People & Places
Vancouver: A great place to live
Vancouver’s downtown is rapidly expanding: 150 new condo towers have been built in Vancouver’s city centre since the 1980s and many more are planned
So, is the city a viable option for families and couples looking for a new home? Kate Baddeley finds out
Time and again Vancouver is found at the top of surveys ranking the best places to live in the world. In 2005, it was placed highest on the Economist Intelligence Unit's
liveability survey.
If you're thinking, well, it's hardly surprising that a city in Canada has been given the recognition with all that wide open space and their spacious houses where two garages and a huge back yard are the norm, well, those not familiar with Vancouver might not be aware that some 80,000 Vancouverites are living in a way many Canadians deem unimaginable – in downtown Vancouver in compact high-rise apartments with no basements or private back gardens.
In the past 30 years Vancouver's population has been growing steadily, and is now well over half a million – more than a quarter of the population of the Greater Vancouver Region. The city's land has been fully developed for many years.
Population growth – currently averaging 6,000 more people in the city every year – is accommodated in new housing created largely through redevelopment. Conversion of industrial areas has added to the city's housing capacity, and further development will follow from the CityPlan Community Visions Programme. Other housing is being created through higher density redevelopment of existing housing, and mixed-use schemes creating housing above commercial property. These developments are expected to be able to accommodate anticipated growth up to 2021, when it is anticipated that Vancouver could have a population of around 635,000.
Workers who want to walk or cycle to work have relocated to downtown Vancouver, which has become an 'urban village' with neighbourhoods of high-rise homes. Buyers are swapping the large house in the suburbs for a small condo in the city. Despite the tiny apartments most downtown dwellers inhabit, choosing to live on the doorstep of your workplace is also opting for lifestyle as less time commuting means more time to spend outdoors or socialising. Vancouver's planners and developers have created a very 'liveable' city that is now a model for other cities in North America and beyond. The high rise towers were built slender enough to preserve the mountain views and there are plenty of parks and facilities.
Realtor Elizabeth McQueen has lived in the Yaletown/Concorde Pacific area since 1999 and has watched it mature at a rapid pace. "I moved here in the early 1980s after living in Montreal for ten years and I remember being in a state of shock for quite a while – the city of Vancouver had such a small town feel. I was accustomed to walking around the downtown area of Montreal in the evenings and being surrounded by people enjoying each other, the theatre, the restaurants; Vancouver in contrast had almost empty streets except for some 'working girls' in front of the major hotels and people heading to the nightclubs. It seemed most people, except for the single person and a lot of elderly, headed to the 'burbs." McQueen explains that Vancouver used to be mostly about the beaches surrounding the downtown area, not the actual downtown itself. Restaurants were limited and not especially great. But that's all changed. "Fast forward to 2006 and it's hard to believe we've come so far in such a short space of time". McQueen enthuses. "Now we have world-renowned restaurants and chefs, and because of our cultural diversity, we have many more entertainment options. The beaches are still a major factor but we also have plenty of parks and a fabulous seawall to walk completely around the entire city without ever going near a car or losing sight of the ocean."
It is believed that more residents now live in compact neighbourhoods in Vancouver than in any other North American city. Vancouver has excellent city planning, right from the 1970s when environmentalists blocked attempts to drive a freeway though the city. Larry Beasley, the city's co-director of planning, is one of the main developers and planners responsible for the new Vancouverism – where high-density housing is mixed with a waterfront promenade, 17 hectares of park and lavish amenities. There aren't many places in the world where you can live in the buzzing city centre and be 20 minutes from the mountains and be surrounded by water on three sides. Beasley was quoted in Canadian Geographic magazine recently saying, "Culture is always telling us that the inner city is dirty and dangerous, that we should head out to where it's green and safe. Well, that message is a lie. We've created the safest, cleanest neighbourhoods in North America. We've created spaces worth celebrating. People are starting to figure that out."
McQueen has witnessed the success the government and planners have made of the city: "Now we have city planners from around the globe coming here to observe how Vancouver has managed to keep an extremely large segment of the population from ever leaving the city. We have built beautiful, tall residential high rises with various size suites to suit both the single person and the young family and, more recently, the empty nesters tired of both the commute and the home maintenance taking up their valuable time."
McQueen is clearly enamoured with urban living. "I've lived in the famous Yaletown area for seven years now and you'd have to drag me away from here. Because so much of my job involves driving around all day, I'm always so happy to come home and park the car. Everything is so convenient. I can walk to restaurants, the grocery store and grab my much needed 'Starbucks' from a multitude of choices. I can step out my front door and go rollerblading along the oceanfront for an easy two hours – if I had enough energy!" "The actual size of the city hasn't changed so even if I wanted to attend a function on the other side of town, a CDN$10 cab fare would cover it," says McQueen.
While McQueen clearly thinks for the most part the changes are very positive being able to walk to work comes at a price. "Perhaps the one thing most people would agree on is the cost of housing has risen to such an extent it is very difficult for young people just starting out to buy their own condo. It's my understanding that real estate prices have jumped worldwide and we are just part of that process," she says. While the city is flawlessly designed to maintain the views, it's still yet to be a city that works for people from all walks of life. One of the areas that hasn't been thought out well is that there's no affordable housing downtown. However, McQueen doesn't think the lack of low-income housing is worse than in any other city. "Let's define your term 'affordable' – when I work with clients moving here from the UK, this is one of the first things we deal with. I usually discover the cost of home ownership over there is very similar to Vancouver and the surrounding area once the currency exchange and home size expectations are discussed. The differences would be on the beneficial side. For example, the homes are usually bigger and newer and simple things like the size of bedrooms and the number of bathrooms is usually better," McQueen asserts.
