Sauder Panel: Affordability vs Livability

This will be a very interesting discussion.

As a planner, what I have learned is a fundamental part of a good plan is that it must be grounded in community values. When I presented the foundation of regional planning in Vancouver at the World Urban Forum two years ago in Medellin I began with talking about Harry Lash and the GVRD Livable Region Plan in the mid-70’s when this word livability was put front and centre in the regional plan. Key elements were compact communities, having lots of green space, transit oriented and therefore walkable communities. Harry Lash and the regional planning team focused when beginning the preparation of the GVRD regional plan on a values discussion and the word livability came to the fore.

So here we are in 2016 and now 80% of the region’s growth is infill and only 20% is greenfield. In Calgary the variables are reversed as it is primarily about greenfields there. Let’s notice a focus on infill and compact communities was the intent of the 70’s Livable Regional Plan.

I think the challenge now is to produce more ground-oriented homes at a higher density than typical single family neighbourhoods. Homes built to an ‘in between’ density I think is the answer…..between 4 storey walk up apartments and single family homes. If you look at the housing stats of what is being built regionally…quite a lot of that type of housing is increasingly being built. Many folks still want a place to garden and for those with children, a safe place for their children to play close to home.

I think affordability involves building more of that type of housing and folks living in something smaller than a 2500 sq ft sfd home. For tenant households it means building more rental housing and social housing for those who will likely never be able to afford to buy market housing.