In my twenty years teaching at UBC I have come to love this region and this city. My own investigations have made me deeply interested in how our city and region becomes more equitable, ecological, and economically vibrant. It was for this reason that I supported Sam Sullivan’s Eco Density initiative.
It is worth noting that I was one of the many who advised him of the political dangers inherent in calling the project Eco Density, knowing that many citizens are anxious about the term “density”. But Sam Sullivan exhibited courage in confronting that controversy. He is not adverse to speaking the truth to citizens and accepting the consequences.
I am especially pleased that he sees fit to make “returning streetcars to Vancouver”, a part of his campaign platform. Sam Sullivan “gets it” on this topic, recognizing that providing affordable and universally accessible greenhouse gas zero transportation to our city is the single most effective way for us to reach our sustainability goals – at the same time we dramatically increase the livability of this city. The Province will, in the future as in the past, decide how our limited transit dollar is spent. Sam Sullivan will be a voice of reason, a champion of economy, and a man of vision when these decisions are made.
Patrick Condon, a Professor of Landscape Architecture at UBC and a former professional city planner, has over 30 years’ experience in sustainable urban design. He is a senior researcher with the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC, a sustainable urban design think tank, and he directs the UBC Urban Design degree program.
