Vancouver's "Living First" strategy, which emphasizes downtown living, as well as careful attention to designing the downtown skyline, has made it one of North America's most livable cities.
"Most North American cities have been turned into doughnuts by decades of flight to the suburbs. Not so in Vancouver, the third largest metropolis in Canada. At least 45,000 people have moved downtown in the last 15 years -- more than doubling its population, which is now expected to reach 120,000 by 2020.
Much of the downtown area is now peppered with apartment blocks, rising to 30 storeys or more...The towers are usually set on podiums with shops and restaurants at ground-floor level and flanked by three-storey 'row houses' -- terraced houses, we would call them -- to cater for people who prefer their own door onto the street. Over 600 of these row houses have been built in the city centre so far.
None of this has happened by accident...Vancouver has a strong planning and regulatory regime, one of the most interventionist in North America."
FULL STORY: Vancouver -- healthy, happy and high density
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie