The City of Vancouver, B.C. is shifting its focus away from skyscrapers and condos and into more "hidden" and "invisible" ways of creating density like laneway housing.
Planning Director Brent Toderian talks about the difficulty of convincing people that density isn't scary.
"Talking about density in cities is not easy," he says. "It's not easy politically, it's not easy culturally." In fact, he says "the so-called 'D' word" is often the third rail of local politics-the issue that no one wants to touch-but that as long as it's done right, density doesn't have to be controversial.
"When folks suggested height or were concerned about height," Toderian says of the community meetings he's attended, "I often pointed out to them that the initiative was not called EcoHeight And often individuals are more sensitive to height than they are to density."
FULL STORY: The E Word

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.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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