This letter was written by Green Party of Vancouver Chairperson Ben West to Vancouver City Council in regards to their eco-density initiative.
Mayor Sullivan and Council, I am writing you to express concern about the so-called "eco-density"
initiative. Although densification is an important part of smart growth
so to is community participation in the planning process. I am
especially aware of the need for community support and buy in if a
project is to be successful. I am aware of the fact that this project
has been widely criticized for a variety of reasons ranging from lack
of appropriate consultation to the lack of adequate amenities and
public transportation capacity.
Densification is ofcourse environmentally positive in so far as
it prevents the devastation of agricultural lands or wilderness areas
but this initiative if not part of an overarching smart growth land use
plan would not accomplish this goal. If the Gateway Project were
allowed to proceed we will see precisely the kind of sprawl based,
unsustainable development that densification is supposed to prevent.
Although council has opposed Gateway I have not heard adequate concerns
articulated regarding the ineffectiveness of this plan in the context
of overarching land use and transportation planning initiatives.
An ecological vision for this city must involve eco-system
based management principles, I have heard no mention of how this plan
relates to our natural resources and the ecological systems that
support us. Also if this project were to be truly ecological it would
incorporate improvements of building codes that would allow for more
innovative green buildings and provide support for these sort of
upgrades. I have seen little to suggest that this plan was ecological
beyond as a
branding exercise.
Further to these concerns I feel affordable housing is clearly the
foremost concern on the minds of most Vancouverites and this plan does
nothing directly to address this issue.
For these reasons I ask you to reconsider this density
initiative and allow the citizens of Vancouver to democratically build
upon the existing community plans that are already in place.
Ben West
Chairperson
Green Party of Vancouver