CitySpaces team Noha Sedky, Spencer Andres, and Julieanne Martin attended the BC Land Summit – Collaborations and Connections on May 8-10, 2019 in Vancouver BC. Put on by the BC Land Summit Society, it is an event hosted by a collective of professional organizations in fields of practice related to land and land use. After three days of sessions, we made amazing connections and have some great ideas to implement!
The 2019 BC Land Summit kicked-off with a great welcome session from Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, followed by a great presentation from Sheila Watt-Cloutier speaking about her work in the Arctic and how the climate crisis and environmental issues are intrinsically linked to health and social issues around the world.
“It’s not just about ice and polar bears – it is about our children” – Sheila Watt-Cloutier
Noha connected and reconnected with many planners and old friends. A highlight was Ed Glaeser’s keynote: he had a very enjoyable presentation style that was fast-paced and engaging. He used lots of U.S.A. data and historical references to outline his key messages about the importance of cities, technology, and focus on increasing supply. Another highlight was a session that made links between GHGs and low-density land uses. Using data, Alex Boston demonstrated the carbon impact of single detached housing and how we can significantly improve our footprint if we gently intensify these areas. Michael Epp from the City of North Vancouver spoke to the variety of approaches they have implemented and the process they took to get there — suites in duplexes, incentivizing lock-offs in townhouses/apartments, and coach houses on lots with a house and a suite. Joy Hayden from Hollyburn Family Services spoke to their efforts to setup an online roommate registry for seniors.
Spencer enjoyed the mobile tour of three affordable housing and social purpose real estate sites in Vancouver. The tour, led by Vancity Credit Union’s Lilian Chau, explored the innovative models of partnership to produce co-op housing, co-locate affordable housing with a church, and co-working spaces. The part of the tour that surprised Spencer the most was the renovation of the former Vancouver Police Station that is now used as a co-working space for local non-profits and advocacy organizations; it was very moving to see the transformation. Spencer also had the chance to tour the Vancouver Convention Centre green roof with PWL principal Bruce Hemstock and learn more about sustainability in design producing beautiful and environmentally conscious buildings.
Julieanne was particularly interested in the deep dive session, the ‘Numbers Behind Affordability’ and the rich discussions which ensued following each speaker’s presentation. The first of the speakers Brady Fleguel of Burgess, Cawley, Sullivan proposed the idea ‘build now for affordability in 20 years‘, whilst Jon Stovell, the president of Reliance Properties, suggested that restrictive zoning, city approval times, strict regulations, and tax burdens are key factors negatively affecting the supply of affordable housing in Vancouver. The session commenced with a provoking presentation from Raymond Kwong, the provincial director of the Housing Hub. His presentation on affordable rental and homeownership was a hot topic of discussion amongst session attendees. Plentiful dialogue arose about the Housing Hub’s affordable homeownership initiatives and the perpetuity model of the program, the criteria for clientele, and the average prices.
A big thank you to all the volunteers and the BC Land Summit Society for putting on a great conference! It is always a worthwhile few days of networking, learning, and sharing knowledge with our colleagues across the land use professions.