The Tent City Next Door to the Olympics

This post from Next American City looks at Vancouver's homelessness problem and the public outreach effort underway to bring attention and solutions to the problem.

1 minute read

February 20, 2010, 1:00 PM PST

By Nate Berg


As cameras, press and tourists invade the city for the Olympics, Pivot Legal Society, a local advocacy group, has been distributing bright red tents to the city's homeless in an effort to highlight the problem.

"Presently, the campaign has some 500 tents; about 25 have already been pitched in a tent-city on Hastings Street, five blocks from the Olympic Village. (Tents can be sponsored for $100 apiece; $10,000 in private donations has already been raised.) Am Johal, spokesperson for the campaign, adds that others have been set up nearby to where crowds lined up to greet members of the Colbert Report, which taped at Science World (the show is a sponsor of the U.S. speed-skating team). Earlier this week, with the permission of local authorities and the police, campaigners hung a 45-foot banner declaring HOMES FOR ALL from the city's Cambie Street Bridge. The group has also planned a campout for tonight, Friday, says John Richardson, executive director of Pivot Legal Society. City officials have designated the location, about a block from the Olympic Village, an area where protesters can assemble without fear of arrest. Another demonstration is planned Saturday, which will wind up at the heart of downtown."

Friday, February 19, 2010 in Next American City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today