Coverage

A little self-indulgent, I know, to post your own press clippings.  But it makes for a quick post and an eventual archive.

Here’s a quote from the Globe and Mail’s extensive discussion on that perennial, how to attract the creative class:

It may be overlooked, but one key incentive for creative clusters is older buildings that entrepreneurs can convert. “At a certain point you want to take advantage of something that is decaying or running down, and let new use adapt to opportunity,” says Gordon Price, director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University, and a former Vancouver city councillor. “And you may not be able to put that into a plan.”

Also, an older stock of rental housing gives young, creative people an affordable place to live. “If you push them too far from places where you’re hoping to generate a creative cluster, it’s neither fair to them nor likely to succeed,” Mr. Price says.

Irascible Province columnist Jon Ferry tries to assess the political fall-out from the riot, and does quote me accurately:

Longtime former Vancouver NPA councillor Gordon Price also thought the cops handled things well and kept their cool, though it was legitimate for the NPA to raise the riot as a political matter.

“That’s their job,” he said. However, Price, now the director of SFU’s city program, was quick to add he didn’t think it was a winning issue for Anton, unless there was a smoking gun somewhere.

“I would at this point be surprised if it turned into a defining issue,” he said in an interview.

As for the November election, Price noted incumbent councillors always had an advantage. But he thought it was entirely possible the beaten-down NPA could rebound and gain two or three seats, because people might want a more balanced council.

I agree with Smith and Price that, despite the riot, the election is Robertson’s to lose.