"Trying to make a virtue of its own over-stressed infrastructure, Vancouver has taken the line that not having citizens grovel in the shadow of elevated concrete expressways or pay admission to sit in the shade of a real tree make it a candidate for the title of most livable Postmodern City of the Future. In architectural circles, the business of “revitalizing” downtown neighbourhoods by flogging $2,000-per-square-foot condos is actually being called Vancouverization, but an article by Charles Montgomery entitled “Futureville” in the May/June 2006 issue of Canadian Geographic, which touted Vancouver as the new model of sustainable urban development, stirred up a shit-storm of response from citizens and former residents.
In subsequent issues, correspondents ranted about the “obscene” tax burden of doing business in Vancouver and a cost of living that drives both industrial suppliers and employees out to the towns of the Fraser Valley. One snarled, “To join the happy throng of '80,000 people… doing what was once considered unthinkable: living in the downtown core,’ one must be very, very wealthy. The headline on your cover would have more accurately read: Is Vancouver becoming the ideal sustainable city for multi-millionaires? ” Another letter writer’s graphic portrait of a dystopic downtown, and his assertion that he now “sleeps well through the night” in Surrey, added insult to injury, given that suburb’s rep for stolen-car chases, crack houses and late-night gunnery.
Still, a chorus of millionaire boosters, pet planners, political hacks and media flaks mindlessly repeats “world-class city” like a mantra (remember The Simpsons episode where the whole town chants “ Monorail”? ) as the city pursues one money-pit project after another with little concern about socio-economic impact on the existing populace and environment, expanding the mandate of authorities like Metro Vancouver and Translink in an apparent quest to become a West Coast version of Toronto—Canada’s only certifiable Mega City and best indicator of the future if the conventional model of urban development is followed."
Full article, from the Winter 08 issue, at:
http://www.vancouverreview.com/past_...lagePeople.htm
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