Earlier I began a discussion of the relationship between urban sprawl and several other social problems in Vancouver. This is part 2 of that post and this is an analysis of what has been done to tackle another social issue.
A New Way to Live: Make Better Use of What We Have
A recent trend in Vancouver and many other urban areas is the revitalization of some of the cities least desirable areas. Many of these revitalizations are, at least in part, undertaken to offer low cost urban housing to people in need. Projects like the Woodard’s Building (http://vancouver.ca/bps/realestate/woodwards/) and the restoration of the Chinese Freemasons Building (http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/chinatown/program/residential.htm) have gone a long way to revitalize these underutilized neighbourhoods. These projects, undertaken with a goal of reducing homelessness and reducing costs of living in Vancouver also have the potential to make a lasting effect on urban sprawl. This practice of making better use of the urban resources we have is important to fighting sprawl and making a more pleasant centre.
Now, how can this solution help reduce urban sprawl. While building in higher densities is a useful way to reduce sprawl, resources act as a barrier to widespread adoption. New high-rise buildings are incredibly expensive to build, passing these exorbitant costs on to buyers, who in turn run for the suburbs. By using this social housing restoration model, we will be able to make better use of the buildings that we have and sustainably increase the density of the neighbourhood. By creating affordable places to live out of significantly underutilized pieces of real estate, we are able to keep people from heading east to more affordable housing.
Now, let’s look a little deeper into whether a systematic adaption of this building concept is likely. Once again, there is clearly an opportunity present as there is a need for affordable housing in Vancouver. The problem is, the opportunity may be too large. There are tens of thousands of people in the lower mainland who would love to get there hands on a low rent condo in downtown Vancouver. The availability of capital and people is another potential difficulty. While there are always business people with money who are looking to make a profit, it is questionable whether a large number of them would be willing to take cuts in their profits to be socially responsible.
Overall, I believe this could be a sustainable solution to this problem, but I question whether the scope could be large enough to make a real effect on the effects of urban sprawl.
I’ve mentioned a couple of times that real estate prices are a direct driver of the urban sprawl that has occurred in Vancouver over the past few decades and destroyed some of Canada’s best farmland. I thought I’d take this opportunity to show you exactly what I mean.
If you don't mind the commute from Langley everyday, you can buy this 10 year old, 3500 sqft, 4 bedroom, house on a 10,000 sqft lot for $500,000.
For the same $500,000 in Vancouver, you can get this 850 sqft, 2 bedroom condo.
