British Columbia

Increasing The Density Of Oceanfront Development

This column from the Globe & Mail looks at the scourge of oceanside development in British Columbia and cites a successful example of high-density waterfront development as a model for future growth along the sea.

September 3, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Can Vancouver Remain The Most Livable City?

Vancouver has once again been named the most livable city in the world. But some fear that the qualities that pushed the city to top honors will be hard to maintain as the city grows.

August 24, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Catch-22 Hinders Harbor Redevelopment Plans

Plans to redevelop a harbor are under consideration in Victoria, British Columbia, but would require the relocation of a busy ferry terminal -- one of the harbor's top services. The ferry's operators say the redevelopment would fail without them.

August 15, 2007 - Times Colonist

Earthen Homes Could Offer Sustainable Alternative To Stick-Built Houses

Cob houses -- some of which have lasted half a millennium in Europe -- are gaining interest among homeowners looking for a sustainable, inexpensive, and long-lasting structure.

August 6, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Vancouver Thinks About Building Higher -- And So Do Suburbs

Scarcity of land has prompted officials in Vancouver to consider updating building height restrictions to allow buildings to rise higher. Even neighboring suburbs are thinking about raising their own allowed building heights.

July 17, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Trouble In A Planning Paradise

A new United Nations report highlights the problems of prosperity and poverty in world's most livable city.

July 2, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Vancouver Cautioned Against Overreaction To Bus Lane Study

In response to a recent report that cast doubt on the effectiveness of dedicated bus lanes in Vancouver, some are cautioning against abandoning the lanes too soon.

June 15, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Report Calls Vancouver's Dedicated Bus Lanes Ineffective

A report from the planning department in Vancouver has shown that the city's dedicated bus lanes have not resulted in the decreased transit travel times they were intended to achieve.

June 8, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Vancouver Struggles With Homelessness, Affordable Housing

As Vancouver prepares for the 2010 Winter Olympics, rampant homelessness and a lack of affordable low-income housing threatens to tarnish the city's Olympic gold.

May 31, 2007 - The Tyee

Vancouver To Atlanta: 'Congestion Is Our Friend'

In their annual trip to cities that work better than theirs does, Atlanta leaders visit Vancouver to see first-hand the benefits of density, transit and regional planning.

May 30, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Vancouver Releases Charter For Future Growth

The city of Vancouver has released a list of planning proposals it hopes will become the guiding document for future growth and development in the city. The main proposals include increasing density and open spaces.

May 26, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Can U.S. Strategy Reduce Vancouver's Homelessness?

In the last five years, U.S. cities have taken a different approach to dealing with homelessness -- providing specialized services to the most vulnerable. The man heading this effort says that other cities like Vancouver should follow the U.S. lead.

May 10, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

Fuel Cell Bus Fleet Plan Unveiled For British Columbia

Officials in British Columbia have announced plans to create the world's first fleet of buses powered by fuel cells. The fleet would debut in the city of Whistler by the 2010 winter Olympics.

May 2, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

No More Mandatory Retirement For British Columbia

With Baby Boomers moving into their 60s and a significantly smaller population of younger workers, officials in British Columbia have passed a bill that will do away with the province's mandatory retirement age of 65.

April 27, 2007 - Times Colonist

Saving Money By Housing The Homeless

Housing advocates in British Columbia are pushing a "housing-first" policy to the local government as a way to combat homelessness and save money.

April 21, 2007 - Times Colonist

Incentivizing Green Building

The British Columbia village of Saanich has passed a measure that will make it easier for developers building energy-efficient projects to get approval. Green builders will also receive building permit fee rebates.

April 8, 2007 - Victoria Times Colonist

Farmland Dwindles As Land Values And Development Increase

Farmland in British Columbia is being rapidly snapped up by residential developers as land values increase. This pressure is threatening the area's remaining fertile farmland.

April 6, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

British Columbia Buys 'Poverty Hotels'

The provincial government in British Columbia has purchased 11 residential hotels in an effort to improve its handling of a rapidly increasing homeless population.

April 5, 2007 - The Tyee

Growth Threatens Area's Green Plans

Projected growth in British Columbia has many worried about how the region will handle the rise in population and development.

March 29, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

Redeveloping And Improving A Public Housing Project

Vancouver is looking to redevelop its oldest public housing project into a mixed-use and mixed-income housing development, with at least six times its current density. City officials hope it will be a profitable example for the rest of the province.

March 22, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.