On May 18 2021 Vancouver City Councillor Christine Boyle put forward a motion to allow development of up to 12 stories in every neighborhood. There was huge backlash from the public and the motion failed. But the question remains: are 12 storey+ high-rises acceptable in Vancouver? If not, why not? Gord & Sandy consider this thorny question.
GORDON: Hey, Sandy. Looking at your post on mid-20th-century high-density neighborhoods like Kerrisdale—do you think we should we bring them back? Even if it means bulldozing a bunch of single-family housing? In other words, breaking the Grand Bargain? Or do you think highrise density is so universally despised and feared, that it can’t happen again?
SANDY: Well, I really like the Paris model: six-storey height, and a real mix of commercial use on the wide main streets. That’s from Baron Von Hausmann on the 1860s (I visited his grave in Pere LaChaise cemetery—so clearly, I’m a serious mid-density wonk).
GORD: Lower, maybe. But denser. Those six-storey streetwalls of beautifully crafted Second Empire wealth are way more dense that our West End. I know it seems hard to believe with all our highrises because, for most people, the higher a building, the denser it is. Not necessarily so.
SANDY: Well then why aren’t we building Haussmann type six-storey buildings in Vancouver that go edge to edge, don’t have parking, but contribute to—you know—more density? …
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