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2VancouverandSydneyhavemanycommoncharacteriscs.Bothciesareoeninthetop10worldciesforliveability.Botharewaterfrontcieswithastrongrelaonshipbetweenthebuiltformandnature.Vancouverisseenaroundtheworldasaleaderinenvironmentalissues.TheconceptoftheecologicalfootprintofacitywasdevelopedbyVancouverprofessorDr.WilliamReestodenehowmuchnon-urbanlandwasrequiredtosustainurbanlifestyles.VancouverlikeSydneyhashostedanOlympicGamesandbothcieshavedevelopedvastareasoflowdensityhousingspreadingoutfromthedowntownurbancore.Sydneyisaddressingthefuturegrowthofthecityoverthenext20yearswithanexpectaonof545000newhousingunitsneedingtobeplacedsomewhere.In2007duringsomeofthemostintensepublicdiscussionsregardingEcoDensityBrentToderianwrotethisinPlanezen.InanearlierpostIwroteabouthowtheEcoDensityIniavehereinVancouverhasbeentransformingthepublicdialogueaboutdensity.SincethenoverautumntheconversaonshaveintensiedwithVancouveritesfromallperspecvesweighingin.JustGoogleEcodensityforaavourofwhatsbeingwrieninmediaarclesandblogsetc.Thecommunityisveryawareandengagedinthisimportantiniaveandthatsagreatthing.ItsclearnoteveryonefeelsthatchangeinVancouverisnecessaryandsomehavespokenaboutthepriceofEcoDensity.Somearepassionateintheirbeliefthataddionaldensityforwhateverreasonmaydiminishthecitysexisngqualityoflifeandcertainlytheirown.SomeworrythatchangewillcomeinthesameformeverywhereSydneycanlearnfromVancouverChrisJohnsonAMChiefExecuveOcerUrbanTaskforceAustraliaBrentToderianVancouverChiefPlanner2006-2012TheUrbanTaskforcehaspromotedabalanceofhighmediumandlowdensitysoluonsincludinghousingongreeneldsitesonthefringeaswellasapartmentsintheinnercitysuburbs.Thebigquesonishowmuchofeachtypeshouldgowhere.HighriseapartmentsinSydneysCBDorPyrmontseemappropriateasdomid-riseapartmentsaroundrailwaystaonsandintowncentresandeveninthelowriseareasthereareopportuniesforlanewayhousingterracehousesandtownhouses.VancouverhasconfrontedthisdebateaboutitsfuturecharacterdirectlywhenMayorSamSullivanlaunchedtheEcoDensityiniaveinmid-2006.ThecityengagedayoungchiefcityplannerBrentToderiantochampionthedebateaboutEcoDensityandtodevelopanEcoDensityCharterthatthecommunityandthecitycouldusetodriveabeerecologicalfootprint.ThecityofVancouverhasunanimouslyapprovedtheEcoDensityCharter.TheUrbanTaskforceisbringingBrentToderiantoSydneytoexplaintheEcoDensitymethodthatVancouverhasnowadoptedsothatSydneymightlearnfromtheVancouverapproach.ThemingisgoodasthedraMetropolitanStrategyforSydneyisonexhibionandtheplanningreformsforNSWstatethatcommuniesneedtobemoreinvolvedinstrategicplanning.InJanuary2013over2000highdensityhousingunitswereapprovedinNSWwhiledetachedhouseswereonly1400.ClearlythereisashitohigherdensitylivinginourstateandparcularlyinSydney.TheEcoDensitycampaignandcharterinVancouverneedstoalsooccurinSydneyandthispublicaonbeginsthatdebate.suchashighrisetowersandonlymarketcondos.Theyworryitwillcomewithoutthepublicamenityandtransitthatmakesneighbourhoodsworkbeerformorepeople.ManyVancouveritesspeakofadierentpricethepriceofinaconofnotavoidingorbeingreadyfortheconsequencesofclimatechangeandtheendofcheapenergy.TheysaywecantpretendwedontknowthatchangewilloccurtoNorthAmericanciesfasterthanithasinthepastwhetherwewantittoornot.Thosechangesarealreadybringingbigcosts.Theyexpectusnottowaitandreactbuttoplanandmanage.Theseneighboursmirrorthemessagewerehearingfromexpertsandscienstsinourowncommunityandbeyondwhoarehelpingusmeasurehowdensitybyitselfisindeedecointhatitsubstanallydecreasesoureco-impactsthroughbothtransportaonandbuildingenergy.Butclearlywhendensityiscombinedwithandenablesgreentechnologysuchasdistrictenergytheecologicalbenetsaretrulypowerful.ThankfullylearnedindividualsliketheUniversityofBrishColumbiasDr.WilliamReesinternaonallyfamousastheinventoroftheecologicalfootprintconcepthavebeenadvisorstousthroughoutthisprocess.Inparcularyoungpeoplearetellingustheywantustodobeer.ItistrulysoberingtohaveyoungVancouveritespassionatelytelluswehaventdoneenoughtoensuretheirqualityoflifetheirlivability.Theymaybethemostawareofthegeneraonsaroundclimatechangeperhapsbecausetheywillbelivingwiththeconsequencestheprice-muchlongerthanwe.Andintheimmediatesensetheytellustheyhavetoofewplacestoliveparcularlyaordableexiblerentalandownershipopons.Therearemanyperspecvesmanyvoicesinthisinteresngcivicdiscussionandwerenotdonelistening.VancouversEcoDensityiniavetakesnextstepTextfromBrentToderiansblog.Referencehpwww.planetzen.comnode28789