A Clash Over Sustainable Design For Vancouver Olympics

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."