[nickinacan]

I agree on how suburban Vancouver feels outside of downtown. There has been very little density added along the Expo Line since it has been opened, which is a huge shame. It sounds like Cambie will change that, but it will definitely have to put up with a fight from existing residents. Which has actually been a problem for Vancouver.

Another factor that no one really pays attention to, is the fact that the vast majority of employment is now outside of the City of Vancouver. People tend to want to live close to where they work. I think the thing that Vancouver should be fearing right now is, in fact, Surrey's rapid development.

Surrey has been given the right to be develop the "Second Downtown" of the Lower Mainland. This is only a recent development and Surrey is just getting started on building density, especially around the City Centre. With these latest census numbers, developers and businesses will definitely be taking a look at Surrey as a viable option for development and as a place to base their business. The population is young and with the generally aging employment base, this will be a vital resource to tap into. Not to mention that Surrey has something Vancouver has been without for a long time: Affordability.

This isn't to say that Vancouver is about to decline. Far from it. But it will be clear in the next decade that it will no longer be the "go to city" for everything. It will need to compete with Surrey, which is something it has never really thought to do. I think we are looking at the development of a twin city situation here.