I arrived in late afternoon and our bus departed the airport for the 2.5 hour trek through Vancouver, over the Lions Gate Bridge, and along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. We drove through the city along city streets and not a freeway, as is typical of many North American cities. The no-freeway phenomenon in Vancouver is a result of the freeway riots that took place in west coast cities in the '60s and '70s. Unlike San Francisco and Seattle, however, Vancouver citizens successfully derailed efforts to build a freeway.
Quick reminder: I was travelling from Boston, which, in early April, is generally varying shades of grey, brown, and mud. Vancouver, on the other hand, had just emerged from 5 months of winter rain. The sun was shining and everything was brilliant shades green. The city lived up to its moniker as the Emerald City. (Contrary to popular belief, Vancouver really is more an Emerald City than Seattle --read on!)
As we made our way across the city, the bus driver began his (unadvertised) tour. He told us that Vancouver had been experiencing a tremendous surge in population over the last 20 years (from 1981 to 2001 the population grew 32%) and that much of that growth was accommodated in the Downtown. This kind of growth is unprecedented in a city that did not grow by annexation during this period (Phoenix, AZ, for example, grew 67% from 1980 to 2000, but also grew in land area by annexing previously unincorporated areas). The bus driver went on to say that the City Planning department was largely responsible by encouraging a gross amount of high-rise housing in the Downtown. Development in the surrounding metropolitan area had greatly increased traffic congestion in Vancouver, as the city remained the employment center for the region. Some discussed the possibility of building a freeway to expedite travel, but the City Planning department had other ideas. Larry Beasley, then the Co-Director of Planning for the city, suggested that their strategy be to create a better jobs-housing balance. By moving people closer to the job center, it essentially eliminated the need (or at least the discussion thereof) for a freeway. (Side note: we understand that limited-access highways and freeways do not actually alleviate traffic congestion in urban areas; they concentrate it. Redundancy --options and choice in a whole transportation system-- does a lot more to move people and goods from place to place.) This is only part of what John Punter describes as The Vancouver Achievement in his book of the same name.
Our bus driver was full of anecdotes relating to city planning, including the story of the glass on One Wall Centre. From the vantage point on the bus I could see the mountains rising out of Burrard Inlet, the mist shadowing the trees of Stanley Park, and the west coast sunset. It made for a fascinating trip through the city. So fascinating that I promptly researched planning schools in Vancouver and learned of the progressive program at UBC and SCARP. Little did I know just how influential that trip would be on my career and my life. As I watch these Olympic games, I find myself looking for friends in the crowds, sights I know, and rooting for hometown heros that they may win gold in Canada's Emerald City.
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