Legalize the Village

The author of Happy City helped build a home that addressed some of the greatest challenges of our times. But his home is illegal almost everywhere in his city—and in your city, too.

What Can Hives and Barnacles Teach Us About Solving a Housing Crisis?

How have cities throughout history successfully grown and met their need for new homes? Two metaphors from nature provide the key.

Housing, Top StoryPatrick M. CondonJuly 23, 2020housing, housing crisis, Vancouver BC, complexity, island press

Postcards from the Edges: With COVID-19, Density Is Not Destiny

Two polar cases suggests that density (or lack thereof) has little to do with the spread of the pandemic.

Rage Against the Machine

The famous "Growth Machine" theory of local politics explains a lot about the shape of our cities and their present-day problems. But not in the way you think.

Herriges, Housing, Growth Ponzi SchemeDaniel HerrigesFebruary 19, 2020growth, Vancouver BC, Development, incremental growth

Lessons Learned in Meeting the Demand for Family-Friendly Urban Living

The transformation of downtown Vancouver begins to illustrate the potential return for cities that work to make their downtowns conducive for families with kids.

Member Post, Top StoryJennifer GriffinJanuary 17, 2018family, children, Canada, Vancouver BC

Thinking Outside the Big Box

Great design can meet multiple interests. That was the case for this urban big box store which balanced the needs of a large-scale retailer with the surrounding walkable, mixed-use neighborhood.

Big Box Stores, Top Story, Urban DesignMichael MortensenJuly 20, 2016Canada, Vancouver BC, mixed use, big box stores

Bike lanes: Good or bad for business?

The incremental, low-cost, block by block method with which bike lanes are being installed means that we can continue to test and discover their values (or drawbacks) in our towns.

Squeezed Out

The majority of young people now go to school longer to compete in an economy that pays less for full-time work while charging much, much more for the primary cost of living — a home.