Frances Bula
Sun
If Vancouver politicians and planners want to put more people into the city, they had better give all those new residents a lot more parks, buses, public spaces, affordable housing and other services.
That was the message delivered at a weekend public forum on Vancouver’s EcoDensity plan, which aims to reduce the city’s environmental impact by promoting denser living and encouraging a variety of green initiatives in everything from architecture to agriculture.
“We are all for it, but we have fears that it will be unlivable density,” said David Grigg, a forum participant and a planner at the University of B.C.
He said the city needs to show residents that it won’t just shove density into every corner, but that it will protect public spaces and it will make it clear through zoning what kinds of businesses and amenities will go in around new, denser neighbourhoods.
Coun. Suzanne Anton said that the challenge for council and planners is to create a denser city that is still pleasant.
“One issue we all agreed on is that the environment has to be top of mind. Higher density is a lower footprint, but how do we do it right? We have to keep our livability.”
The forum, held at Eric Hamber secondary school on Saturday afternoon, attracted about 150 people.
Vancouver’s head of planning, Brent Toderian, started the afternoon by talking about the many different kinds of EcoDensity plans the city could aim for.
Plans that focused on transit, neighbourhood centres, urban agriculture, equalizing density throughout the city, energy use, or greenways could look very different. The trick will be meshing all those, he said.
He also addressed another common theme — a certain doubt Vancouver residents have that they will be listened to. “We’re hearing many, many different opinions and we will have to balance them,” he said.
Planners will come back to council in October with a plan.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007