When Downtown Becomes Too 'Livable'

"From a distance, especially from the air, downtown Vancouver looks like most downtowns: a pack of modern skyscrapers nesting in a dense and confined central area. Only when you hit the ground do you realize that it is different. The skyscrapers are virtually all condominium towers..."

"There is nothing quite like this in North America, not in San Francisco, Chicago or even New York...While cities in the United States struggle to lure as many as 5 percent of their resident into downtown living — and some are glad to have 2 or 3 percent — Vancouver is at nearly 20 percent and gaining."

Remarkably, Downtown Vancouver's transformation to a primarily residential area has occurred in only the last 15 years, when the city created its "Living First" policy.

"[Now,] Vancouver has begun to realize that its downtown is such a magnet for urban condo dwellers that it runs the risk of ceasing to serve the other purposes downtowns have traditionally served — as centers of commerce, corporate employment, jobs and overall economic life."