With cities such as Vancouver struggling with housing affordability, limited developable land, and residents resistant to change, Bob Ransford suggests we need open and honest debate about density and the big picture of development.
In cities across the world, every time a new development project is proposed, the desire for urban living confronts the desire of urban communities to maintain their quality of life. It's no different in much-admired Vancouver, where Ransford notes that "planners, developers, civic politicians and citizen-advocates for smart
growth are all struggling with finding the game changer. They
desperately want to move the public from setting off an emotional
values-based debate to becoming engaged in dialogue that honestly
focuses on our collective community challenges."
Ransford reflects on a report [PDF] that captures the proceedings of a daylong session hosted by City of Vancouver planners with 20 citizen advocates that aimed to accomplish exactly that - move the discussion beyond reactionary positions to address the need for increased density to help solve citywide problems.
Read the full story: Open talk needed when it comes to the 'D' word
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