A new dialogue series hosted by the Downtown Vancouver Association (DVA):
Downtown livability: A three-part public dialogue series
What are our expectations for and assumptions about amenities in Downtown Vancouver? What aspects of amenities could be re-examined in order to improve the livability of the city?
Part 1: The Affordability / Amenity Equation: Current Realities
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver
DVA Members: $10/forum or $25/series
Future DVA Members: $25/forum or ($70/series)
Register on-line at www.thedva.com or by phone to 604-468-7382
“It’s time for some deep self-reflection about who we are in Downtown Vancouver, and what we expect,” says Graham McGarva, chair of the Urban Development and Transportation Committee of the DVA, and Principal of VIA Architecture. “What we often don’t realize is how much our expectations for amenities shape those changes.”
For average income earners, McGarva explains, Downtown Vancouver has long been an attractive place to live, work, play and learn. But in recent years, tension has crept into the affordability / amenity equation. “While the amenities of Downtown Vancouver are incredibly attractive, the price to be paid for them has increased sharply,” McGarva says.
Instead of focusing on real estate prices, this dialogue series will focus on our expectations for amenities, and how those expectations impact the quality of life in Downtown Vancouver. “What can we do to restore amenity in the face of the affordability dilemma?” he asks. “For example, apartment sharing, sidewalk benches, bars and cafes, pedestrian crossings, daycare standards, transit options, all represent a range of expectation, sometimes conflicting. We need clarity around expectations in order to take effective action.”
Series Overview
Panelists for this first discussion will be:
Geoff Meggs, Vancouver City Councillor.
Gordon Price, Director of The City Program at Simon Fraser University.
Jennifer Podmore Russell, Senior Manager in Financial Advisory at Deloitte Touche in Vancouver. .
Part 2 of the series will identity priorities for action in each of the following categories: Live, Work, Play, Learn. This event is set for April 24, 2012.
Part 3 of the series will focus on action planning. Based on the priorities identified from Part 2, speakers suggest tangible actions that will help improve the lives of the average income earners in Downtown Vancouver. This event is set for May 29, 2012.
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