A Love Letter to Vancouver

With so many people writing "Dear John" letters to Vancouver, in addition to high-demand cities around the world, one group of planners and urban designers responds with a love letter.

1 minute read

May 12, 2016, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Vancouver

Josef Hanus / Shutterstock

The team at Modus has a message for Vancouver: "We are not breaking up with you." The love letter, of sorts, comes in response to a spate of public criticism of the city. Modus, however, acknowledges the city's challenges, (i.e., "your housing is too expensive, the traffic sucks, and you don’t provide jobs to match the cost of living," dispatches with its myths (i.e., "the fact that you can ski and golf in the same day), and focuses on what it can do to make the relationship between city and residents work. 

Thus, Modus looks around for examples of what makes Vancouver offers in the way of w world-class city, finding plenty of evidence to offer. Among a much longer list, with more details included, these examples:

  • "We are one of the only cities in the world without a freeway"
  • "We preserved our farmland and forests when everyone was building over theirs"
  • "We reduced car trips by creating better alternatives"

Thanks to Jillian Glover, blogger at This City Life and team member at Modus, for sharing this article with us. 

Monday, May 9, 2016 in Modus

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