Vancouver BC vs. Seattle: Urban Debate

[shootingstar]

At times one of the local universities here has free public lectures on topics related to urban development/design /community sustainability. These topics are growing in popularity. Next year Simon Fraser University will ensure they will book bigger lecture halls to accommodate the burgeoning public interest.

Next wk.'s session should be interesting: it's a public debate between 2 folks on which city is doing better/worse in terms of urban design /community sustainability.
http://www.sfu.ca/city/fpl8popup.htm

The same debate (but speakers switching sides) will be delivered in Seattle, on Jun. 18(?). Dunno where.

[crazycanuck]

O! Something that is up my alley at the moment

[Reesha]

Money's on Vancouver, but they're both great examples

I'd like to see one between Portland, Frisco and Seattle!

[Biciclista]

yeah, except for the awful slum that has developed in Vancouver, I'd say you're miles ahead of us.

[badger]

yeah, except for the awful slum that has developed in Vancouver, I'd say you're miles ahead of us.

that's always been there!

[Eden]

hmmmm incredible public transit, planning for urban density, fourth highest quality of living in the world..... as long as you can afford to buy a house in Vancouver, I think Seattle (and we can't exactly brag about the prices of our real estate...) is beat on all fronts .

Seattle vs Portland.... I haven't spent huge amounts of time in Portland, but I've been down a few times. It strikes me that the biggest differences are more attitude... (don't take offense Oregonians... ). Portland seems like Seattle's successful, but laid back, occasionally pot smoking, small biz owner, little brother while Seattle is the older more straight laced, executive that nags his little bro, but secretly wishes he could be more like him.

I haven't been to San Francisco in my memory (I think I may have been there when I was like 3....) so I can't really comment there.

[shootingstar]

Have been to Portland twice, both times we did cycle a few hrs. each day/trip. Each trip was a few days. Latest trip was this past April.

Latest trip we were cycling primarily in Northeast and Southeast quadrants of the city. Since the city is smaller than Seattle and to me, flatter overall than Seattle, it would be easier to persuade more locals to cycle more often. Public transit system seems to be well connected also since we were cycling in the Columbia Gorge area the lst trip where we used public transit part of the way (Tri-Max) but cycled all the way back to downtown on the return. Hey, when one lacks time, public transit blended with cycling, works.

Most definitely the cycling culture of Portland and Seattle "feels" similar to Vancouver, BC.

Have be to San Francisco where 1 trip which was quite short, included cycling just a few hrs. in downtown (and avoiding steep hills. I wasn't in climbing shape that's for sure.). Another day, spent a few hrs. cycling in Sonoma wine country area. So can't comment much about Frisco...um that was over 10 yrs. ago.

[shootingstar]

Last night attended the fun debate. Video clip of webcasting will probably be available later today or tomorrow.
http://via-architecture.blogspot.com/ If you click on poster, you will see location of Seattle debate.

I learned some things about Seattle:
*didn't know that Seattle's soil was less clay than Vancouver's. Hence, more ability to produce bricks. Brick buildings (for older buildings) to me, was alot less to me when I first moved to Vancouver..compared to Toronto where there are alot of brick buildings. Southern Ontario also used alot more stone in its older buildings.

*Seattle has the neighbourhood councils/dept. embedded into its municipal govn't structure which is a great way for perserving/growing a neighbourhood. Very different from how issues are brought forward and handled by Vancouver municipal govn't.

*didn't know how awful the Alaska Way issue has been dragging out so long.

*that it has taken Seattle 14 yrs. to get its light rapid transit line constructed and running soon.

[Eden]

*didn't know how awful the Alaska Way issue has been dragging out so long.

*that it has taken Seattle 14 yrs. to get its light rapid transit line constructed and running soon.

I moved here from out east - and I blame debacles like the Alaskan way viaduct on the initiative system..... everything goes up for a public vote around here and the citizens dither about it for years before they actually pass something...... That's also why the light rail has taken so terribly long and has probably cost millions more than it should have. I sometimes wish someone would just take charge and say alright the city really needs to do this, this is the plan and we're doing it - end of discussion.

[shootingstar]

Yea, there is a critical point of effective decision-making aligned with strategic consultation combined with vigorous citizen group discussion vs. democratic process carried out to the nth degree.

We rarely have a municipal-wide vote on specific initiatives here. Last time was on how capital budget should be spent. I didn't like the way how the choices were framed on paper for voters..it felt rigged.

For Toronto when I lived there 20+ years, I only dimly remember less total of 3 different times where there was a city wide referendum/vote on specific issues+money allocation.

Now, having said what I observed, one wonders what the local vote would have been for Vancouver as host city for 2010 Olympics..if there had been a vote. But then that's viewed not just a local matter, but with federal involvement and internationally...

...even though now the city will be footing the bill for $$$ millions of building cost overruns.

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In the great debate, it was brought out by the Seattle speaker (who was a former councillor for several yrs.), that Seattle doesn't have as much free public waterfront shoreline access compared to Vancouver. He said there is a great deal that is private property.

[shootingstar]

Actually the debate will start today (Thurs.)..at 6:00 pm pacific time in Seattle.

It's being webcasted now (and is starting late). See via architecture web link that I gave earlier in thread. The archived videoclips will be placed on that website later this wk. or so.

[salsabike]

I moved here from out east - and I blame debacles like the Alaskan way viaduct on the initiative system..... everything goes up for a public vote around here and the citizens dither about it for years before they actually pass something...... That's also why the light rail has taken so terribly long and has probably cost millions more than it should have. I sometimes wish someone would just take charge and say alright the city really needs to do this, this is the plan and we're doing it - end of discussion.

Amen.

No. Let me edit that. AMEN.