Suburban walking blues

Let me get this out of the way right up front: I am an American. I have been visiting Vancouver for years, most recently on a beautiful spring day last April to give a speech sponsored by UBC and SFU. On the same day, I took a tour of Metro Vancouver’s walkable neighbourhoods with folks from Smart Growth BC, getting a first-hand experience of what it’s like to walk and take public transit in this region.

I must also mention that since Vancouver is widely considered to be one of the most walkable, livable and vital cities on the planet, it is with great humility that I comment on a place that is much more vital than nearly any U.S. city.

But I will comment, because I want to encourage Vancouver to continue to offer the U.S. a model of walkable urban development that we need so badly. more...

Tower of Babble

When Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan delivered his first “state of the city address” earlier this year, he picked just the right politically correct lingo with which to do it. Inevitably, given the green tinge of the times, he employed the magic word – “sustainable” – in his public pronouncement. Vancouver, he stated, was to become a world leader in environmental practices and sustainable transportation. This was one of his five goals for a better Vancouver. It was moment of déjà vu; in June 2006, when the embattled Sullivan wanted to pump up his much-touted “EcoDensity” charter (he actually took out a copyright on the term), he described it as, you guessed it, an important “sustainable development” initiative: “Through more sustainable planning, we can reduce the associated costs of housing, ­thereby improving affordability.” more...

Demystifying sustainability

No one would deny that sustainability is a good thing. But what does it mean? And how is it relevant to your business? That’s where things get hard to pin down more...

Trouble in the Backcountry

Miners and loggers used to pose the greatest threat to wilderness tour operators, now the enemy comes from within. Some blame the competition, others blame the government, but all agree there’s a $1-billion industry at stake more...

The Greening of Ian Gill

He used to be a business-hating journalist. Today, he drives an SUV, owns a million-dollar home and draws a six-figure salary. He also runs one of the most successful environmental organizations in the country. Is Ian Gill the new face of the green movement? more...