Vancouverism
Encyclopedia
Vancouverism is an urban planning
and architectural
technique pioneered in Vancouver
, Canada
. It is characterized by mixed-use developments, typically with a medium-height, commercial base and narrow, high-rise residential towers
to accommodate high populations and to preserve view corridors.
Vancouverism is an urban planning
and architectural
technique pioneered in Vancouver
, Canada
. It is characterized by mixed-use developments, typically with a medium-height, commercial base and narrow, high-rise residential towers
to accommodate high populations and to preserve view corridors.
Vancouverism is an urban planning
and architectural
technique pioneered in Vancouver
, Canada
. It is characterized by mixed-use developments, typically with a medium-height, commercial base and narrow, high-rise residential towers
to accommodate high populations and to preserve view corridors. With a large residential population living in the city centre, no expressways connecting the core to the suburbs, and significant reliance on mass public transit, Vancouver is distinct from most large North American cities. In part, these reasons contribute to the fact that it is consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world. An article in San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association has taken note of the principles of Vancouverism and asks if San Francisco should pursue similar direction.
Renowned architect Bing Thom
described Vancouverism this way:
partnered with the area's municipalities to encourage controlled development. Early recognition that British Columbia's farmland would be engulfed by sprawl led to the establishment of the Agricultural Land Reserve
in the 1970s. This assisted in containing and intensifying development throughout the Vancouver metropolitan area and the Fraser Valley
.
Architect Arthur Erickson
is credited by some with developing the concept that became Vancouverism in the mid 1950s, in a never-realized development called "Project 56". Many of the principles were incorporated into the development of the West End, which became the highest density neighbourhood on the west coast of North America by the 1960s. The city's planning department, under the direction of Ray Spaxman in the 1980s, began to expand on the concepts, many of which were brought into fruition with the development
of the former Expo 86
lands along False Creek
and Yaletown
.
Another person who is credited with influencing Vancouverism is Jane Jacobs
, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities
. Brent Toderian, Director of Planning for the City of Vancouver says of Jacobs: “There isn't a person or book more influential in creating ‘Vancouverism' than Jane and The Death and Life”... “I know what she means about people misunderstanding density – that's why we emphasize density done well rather than density as a mathematical exercise. [But] people 'round the world praise Vancouver's livability, and she had a big hand in it.”
. This approach, while credited with preserving the city's scenic backdrop, has been criticized for lessening visual interest and failing to represent the city's contemporary image. In response, Council
commissioned a "Skyline Study" in 1997 which concluded that Vancouver's skyline would benefit from the addition of a handful of buildings exceeding current height limits, to add visual interest to Vancouver's skyline. The study found that opportunities for such buildings were restricted due to a limited number of large development sites in the downtown. Eight years later, five of the seven sites identified for higher buildings had been planned or developed. The tallest of the new buildings is the Living Shangri-La hotel/residential tower, which was completed in 2008, and stands 201 metres (659 ft) tall (62 storeys).
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
technique pioneered in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is characterized by mixed-use developments, typically with a medium-height, commercial base and narrow, high-rise residential towers
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
to accommodate high populations and to preserve view corridors.
Vancouverism is an urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
technique pioneered in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is characterized by mixed-use developments, typically with a medium-height, commercial base and narrow, high-rise residential towers
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
to accommodate high populations and to preserve view corridors.
Vancouverism is an urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
technique pioneered in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is characterized by mixed-use developments, typically with a medium-height, commercial base and narrow, high-rise residential towers
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
to accommodate high populations and to preserve view corridors. With a large residential population living in the city centre, no expressways connecting the core to the suburbs, and significant reliance on mass public transit, Vancouver is distinct from most large North American cities. In part, these reasons contribute to the fact that it is consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world. An article in San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association has taken note of the principles of Vancouverism and asks if San Francisco should pursue similar direction.
Renowned architect Bing Thom
Bing Thom
Bing Wing Thom, CM is a Canadian architect and urban designer.Born in Hong Kong, he immigrated to Vancouver, Canada with his family in 1950.-Career:...
described Vancouverism this way:
It's a spirit about public space. I think Vancouverites are very, very proud that we built a city that really has a tremendous amount of space on the waterfront for people to recreate and to enjoy.
