Within the span of three decades — a mere blink-of-an-eye in the life of a city — Vancouver has been transformed from a sleepy, picturesque destination on the West Coast of North America to a relentlessly commoditized, global depository of luxury real estate.
It began in 1986. Expo. Vancouver invited the world, and the world liked what it found — especially Li Ka-Shing, who bought the Expo Lands for just $75 million. In 1986, Downtown South was a ragged collection of surface parking lots, garages, strip joints and hookers. The new Cambie Bridge was a vast and empty link between the sprawling surface parking lots of downtown and the crumbling one- and two-storey buildings around City Hall.
Our homes are now the second most expensive on the continent, by income affordability. Yet, we have very few head offices, and wages have never kept up with the cost of living — least of all now. How do we deal with this, especially as our population rises by another million by 2040? We innovate. We embrace change — fearlessly. We recognize that Vancouver does not belong to Baby Boomers, clinging to a nostalgic, unsustainable vision of three-bedroom homes on sprawling lots.
We must stop building ever-larger single-family houses in our neighbourhoods and add duplexes, row houses, townhouses and apartments. We must give up our cars and ride share, take transit, cycle, or even walk. We can’t afford not to.
I disagree with Sktrain for Surrey. Massively invasive presence along Fraser highway. Very few areas in the lower mainland have Skytrain running directly along a major road with residential properties that close noise complaints will start with construction and will never end.
Love the mention of the SFU gondola!