On August 24th, Vancouver Sun columnist Bob Ransford’s article “Evolving Neighbourhoods Need Master Plan” featured some familiar material, as follows –
An ad for a new condominium project on Vancouver’s east side caught my eye the other day. I’m not in the market for a condo, so it wasn’t the product that captured my attention. It was the ad copy and a particular idea those words conveyed about neighbourhoods and community.
Here’s what it said: “East Van isn’t one thing – it’s a collection of everything. Parks. Cobblestone. Mom and pop shops. Gritty streets, beautiful boulevards. Dim sum. Boutiques. Industry and history. Patios and Pinot. People like you. People not like you. That’s its charm, after all.
“And great neighbourhoods evolve over time. They morph and grow and mature until they end up with an eclectic mix of things going on and a whole crop of people who wouldn’t live anywhere else. That’s what’s happening in East Van right now.”
The charm of our neighbourhoods – any neighbourhood people really cherish – is about that eclectic mix, the contrasts, the diversity, the unplanned, the adaptable and the evolutionary.
The ad talks about this evolution in East Vancouver right now. In fact, it is happening throughout Metro Vancouver right now. It’s what’s been happening here since the 1860s. Change has never stopped. Neighbourhoods change, morph, grow, adapt and evolve over time, and constantly. That’s an essential ingredient of charm.
If you’re looking for where that material came from, you’ll want to check out CORDOVAN. It’s our collection of East Van Flats and Two Bedroom City Homes. And they’re coming soon.
Bob’s article is a great take on planning for change in many neighbourhoods around Vancouver. We’re honoured he felt our idea resonated so well with other neighbourhoods in Vancouver as well. Head over to the Vancouver Sun page to see the article in full.