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 cit ...

, 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 Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

. Some of the program's objectives were 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 is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

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 called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

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 ...

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 A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

(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 ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

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 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. 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 ...

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

livability Livability or liveability is the degree to which a place is good for living. Livability refers to the concerns that are related to the long-term Well-being, wellbeing of individuals and communities. It encompasses factors like neighborhood ameniti ...

Unintended consequences

The EcoDensity policy was unpopular. The political leadership backed by the development oriented agenda was not united towards promoting sustainability, which led to eco-density being used as a label to

greenwash Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "Whitewash (censorship), whitewash"), also called green sheen, is a form of advertising or marketing spin that deceptively uses green PR and green marketing to persuade the public that an organization ...

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 The ecological footprint measures human demand on natural capital, i.e. the quantity of nature it takes to support people and their economies. It tracks human demand on nature through an ecological accounting system. The accounts contrast the biolo ...

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 Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that is part of the SkyTrain (Vancouver), SkyTrain system. The line is owned by TransLink (British Columbia), TransLink and InTransitBC and is operated by SN ...

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