Council to decide next week if plan will be implemented
Vancouver needs to achieve densities similar to European cities to ensure its environmental and economic future, Mayor Sam Sullivan said yesterday.
Next week, the proposed EcoDensity charter and initial action plans return to Vancouver council on whether to implement it following two years of public consultation.
Vancouver, Sullivan said, with a density of roughly 25 people per hectare, similar to Sydney, Australia, needs to strive for densities of about 50 people per hectare, similar to Paris, France.
Increasing densities, he said, decreases gasoline use per capita and makes transit more viable.
“We know we’re in an energy crunch in the next couple of decades and we need to prepare now,” said Sullivan, outside a five-family complex in Strathcona.
The complex, which was developed from two traditional single-family dwellings by architect James Burton, a partner with the firm Birmingham and Wood, includes a laneway unit.
EcoDensity, Sullivan said, calls for different housing options like higher-density housing along arterial routes, laneways and senior’s homes in some areas.
–jeff.cummings@metronews.ca