Living in the 'burbs
Vancouver and its surrounding areas are called collectively the Lower Mainland. Within this area are numerous city centres that have purposely built newer divisions to accommodate the segment of the population living in the suburbs.
Affordability is certainly an issue, a recent survey comparing median house prices to median incomes found Vancouver was the most unaffordable city for housing in Canada – and the 15th worst in the world, just marginally better than London.
While the Greater Vancouver Regional District's (GVRD) Liveable Region Strategic Plan identified a need for more 'ground-oriented housing' in the city, most new homes in Vancouver are a result of redevelopment, and most of the dwellings in these schemes are apartments. So for large families the suburbs might be a more viable place to find a suitable family home.
Realtor Sue Gerryts and her family emigrated from the UK to Vancouver in 2003. She says "The city is mainly high density living, condos, lofts and townhouses; there are very few large houses. Families wanting a single family home must go a little further out." It is difficult to know where the suburbs start as Greater Vancouver sprawls out so much. "If people prefer more space and a quieter pace of life then the suburbs are for them. Where to go is always a big problem as the suburbs with the best schools attract more people and drive house prices up. Many suburbs have no transportation and everyone commutes by car, which leads to traffic jams and frustration. Having said that the buses are very good and North Vancouver is so popular as everyone can commute to downtown by seabus in a mere 12 minutes. New transport initiatives like the Canada line, linking Richmond and the airport to downtown, will make life easier for many – and drive up house prices along the route", says Gerryts. However, Gerryts has noticed that developers are aware of the rising costs. "Developers are now building more affordable homes in areas like South Surrey, East Vancouver and Langley for under CDN$400,000. These developments do not have all the expensive interiors that you find generally. In the more popular areas like Port Moody and North Vancouver a single family home is over CDN$700,000 and many families are looking at duplexes (semi-detached) as an alternative."
Tom O'Hara, who emigrated to Vancouver from the UK three years ago, still thinks it is not very easy for a family to find affordable housing in the city. "Obviously if you have a well paid job then affordability is based upon what your salary is," says O'Hara. "Over the last few years prices have increased dramatically in line with most major cities in the world. Most family purchasers are now buying in the suburbs or commuter belt areas." O'Hara feels the suburbs are a more sensible alternative as they are geared up for family living and a lifestyle which combines the benefits of ease of access to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and everyday amenities within your local area. "Commuting to and from the suburbs can be stressful if you decide to drive. As with any major city in the world commuting at rush hour can be challenging, although certainly not as bad as some of the major cities in the UK," says O'Hara. "An excellent rail system exists on the north side of the Fraser River which is dedicated to commuters with early morning trains and end of business day trains solely for commuting purposes. The remainder of the commuting to and from the city is done by the Skytrain which is an overground version of the London Underground."
Compared to commuting in a large town in the UK, commuting by car in Vancouver may be a lot easier, but the commute to work is worse for Vancouver's outer suburbs which are not so well served by public transport – the only commuter railway runs during morning and afternoon peak hours, but at no other times. Interestingly, research by Sightline, an environmental think-tank based in Seattle, has even found that people who live in high-density core cities are significantly healthier than residents of sprawling suburbs. That's because the extra time suburbanites spend in their cars each week makes them fatter – increasing their risk of chronic disease. Atlanta-based studies also found that people who live in walkable neighbourhoods are more likely do get their recommended quota of daily exercise.
McQueen argues, "The 'burbs offer less expensive housing than those areas closer to the city but what value do you put on your time commuting every day? If your job isn't located downtown, then it certainly makes more sense. If you want a home with a somewhat larger yard then it's a great alternative – but keep in mind Vancouverites are very 'outdoorsy' people and spend more time walking in the local mountains, hanging out on any of the numerous beaches or riding their bikes through the parks than sitting in their backyards. It's quite a lifestyle change from the UK." It has to be noted that the downtown core is becoming increasingly popular with families choosing to stay there instead of moving to the suburbs. In Vancouver, the number of children living downtown has actually doubled since 1990; there are now 5,000 children living in the central core.
There is an elementary school now downtown, as well as pre-schools and community centres. There is a brand-new public school in the downtown megaproject called Concord Pacific Place, at the southern tip of the peninsula, and another one under construction at Coal Harbour, the other huge cluster of condo towers at the northern end. "Buggies in condo elevators are a common sight," says Gerryts. She continues, "I think people appreciate the parks, space and access to water downtown as well as having all the conveniences of city life on their doorstep. Many of the condos have amazing views and fantastic amenities like gyms, swimming pools and saunas. In addition, new developments are springing up in the previously run down areas. A recent condo development in East Hastings (not a great area) had the slogan 'be bold or move to suburbia'. The development around South False Creek where the Olympic village is sited, will bring the area up as the pressure on housing grows."
There are clearly pros and cons for both suburban and downtown living. One of the major factors for emigrants will of course be where your place of work is located. Many middle income earners – nurses and teachers – are being forced to choose the suburburbs as they can't afford the rocketing downtown house prices. Whether you choose city living or opt for the leafy suburbs the overwhelming feeling about the city's changes is optimistic. "I believe the changes are positive for Vancouver as it stimulates a more cosmopolitan feel and adds to the already attractive, and appealing, aspects of the city", says O'Hara. McQueen is in full agreement. "Every day our world becomes a little smaller and easier to travel around; and because of that simple phenomenon, more and more people are discovering Vancouver. They bring their ideas, their businesses, their families and leave their hard- earned cash in our vibrant economy. Vancouver is not only one of the most beautiful places in the world, but also one of the safest."
For further information:
Elizabeth McQueen
Relocation2BC
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