The EcoDensity Initiative was officially launched in 2006 in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, British Columbia, Canada, in conjunction with the World Urban Forum. The initiative was a response to deconcentration of urban land use due to urban sprawl. The initiative used density, design and land use as catalysts towards livability, affordability and environmental sustainability. The program aimed to reduce car reliance, deliver more efficient urban land use, improve green energy systems and build a resilient and adaptable community. In high-density

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

s, utilizing the existing infrastructure and transit and community amenities tends to lead towards a more sustainable and livable state. Accordingly, EcoDensity was designed to strategically enhance densification with the primary aim of efficiently structured neighbourhoods, denser urban-patterns and increased affordable housing.

Etymology

The "eco" in EcoDensity stands for both ecology and economy (affordability). "Density" in

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

refers to upward or more compact construction, as opposed to

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

Urban context of Vancouver

is the largest city in the region with an increasing population in the metropolitan area. Apart from the highly densified central business district (CBD), more efficient land use strategy was needed in less dense suburban neighbourhoods. The urban development in Vancouver started in the 19th century mainly shaped by automobile-based infrastructural development. As a result, urban sprawl has led to the dominance of single family homes in suburbia and high-density residential development in the downtown core.

Urban sustainability

Since the early 1990s, an urban sustainability approach has significantly shaped the way Vancouver has responded to its growing problem, thus it has become a globally recognized eco-city. "Vancouverism" is a new kind of city living that incorporates deep respect for nature. As such, it is characterized by environmental awareness and successful urban planning with a path of urbanization that is unique in North America. The EcoDensity Initiative aimed to facilitate greater housing affordability and diversity through strategic densification that focused on environmental sustainability, affordability and livability. Part of this status could be attributed to the natural setting of the city between the Georgia Straight and the Coast Mountains, which invokes a strong sense of environmental consciousness and environmental protection. Since the 1960s, Vancouver's strong community spirit manifested through citizen activism and traditional planning culture resulted in a strong trust between communities and the Council.

Consequences of the eco-density approach

Intended consequences

The proclaimed aim of the EcoDensity Initiative was to increase density in low and medium dense urban areas along transport corridors. Well-designed, mixed-use attractive neighbourhoods have the potential to increase density and stimulate active modes of travel, as well as catalyzing the development of

sustainable communities The term "sustainable communities" has various definitions, but in essence refers to communities planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living. Sustainable communities tend to focus on environmental and economic sustainability, urban in ...

. With that in mind, in denser neighbourhoods, requirement for investment in infrastructure tends to be lower. In relation to the demand and supply situations and other contextual conditions, an extra supply of housing has the potential to lower property costs and as such is a way forward to achieve

affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on af ...

. Furthermore, the Initiative aimed to deliver sustained growth and enhance

livability Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standard ...

Unintended consequences

The EcoDensity policy was widely unpopular. The political leadership backed by the development oriented agenda was not united to sustainability rather than used eco-density as a label to

greenwash Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewash"), also called "green sheen", is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims ...

their program. In all, the traditional planning culture involving various stakeholders turned into a hegemonic strategy because of the massive opposition. Without a community-centred bottom-up approach neighbourhood associated the concept as "green overcrowding", "greenwashing", or "density without amenity". This was due to neither EcoDensity nor related policies were designed to provide affordable housing rather than to moderate future price increase. This resulted in the breakdown of a historical trust between residents and the Council. Yet due to inadequate management and planning, surrounding municipalities are growing faster than Vancouver. Indeed, ignoring community concerns, failing to effectively increase density and being governed by pro-developer and ideological perspectives, eventually eco-density has become a cautionary narrative that cities should avoid and can learn from.

Overview

Vancouver's EcoDensity Initiative combined density, design and land use as a response to deconcentration of urban land use due to urban sprawl. It aimed to achieve a more sustainable urban form through the intensification of existing neighbourhoods. Specifically, to increase density in low and medium dense areas along transport corridors in an environmentally friendly way that reduces the ecological footprint of the city. Consequently, eco-densification has the potential to strengthen urban sustainability measures; however, its inherently narrowed scope and unintended consequences pertains to limitations.

Results

The EcoDensity Initiative spawned laneway houses and increased density along the

Canada Line The Canada Line is a rapid transit line in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that is part of the SkyTrain system. The line is owned by TransLink and InTransitBC and is operated by ProTrans BC. Coloured turquoise on route maps, it op ...

rapid transit line, part of the SkyTrain system. In 2012, Sydney and other Australian cities adopted EcoDensity principles into their urban planning program.

References

{{reflist Sustainable urban planning History of Vancouver Housing in Canada Urban planning in Canada