Episode 19: The Village at the Edge of the Rainforest
On this podcast we’re joined by Gordon Price for an insider’s view of Vancouver, how it developed and what might be next on the horizon.
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Price is a former member of the Vancouver City Council (from 1986 to 2002) and former director of The City Program at Simon Fraser University. He also served on the board of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (Metro Vancouver) and was appointed to the first board of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink). He currently runs Pricetags online magazine and has his own podcast, Price Talks, for which he recently interviewed Kevin Desmond, CEO of TransLink.
Price calls Vancouver a “streetcar city with a modern vocabulary of architecture and design.” He describes the pivotal role of the “mega-projects,” industrial land redeveloped starting in the 1990s, in creating first “Development Cost Charges” and then “Community Amenity Contributions” – the funding source for Vancouver’s vibrant neighborhoods. He talks about why people love SkyTrain, the growth of “what use to be called the alternative modes” (transit, bicycling, and walking) and the potential for more equitable access to the next, ultra-connected era of transportation.
Listen to the end for the three things Price recommends for visitors interested in a closer look at Vancouver’s planning, development and cultural evolution.