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Welcome to In The Village on False Creek, a unique project inspired by Live@YVR and 365 Days of Dining. Over the coming months it's my mission to draw from the myriad of things that make this new community awesome in order to bring you a weekly scoop. |
Last week I brought you a fluffy DUCKLING RESCUE, this week I'm getting a little more serious. I was able to sit down with Vancouver's former Chief Planner, Brent Toderian, for an upcoming 50 Coffees piece I'm doing and I doubled up my time with him in order to pick his brain about my new neighbourhood. He had a hand in steering the development in the time leading up to the Olympics and it was cool to get some insights from him on the neighbourhood.
Brent shot and tweeted this photo right after we had coffee at Terra Breads in the village, as "Proof that #OlympicVillage cafe [is a] hub for dogs, bikes & baby-strollers!"
I've joked lately about how everyone in Vancouver sees themselves as a city planner: regardless of our education or background we all think we know what's best for the future of our neighbourhoods and everyone is voicing their opinions loud and proud. And while I joke about it it's entirely fair for every single resident to voice their views on what's best for their Vancouver. That's democracy, of course, and the rise of social media has made it easy for all of us to be able to share our thoughts. But it was really cool to sit down with a bonafide City Planner, the one who had in fact helped plan the very neighbourhood that I live in, and get his thoughts on why I love living there.
It was all by design, of course. And though you wouldn't know it by following the local media, in Brent's circles (international city planners, urbanists and the like) The Village on False Creek is often praised as one of the 3 best new midrise developments in the world. It's frequently referenced not only as just a balanced community, but a remarkable one, and years later it still wins monthly international awards for its design and is viewed globally as a gamechanger. All of the small pieces that I'm bringing you every week through this series make up a larger, totally awesome puzzle. This new neighbourhood is the best one I've ever lived in, and if you ask most of my neighbours they'll tell you the same. Heck, I'll ask them and bring you their stories over the coming months!
Learn more at TheVillageOnFalseCreek.com and stay tuned each week as I expose unique elements of our new community.
