Vancouverism and Its Cultural Amenities: The View from Here

Abstract

Among urban planners, Vancouver is celebrated for its dense, mixed-use developments that respect view corridors and public green space. In this essay, I explore the cultural impact of Vancouverism. My focus is the City of Vancouver’s Community Amenities Contributions (CAC) program, whereby property developers provide in-kind or cash contributions in exchange for zoning exemptions, and which has led to several successful tenancy partnerships among local arts organizations in different co-located facilities. Providing shared administrative and production space, these facilities often lead to exciting creative exchanges among companies working across disciplines. However, they also bring with them additional baggage: competition between organizations for space; unforeseen capital campaigns; and criticism that developers merely transfer costs associated with CACs onto the market pricing of residential units, contributing to Vancouver’s affordable housing crisis. I analyze these and other place-based issues related to cultural and urban sustainability in Vancouver via two specific case studies.