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urban density


Blog by Ian Watt | May 28th, 2007


It’s time to talk about urban density’: Mayor National editorial urges Canadian cities to adopt EcoDensity

 

VANCOUVER, BC – In an editorial in today’s National Post newspaper, Mayor Sam Sullivan is calling on municipalities as well as senior levels of government to open the debate on increasing urban density as a way to address global climate change.

 

“Instead of telling Canadians to simply check the air pressure in their tires to ensure better mileage, or put energy efficient light bulbs in their suburban homes, we should be talking about how better urban planning and densification of our cities can significantly reduce our impact on the environment,” Mayor Sullivan writes.

 

The editorial comes as the City of Vancouver prepares to launch a three-month series of public meetings and idea forums focused on EcoDensity, a new initiative which aims to introduce more high quality densification that will contribute to making Vancouver greener, more livable and more affordable.

 

“I look forward to engaging our citizens in this important conversation, and to hearing their ideas about how we can introduce new forms of housing in every neighbourhood in our City,” the Mayor said today.

 

Following the official launch of EcoDensity, the first ideas fair will be held on March 3rd and 4th at the Riley Park Community Centre. More details on this and other events are available at www.vancouver.ca/ecodensity.

 

A complete transcript of the Mayor’s editorial in today’s National Post is included below.

 

For more information:

 

Anna Lilly
Director of Community Relations to the Mayor
604.873.7410

 

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It's time to talk about urban density

 


National Post
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Page: A20
By SAM SULLIVAN

 

As mayor of one of Canada's biggest cities, Vancouver , I am frustrated with the nature of the debate on global climate change in this country.

 

Over the past several months, I have watched as environmental organizations, government agencies and the media provide advice on how Canadians can make small changes to our lifestyles, yet continue living in a fundamentally unsustainable fashion.

 

Instead of telling Canadians to simply check the air pressure in their tires to ensure better mileage, or put energy efficient light bulbs in their suburban homes, we should be talking about how better urban planning and densification of our cities can significantly reduce our impact on the environment.

 

Not once have I seen any prominent national news coverage on the link between increased urban density and the impact on our global ecology. It is time that we have this debate.

 

My concern for the environment was the primary reason I introduced the concept of Eco Density to the citizens of Vancouver in June, 2006. After several months of planning, this innovative program will be launched this month with multiple events and workshops aimed at engaging our citizens in developing new plans for future residential development, through an environmental lens.

 

As noted by Professor Patrick Condon, who holds the James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments at the University of British Columbia , Vancouver has become the first city in North America to formally establish an official policy of well-planned high quality densification.

 

Prior to becoming mayor, in my 13 years as a Vancouver city councillor, the "D" word was not popular. In fact, the mere mention of increased density often meant the kiss of death for a civic politician's career. But, with an ageing population, rising home prices and an increased public interest in protecting our local and global environment, the time has come for us to embrace density as a tool to make cities more sustainable and livable.

 

Why do we need to embrace density? The science is very clear on the link between density and the environment. Densification reduces urban sprawl. When people live closer to where they work, they travel less often in carbon-emitting vehicles and they produce fewer carbon emissions. Increased density also leads to neighbourhood town centres becoming economically viable with an increased selection of local shops and services.

 

Although many Canadians are accustomed to the traditional suburban form -- detached homes with garages and expansive lawns -- it is not sustainable to continue stripping our agricultural land and forests to develop vast tracts of single family neighbourhoods. By continuing this pattern of development, we are hard-wiring our dependency on fossil fuels well into the next century.

 

Increased suburban development also places significant demands on limited infrastructure funding for critical public amenities such as transit, community centres, libraries and parks. In sprawling communities, infrastructure is instead allocated to bridges, roads and sewers, which do little to improve our quality of life.

 

Recently, I made a presentation to my fellow Canadian mayors at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors Caucus, urging them to adopt Eco Density or similar policies of high quality densification in their communities.

 

Clearly, all levels of government, the business community and individuals need to take immediate action if we are going to address climate change. But we need to do more than simply tinker around the edges.

 

At a local level, cities should be seeking every opportunity to immediately use density as a tool to ensure we provide new and innovative forms of housing so that people can live closer to where they work. Through the creative use of our zoning powers, cities have a responsibility to become a major partner in the battle against climate change. But that will mean showing leadership beyond our three-year mandates and making the tough but necessary choices which may not always prove popular.

 

I also believe that provincial and federal governments should be demanding that cities commit to carbon-reducing strategies such as Eco Density before they provide infrastructure funding.

 

For too long, cities have built out to the far edges of our downtown cores, and then run cap in hand to senior levels of government demanding billions of new infrastructure dollars to fund these unsustainable planning and zoning decisions. Although it would be a departure from the status quo, future investments in infrastructure should be directly linked to the environment.

 

Cities need to be part of the solution and the time for action is now. It is my hope that through the Eco Density initiative, Vancouver will not only continue to be one of the most livable cities; we can become a world leader in battling climate change.

 

Mayor Sam Sullivan can be reached through www.mayorsamsullivan.ca. For more information on Eco Density, visit vancouver.ca/ecodensity.