The Best Laid Plans

Planning students at the University of British Columbia unveiled bold new plans for Vancouver for the next 40 years, but as planning director Brent Toderian put it, the plans are "the easy part."

1 minute read

December 13, 2010, 1:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur

Kim Davis of the Vancouver Sun was at the student presentation. The students presented an "urban structure framework" projecting the city out to the year 2050.

"In no disrespect to your accomplishment, but what you have done is the easy part," Toderian told the students, in acknowledging their efforts, while comparing them with real-world challenges. "The hard part in terms of actually achieving something is engaging in this narrative with the general public."

Davis reflects, "As we all know, even the best of plans do not see the light of reality if people do not embrace them. Toderian argued that the narrative, or the story around any plan or design, is critical to its ultimate success and widespread acceptance. Even if most people support an idea, that narrative can be distorted and its implementation stymied if a particularly vocal minority opposes it."

FULL STORY: Paperwork's easy part of design

Monday, December 13, 2010 in The Vancouver Sun

Government / Politics British Columbia Vancouver Futurism Plans

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.