Bob Ransford argues that the policies that have shaped Vancouver's streets and skyline over the last decades into a global icon of planning and design are an accomplishment of style over substance that fail to look at how people inhabit buildings.
Ransford defines "Vancouverism" as "a
design trend that has among its key principles residential buildings
that are in the form of thin point towers with a podium at street level
wrapped with townhouses providing 'eyes on the street.'" And while these principles, along with a focus on glass-glad buildings, make for pretty architecture, Ransford and architect Gair Williamson surmise that they fail to acknowledge the changing needs of users.
"These are conservative times, but technological
changes are changing values and shaping different ways people want to
live and work. Meanwhile, architects are reverting to classic solutions -
classic meaning something that is timeless and not adaptable," says Williamson.
While Ransford attempts to assign responsibility for the failure to re-imagine "the substance" inside the city's stylish new buildings to those who've established the framework for how the city has evolved, Williamson puts the blame squarely on architects.
"‘You can blame city hall, the client, the public consultation process or
the project budget, but in fact it is the disinterest of those involved
in the design process who, with a few exceptions, fail to challenge the
status quo."
FULL STORY: ‘Vancouverism’ architecture: It's style over substance
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
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Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
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Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
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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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)