Mayor wants higher density, less environmental impact
John Bermingham
Province
About 8,500 delegates are gathering this week at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre for the World Urban Forum. Photograph by : Jason Payne, The Province
It’s not difficult to sell Vancouver to 8,500 World Urban Forum delegates when they’re bathing in sunshine at Canada Place, with glorious views of Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains.
In an interview with The Province yesterday, Mayor Sam Sullivan said Vancouver must be an example for cities less fortunate.
“I believe that we need to be very conscious in Vancouver that what we do is setting a standard for other people,” said Sullivan.
“They’re looking to us for leadership. It’s really important for us to show them a different model.”
On Friday, Sullivan announced his “EcoDensity Vancouver” plan to increase the city’s housing density while reducing its impact on the environment.
Sullivan said if the world used up the Earth’s resources at the rate Vancouverites do, we’d need four planets.
“The way we build our cities, and function, has a dramatic impact on the environment and the quality of life that all of the human beings in the world experience,” said Sullivan.
“We need to make a commitment to high-quality densification. We’ve got to make a commitment to put the brakes on sprawl.”
Sullivan knows Vancouver is the envy of the world.
It’s rich in natural resources, has never known war, and its citizens are well educated.
“If we in Vancouver can’t live sustainably, then nobody can. We are so blessed. We don’t have a fraction of the problems that these other cities have.”
But Vancouver also has growing wealth disparity and a serious drug-addiction problem.
“We’ve got to deal with the social dysfunctions, much of which stems from drug addiction,” he said.
Sullivan said 70 per cent of the city’s crime is drug-related, and he believes there is a solution.
“We know what to do. We just need the political will to do it,” he said. “As long as we’re unwilling to accept good research and
science, we will continue to experience the crime and safety problems.”
Sullivan said he’s worried by the growing gap between the rich and poor in the city.
“The one way we can address that is by getting the house prices down, making the homes more affordable,” he said.
“If we create more supply, prices will come down.”
Sullivan introduced a new phrase, eco-structure, to the forum.
He wants federal dollars to maintain cities that don’t sprawl, rather than sprawling cities being rewarded with infrastructure funding, as is the case now.
“We’re going a different path here,” said Sullivan. “I just want to make sure we’ll benefit as well from the infrastructure dollars.
“I want to make sure that cities that commit to eco-density will be able to receive the funding they don’t get for keeping the sprawl going.”
The mayor wants federal funding for projects such as recreation, arts and culture facilities, and investing in the public spaces.
He said he wants to talk with European cities such as Stockholm, which has kept a high quality of life while increasing density.
© The Vancouver Province 2006
