Planners and developers are clashing over the design of Vancouver's Olympic village for the 2010 games. Some say the developers haven't gone far enough to achieve the 3 E's of sustainability.
As Vancouver's face to the world, the design of the 2010 Olympic athletes' village is a very touchy and debated issue in the city. Planners are skeptical that the village's green design will actually be sustainable. The green design will most likely be friendly to the environment -- the first E of the 3 E's of sustainability. The Olympics are expected to be a big draw for Vancouver, so the village will probably serve to boost the city's economy -- the second E. But the concerned planners are unsure whether the developers are considering equity -- the third E -- as housing is expected to be primarily luxury condos and expensive lofts.
"Ever since the city announced April 5 that Millennium had been chosen as the developer for the 16-acre city parcel that will be the Olympic athletes' village, it's been a roller-coaster ride for city planners, the developer, the architectural teams involved, and people who have taken a long-term interest in what has always been dreamed of as an international model for how to build an entire neighbourhood that's green."
"Southeast False Creek has always faced two contradictory goals. All kinds of advocates, from community activists to mainstream politicians, have wanted it to be a model of sustainability. That doesn't just mean recycling dishwater or putting in rooftop gardens. Sustainability, in the new, broader sense, also means creating a community that includes all income levels, fosters connectedness, is economically viable, and reduces the distance people have to travel to shop or work."
FULL STORY: Trouble on the village green

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service