A Brief History
In 1929, Vancouver implemented its
first comprehensive plan, which encouraged the concept of “complete communities”.[1]
Within these communities, inhabitants would be able to find all essential
amenities for living to be easily accessible, meaning walkability was highly
promoted. Although the 1929 Plan was not law, it continued to influence the
development of the city. In the 1960s, Vancouver began to break away from the
mainstream trend found in other large North American cities, which was to
spread out construction and expand outward.[1] Through zoning ordinances,
Vancouver promoted high-density and mixed-use development and expanded upward.
In 1968, Vancouver planners turned away from plans to build freeways through
the city, because they saw the potential dangers of creating more traffic; rather
than going in that direction, Vancouver invested in forms of public
transportation. In 1972, the regional government of Greater Vancouver developed
the Livable Region Strategic Plan, which defined four guidelines for all
municipalities within the region to follow: 1) commitment to mass transit over
freeways 2) compactness 3) promotion of complete communities and 4) protection
of the Green Zone. In 1993, Vancouver’s policies for a higher-density, greener
city became binding law under CityPlan.[1]
Land Use Planning Across Broad Fields
Today, Vancouver has the smallest
per capita carbon footprint of any city in North America and much of the city’s
success in reducing its footprint is due to effective land use planning.[2] In
the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan,
published by the City of Vancouver in 2012, planners list out current
statistics in a multitude of areas and the goals they set for further
improvement. Although, Vancouver has yet to reach its maximum potential
according to the plan, it can readily be observed that the city has impressive
land use policies. With the idea of building the greenest city as a central
motivator, all land use planning that goes on in the city is made through the
lens of creating environments that will be both utilitarian and environmentally
friendly.
Perhaps the most obvious example is
the city’s policy on parks or green spaces. Considering the statistics that
show nearness to green spaces as having a positive effect on an individual’s
well-being, planners have developed a goal to have every Vancouver resident
live within a five-minute walk to a green space. As of now, over 90% of the
city’s residents have satisfied that goal.[2]
 |
| Green Space Allocation http://vancouver.ca |
Partly related to the protection of
green spaces, Vancouver also has policies that protect food-growing spaces and
promote urban agriculture. With community gardens strategically placed
throughout the city, the inhabitants of Vancouver are given food sources within
walking distance, reducing their dependence on vehicles and supporting the
local economy simultaneously. To promote locally grown food, the municipal
government introduced Farmers’ Market By-laws in 2010, which allowed for
farmers’ markets to operate in more zones and reduced permitting and licensing
fees.[3] As local farms and grocery stores increase their presence in
Vancouver, the city will grow to be less reliant on outside sources of food,
which means less need for using large shipping trucks.
 |
| Food Asset Growth Goals http://vancouver.ca |
In addition, the action plan
provides a goal for allocating the Downtown Eastside and False Creek Flats
region as a Green Enterprise Zone that will focus green companies and
organizations, green infrastructure, as well as innovations in building design
and land use in one location.[2] The goal of having a Green Enterprise Zone is
to experiment and learn which eco-friendly business practices are most
successful in hopes of applying those lessons to the rest of the city.
Going hand-in-hand with the effort to
making the city greener is the attempt to prevent urban sprawl and promote
high-density. For example, grouping buildings together under one heating system
and having a neighborhood-scale operator- whether it’s a utility, a business,
the City, or a co-op- helps overcome the barriers of high construction costs
and the historic low energy prices of individual, non-renewable systems.[2] As
mentioned earlier, having utilities and services closer to residential areas
reduces the dependence on vehicles and has a positive effect on the health of
individuals who choose to walk or cycle to their destinations. City planners
hope to see a decrease in average distance driven per resident by 20% from 2007
levels by 2020.[2] But simply placing stores, schools, and parks near homes may
not be enough to incentivize citizens to go completely driving-free. In order
to fully convince people to choose active modes of transportation, planners
suggest that roads throughout the city should be allocated specifically for
pedestrians and cyclers, where traveling by foot or by bike will feel safe,
convenient, and enjoyable.
 |
| Active Transportation Goals http://vancouver.ca |
Land Use and Attraction
Comparing and contrasting two models
found in Yaletown, Vancouver and Crestwood, Richmond, Duncan Wlodarczak
examines the benefits and consequences of smart-growth planning and low-density
development. Yaletown, which follows smart-growth ideology, as with most of
Vancouver, shows a strong connection between economic development and proximity
of amenities and high-tech firms. Wlodarczak looked at a case study, which
consisted of semistructured interviews of people within the areas, asking them
what they deemed attractive qualities of the places they worked and lived. He
found that there were essentially two benefits of smart-growth planning that
stood out as definitive: 1) knowledge spillovers, which tie into a firm’s
ability to adapt and coordinate with its surrounding companies and 2)
interconnectedness with nearby transit and amenities, such as coffee shops and
lunch spots.[4] When companies are built physically close to one another, the
opportunity for face to face interactions and accessible trading of knowledge
becomes more prevalent. And in the case where businesses are co-dependent on
each other, proximity plays a significant role in communicating ideas and
creating a more efficient work environment. The interviewees also mentioned
that they found their workplaces attractive, because they were within walking
distance of certain amenities and well connected with local transit. They felt that
they were still dwelling within the city while working and enjoyed the
community atmosphere.
Despite the advantages of
smart-growth planning, Wlodarczak notes that low-density development has
certain benefits, which smart-growth planning lacks and cannot be overlooked. Using
Crestwood as an example, he points out that when buildings are spread out, they
generally are built with higher quality and are more affordable than buildings
that are compactly placed. In addition, they often provide more parking options
for employees- Crestwood is seen as an attractive commuter location. Lastly,
because there is more space between buildings in low-density settings, there is
more opportunity for a firm to expand.[4]
Looking forward, the municipal
government of Vancouver addresses the weaknesses of the city and plans to take
action to improve the city’s development. As a result of many years of
innovative planning, Vancouver has already achieved so much in regards of
becoming one of the world’s most ecological cities.
References
1. Fox, D.
(2010). HALTING URBAN SPRAWL: SMART GROWTH IN VANCOUVER AND SEATTLE. Boston
College International & Comparative Law Review, 33(1),
43-59.
2. City of
Vancouver. Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/
Greenest-city-action-plan.pdf.
3. City of
Vancouver. (2013, September 24). Regional
Context Statement Official Development Plan. Retrieved from http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/BYLAWS/odp/rcs.pdf
4. Wlodarczak,
D. (2012). Smart growth and urban economic development: connecting economic
development and land-use planning using the example of high-tech firms. Environment
& Planning A,44(5), 1255-1269. doi:10.1068/a44450
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