The Vancouver Achievement: Final Thoughts

Sun streaked streets

 This is a follow up to a book I mentioned weeks back called the Vancouver Achievement: Urban Planning and Design by John Punter. The “Vancouver Achievement” is the successful rewriting of planning policy and reorganization of the planning bureaucracy where architect-trained planners closely monitor site design. This took nearly 30 years to achieve, mostly through the support of long serving planners in upper-level management positions. Any designs that were unsuitable were negotiated on an individual basis, allowing more floor area, etc.

The major overhaul of Vancouver’s planning process could not have been achieved without the relative autonomy given to the planning department by the municipality of Vancouver. That autonomy was also given to the City of Vancouver by the British Columbia government allowing the municipality more freedom to make massive systemic changes. Thankfully, the planning directors had the right vision for Vancouver and the city’s interests at heart when given so much freedom.

Downtown Van from Granville Island

The main goal of consolidating downtown Vancouver was to ensure mountain, and sea views were not obstructed by the massive skyscrapers. In addition, no matter where you walked downtown, sunshine must be present. A major problem with downtowns is the lack of natural light hitting the street. The massive skyscrapers were orientated in certain ways to allow for maximum light. I remember walking through the sun streaked shopping area of Robson Street admiring the late winter warmth that the sun provided.

Though a truly remarkable achievement, and a truly remarkable city such achievements cannot be applied to all cities. The political, managerial and community conditions have to be just right to facilitate the broad systemic changes the City of Vancouver made to its planning department. Now we have to see if its success continues. After all, planning policy advocates claim that strategic planning is key to long-term, sustainable development.

Book:

John Punter. (2003). The Vancouver Achievement: urban planning and design. Vancouver: UBC Press.

Images:

By author.