery proposals and environmental claims across ten residential developments. This is achieved by validating development-related government documents, developers’ submissions, and marketing materials against real-life conditions observed through site surveys, visual inspections, and online aerial imagery and street-view platforms. The findings indicate that while the City of Vancouver has developed a robust policy framework promoting urban greenery , such as green roofs and urban agriculture, implementation varies across developments. A pattern of greenwashing practice was observed in residential developments built for sale, where green features were exaggerated, misrepresented, or presented as future commitments. In contrast, purpose-built rental residential developments demonstrated more genuine integration of sustainability features, likely due to their alignment with policy-driven, rather than market-driven, objectives. The thesis identifies three phases of greenwashing: direct consumer deception, stakeholder manipulation, and unverifiable future pledges, and explores their implications for stakeholders, governance, and public trust. The thesis concludes by recommending enhanced monitoring mechanisms, more straightforward guidelines for sustainability claims, and more stringent regulatory enforcement to safeguard the credibility of urban greenery.