British Columbia

'Supervised Injection Facilities'—Successful in Canada, Coming to the U.S.
Needle exchanges are still controversial in some parts of the country, so expect "supervised injection facilities" to be even more so.
North Vancouver Skips Past 'Secondary Suites,' Allows a Third 'Coach House' on Every Lot
While some cities debate secondary units and parking controversies, the city of North Vancouver is allowing three units on every single-family lot in the city—parking requirements not included.

New Trump Tower Brings Controversy to the Vancouver Skyline
The second project bearing Trump's name will open next week in Canada. Donald Jr. and Eric Trump will be on hand for the opening. The mayor of the city will not.

Debating Bike Infrastructure in Vancouver
Bike infrastructure is a source of political controversy, even in cities where biking is already popular.

TransitLink to Use $440 Million Real Estate Windfall to Fund Transit Projects
A transit funding formula, courtesy of Vancouver, British Columbia: Sell 13.8-acre property for $440 million; use cash to finance transit improvements.

As Goes Vancouver, So Goes Seattle?
What does Vancouver’s housing market implosion mean for the Seattle area?

Prime Minister Trudeau Approves Huge Expansion of Oil Sands Pipeline
The young prime minister's approval to almost triple the capacity of the Kinder Morgan pipeline comes as a surprise given Trudeau's concern for climate change. He approved another Alberta oil sands pipeline but rejected a third.

Vancouver Home Sales Nosedive After Foreign Buyer Restrictions Take Effect
A new tax on foreign buyers and a threatened tax on vacant homes have contributed to a significant drop in home sales in October.

Vancouver May Fast-Track Modular Laneway Homes
The city of Vancouver has emerged as a leader in "laneway" housing: secondary units built onto existing lots, often facing an alleyway. To boost supply, the city may expedite permitting for modular units.

Vancouver Area Shoppers Stuck in Four Hour Parking Lot Traffic Jam
Shoppers at the newly opened Tsawwassen Mills shopping mall found themselves in an hours long traffic nightmare as they tried to leave the mall's parking lot.

Starchitects Leaving Their Mark on the Vancouver Skyline
It hasn't always been like this, but in recent years, Vancouver has attracted international talent to design some of its splashiest new projects.

Vancouver Start-Up Wants You to Bid On Your Rent
The founders of Vancouver-based Biddwell are hoping to change the way landlords and potential tenants find each other, but a renters' advocacy body sees the new company as bad news for tenants in an increasingly tight housing market.

5 Goals for Vancouver's New Chief Planner
Vancouver has a new chief planner, and a former chief planner already has a to-do list for the new guy.

Vancouver's Attempt to Preserve Affordable Housing Causes Waves
On August 2nd, a new 15 percent tax on real estate deals with foreign buyers went into effect. The goal was to cool the hyperactive housing market, but the implementation has caught many by surprise.

Planetizen Week in Review: August 1, 2016
Political junkies, map nerds, and transit fans all got plenty of big news to digest during the last week of July 2016.

Vancouver Sees Positive Benefits from Car Sharing
As car sharing services like Car2Go have infiltrated cities including Vancouver, B.C., benefits of reduced car ownership and greenhouse gas emissions are being realized, a new study finds.

Vancouver to Tax Foreign Real Estate Investments
Big news has emerged from British Columbia, where the government has been criticized for not doing more to address the housing affordability crisis.

Op-Ed: Upzonings Hurting Affordability More Than Helping in Vancouver
Zoning for new housing supply isn't the answer to Vancouver's housing affordability crisis, according to an editorial in the Vancouver Sun. In fact, it might only be making the problem worse.

Trudeau Wary of Unintended Consequences in Dealing with Vancouver's Housing Crisis
Prime Minister Trudeau took sides on one controversial issue central to the debate about the cost of housing in Vancouver, but stopped short of suggesting a clear policy agenda for the federal government to improve the problem.

Opposition to $6.9 Billion Dam Proposal in British Columbia
A proposal to dam the Peace River, flooding 5,500 hectares (or about 21 square miles), has met resistance from the legal and scientific communities in Canada.
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