At the same time, False Creek and Coal Harbour were previously industrial lands that were very polluted and desecrated. We've refreshed all of this with new development, and people have access to the water and the views. So, to me, it's this idea of having a lot people living very close together, mixing the uses. So, we have apartments on top of stores. In Surrey we have a university on top of a shopping centre. This mixing of uses reflects Vancouver in terms of our culture and how we live together.
Background
Vancouverism developed as product of Vancouver's context. Wedged between the sea, mountains and the border with the United States, the Greater Vancouver Regional DistrictGreater Vancouver Regional District
Metro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...
partnered with the area's municipalities to encourage controlled development. Early recognition that British Columbia's farmland would be engulfed by sprawl led to the establishment of the Agricultural Land Reserve
Agricultural Land Reserve
The Agricultural Land Reserve is a collection of land in the Canadian province of British Columbia in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled. In total, the ALR covers approximately and includes private and public lands...
in the 1970s. This assisted in containing and intensifying development throughout the Vancouver metropolitan area and the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
.
Architect Arthur Erickson
Arthur Erickson
Arthur Charles Erickson, was a Canadian architect and urban planner. He studied Asian languages at the University of British Columbia, and later earned a degree in architecture from McGill University.-Biography:...
is credited by some with developing the concept that became Vancouverism in the mid 1950s, in a never-realized development called "Project 56". Many of the principles were incorporated into the development of the West End, which became the highest density neighbourhood on the west coast of North America by the 1960s. The city's planning department, under the direction of Ray Spaxman in the 1980s, began to expand on the concepts, many of which were brought into fruition with the development
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
of the former Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
lands along False Creek
False Creek
False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is...
and Yaletown
Yaletown
Yaletown is an area of Downtown Vancouver approximately bordered by False Creek, Robson, and Homer Streets. Formerly a heavy industrial area dominated by warehouses and rail yards, since the Expo 86, it has been transformed into one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the city...
.
Another person who is credited with influencing Vancouverism is Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs, was an American-Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities and urban planning and decay. She is best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities , a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s in the United States...
, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs, is a greatly influential book on the subject of urban planning in the 20th century...
. Brent Toderian, Director of Planning for the City of Vancouver says of Jacobs: “There isn't a person or book more influential in creating ‘Vancouverism' than Jane and The Death and Life”... “I know what she means about people misunderstanding density – that's why we emphasize density done well rather than density as a mathematical exercise. [But] people 'round the world praise Vancouver's livability, and she had a big hand in it.”
Sight lines and height restrictions
One principle of Vancouverism involves protecting "view corridors". Vancouver's "View Protection Guidelines" were approved in 1989 and amended in 1990, establishing height limits to protect views of the North Shore MountainsNorth Shore Mountains
The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city....
. This approach, while credited with preserving the city's scenic backdrop, has been criticized for lessening visual interest and failing to represent the city's contemporary image. In response, Council
Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
commissioned a "Skyline Study" in 1997 which concluded that Vancouver's skyline would benefit from the addition of a handful of buildings exceeding current height limits, to add visual interest to Vancouver's skyline. The study found that opportunities for such buildings were restricted due to a limited number of large development sites in the downtown. Eight years later, five of the seven sites identified for higher buildings had been planned or developed. The tallest of the new buildings is the Living Shangri-La hotel/residential tower, which was completed in 2008, and stands 201 metres (659 ft) tall (62 storeys).
See also
- James K. M. ChengJames K. M. ChengJames K. M. Cheng is a Canadian architect best known for his condominium towers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Cheng's green glass towers have helped create the architectural style known as Vancouverism....
- ManhattanizationManhattanizationManhattanization is a neologism coined to describe the construction of many tall or densely situated buildings which transforms the appearance and character of a city. It was a pejorative word used by critics of the highrise buildings built in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s, who claimed...
- Neomodern architecture
- BrusselizationBrusselizationBrusselization is a term used by urban planners to describe anarchic commercial property development in a historic city. The term originated as the result of the uncontrolled development of Brussels in the 1960s and 1970s, where unscrupulous developers were given free rein to build a futuristic city...
(the exact opposite)