Vancouverism vs. Lower Manhattanism: Shaping the High Density City

"The clearest evidence of the changing realities of city building is the fact that downtown Vancouver has recently eclipsed Manhattan as North America's highest density residential area. But this may change again, as Downtown Manhattan is currently home to a high density housing boom, much of it sparked by loan guarantees and direct investment made available in the wake of the urban devastation of 9/11.

The two cities have adopted quite different institutional and urban design strategies towards the same ends: the creation of livable, socially-mixed, high-density neighborhoods with high level amenities that co-exist happily with conventional downtown functions. And my title lies a bit; because it is not really 'Vancouverism Versus Lower Manhattanism,' but 'Vancouverism Plus Lower Manhattanism,' as there are ideas in both places that might well migrate elsewhere."