Vancouver is consistently included in the top rankings of most liveable cities in the world. Why? According to its mayor, "we're clean, green, and gorgeous." In an interview for this Vancouver Courier special feature, Mayor Gregor Robertson talked about ending street homelessness, becoming the world's greenest city, strengthening the economy, and other matters.
There grows the city
There's little doubt that Vancouver is growing. And, given that we have fixed boundaries and little undeveloped land, that growth is going to have to happen through densification.
"The whole Metro Vancouver region is seeing solid population growth, split evenly north and south of the Fraser River," commented Robertson. "That means we've got to support that growth throughout the region with good transit and infrastructure to remain the most liveable city."
Robertson sees density focusing along busy transit routes and particularly near SkyTrain stations.
"The Canada Line is a good example of where we need to focus development and we're seeing many new projects coming on right now," he said. "Over the next few years we'll see major developments built along the Canada Line."
We are seeing that density happening now with Marine Gateway already under development at Cambie and Marine. The mixed-use project includes residential condominiums as well as rental housing, along with office, retail and public space. The city is currently reviewing a proposal from Oakridge Centre's owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, and Westbank Development for a mixed-use project there that will include buildings up to 45 storeys.
As these and other developments come online, Mayor Robertson is determined our city not lose sight of affordability.
"Affordability is our toughest challenge in Vancouver," he said. "[Council is] focused on rental housing and new forms of housing like townhomes and row houses. We're using city lands for affordable housing and targeting transit routes for development. Canada Line is a good example of that opportunity to make sure housing and transportation together create affordability. I struck a Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability that we are implementing recommendations from to see an affordable housing boom in the coming years."
Creating density is also a delicate balancing act, especially in established neighbourhoods where change is not always welcomed with open arms. "Density has to fit well within neighbourhoods, so the housing type, whether it's a laneway house or a tower, has to be placed thoughtfully," added the mayor. "We do a lot of community consultation and planning to get the right mix of growth and affordability and maintaining neighbourhood character."
Ending street homelessness by 2015 Mayor Robertson is passionate about ending street homelessness.
"That's been my key goal since the day I was first elected mayor," he said and he is proud of the success on that front. "Street homelessness is down 62 per cent since 2008 and overall homelessness has levelled off after a decade of skyrocketing.
So we're making progress, but we need to keep building supportive housing at a quick pace to reduce the homelessness and make sure no one's stuck outside. We're tracking well to our goal on that."
Becoming the world's greenest city by 2020
Another of Vancouver council's priorities is to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world. The Greenest City 2020 Action Plan aims to make Vancouver an environmental leader in energy efficiency, waste reduction, clean air, and local food.
"We have 10 target areas with metrics that we're tracking," said Robertson, "everything from zero waste to clean transportation to green buildings. We're steadily making headway and comparing favourably to cities around the world. We have lots of competition on that front because the green economy is growing fast and many cities are striving for leadership positions."
Robertson points to the community-building power of green initiatives.
"We see community gardens as a very valuable way to build community and they're incredibly popular with big waiting lists and an aggressive plan to create more in the years ahead."
When it comes to easing traffic congestion and reducing carbon emissions, the mayor does not miss the opportunity to put in a plug for extending rapid transit along Broadway.
"We need the Broadway subway soon," he said, adding that he hopes to see it under construction within the next few years. "Our B-Line is the busiest bus line in North America now and half of the riders on Broadway come from outside Vancouver, commuting to work and UBC. The Broadway subway will alleviate traffic congestion throughout the region, taking cars off the road."
The city's emphasis on walking, cycling and mass transit is paying off with Vancouver recently named the most walkable city in Canada. Robertson notes that making it easier and safer for people to walk is central to becoming the world's greenest city as well as reaching our transportation goals.
Getting down to business
Another priority for Vancouver's council is strengthening our economy and ensuring it remains diverse.
The mayor led the creation of the city's first comprehensive Economic Action Strategy and is committed to growing a sustainable and thriving economy focused on high-growth sectors like digital media, clean technology and renewable energy.
"On the business front, our tech and creative economy is booming. [it's] over 80,000 jobs now and growing fast and I expect that to continue," said Robertson. "We've had big success with digital media. Vancouver's now in the top three in the world with LA and London as a digital media hub.
I've done aggressive recruiting of business and investment in China, the UK and the USA, promoting Vancouver. It's a combination of recruiting global talent and investment and focusing on supporting local business and entrepreneurs who will be the driving force of our economy. Vancouver's economy is strong and we're among the most entrepreneurial cities in the world. So our prospects for growth and emerging powerhouse companies are really good."
Proudest achievements as mayor
It's not easy for Robertson to select one accomplishment as his proudest during his time as mayor. Hosting "the best Olympics ever" pops quickly to mind; as does the reduction in the number of people living on the street.
But, he said, it's a three-way tie with his efforts to make our city safe also making the list. "2012 had the lowest number of murders in over 60 years," he said. "It hasn't been talked about much we've come a long way in the last couple of years on violent crime. VPD [the Vancouver Police Department] is doing good work."
