VanDusen Botanical Gardens

The VanDusen Botanical Garden, covering 22 hectares of land in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver is a public garden displaying plants from all over the world. Named for local lumberman and philanthropist Whitford Julien VanDusen, this garden which is managed by the Vancouver Park Board has been open since August of 1975. Formerly the Shaughnessy Golf Course, the land was purchased by the City of Vancouver, with help from the provincial government and a donation from VanDusen, to preserve the green space and avoid the development of another subdivision. Development of the gardens began in 1971 and 4 years later opened to the public. Curator Roy Forster, who managed the gardens from 1977-1996, was recognized with an Order of Canada for his work on the development of the gardens.

From the VanDusen website:

VanDusen Botanical Garden provides an inspiring and enjoyable environment for visitors of all ages and interests. With its excellent collections and the beauty of their display, the Garden promotes knowledge and understanding of the world of plants and their fundamental importance to life.

Vancouver Geography Part 3: View Corridors

As previously mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2, Vancouver is unique in its development. The geography of the city has played a major role in the city's development plan, from the mixed-use design to the stunted building heights, these are the results of urban planners adapting to the city's natural surroundings. Those of us fortunate enough to spend time in Vancouver know that the touch of nature within and surrounding the city lifts the spirit. The mountains serve as an excellent backdrop to a picturesque skyline, ensuring a little green everywhere you look, and this is no accident. Vancouverites today certainly associate themselves with sustainability, nature, and being "green" as efforts are being made to make Vancouver the "greenest city in the world". However even in the late 70's, the connection to nature was important to those who lived here. Thats why in 1989 the City of Vancouver protected the view corridors of 27 locations, blocking the development of high rise towers to intrude the space. This was important as (we previously mentioned) the limited available land for development meant growing upwards, blocking the views. The City has successfully preserved these views, despite constant pressure from architects and developers who would like to build higher and create more residences. The increasing population in Vancouver has created a large demand for downtown condos, meaning each new tower is leaving money on the table for each floor that is deemed too high by the City. While those that wish to make more money dislike the idea of the view corridors, there are plenty that issue high praise and wish to emulate Vancouver. It is certainly a unique concept that defines Vancouver, both past and present, shaped by its surroundings.

Vancouver: A City of Neighborhoods

Vancouver is the ever-growing coastal seaport city located on the South-West corner of mainland British Columbia. The original settlement established in 1867, named Gastown grew around the Hastings Mill. It eventually grew to become the townsite of Granville before being renamed Vancouver as it was incorporated as a city in 1886. As the city grew, smaller communities started becoming more evident and Vancouver became a city of neighborhoods. There are now 21 distinguished neighborhoods in Vancouver, and although the actual borders between them are inexact, they each have their own unique character.

Separated into sections of Central Vancouver, West Side, East Side and South Vancouver a brief overview of the neighbourhoods will be give. As previously mentioned the actual borders are inexact and are occasionally merged into sub-neighbourhoods or into more than one of the 4 directional quadrants.

The New Vancouver Convention Centre

The Vancouver Convention Centre West

The beautiful new expansion to the Vancouver Convention Centre certainly is a representation of the city and its values. Aspiring to be one of the "greenest" cities in the world, Vancouver's new convention centre certainly aids in that respect. The addition has added 220,500 square feet (20,490 m2) of convention space, 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) of retail space and in total as a project 14 acres (57,000 m2) of land and 8 acres (32,000 m2) over water. In times past, an expansion of this size would signify major environmental impact, however the determination and dedication of all those involved ensured the project meet LEED Platinum standards, the highest achievement from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Opened on April 4, 2009 the expansion tripled the capacity of the convention centre which fit well for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games as it hosted the International Broadcasters during that time. To date the events held have ranged from the XI International Conference on AIDS, hosting 15,000 delegates (its largest event) to a small meeting between Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton. While the convention centre provides large economic benefits to Vancouver by grossing $215 million in revenue, its significance as a landmark of Vancouver stretch more to the architecture and how it truly represents the city.

Vancouver Geography Pt.2: City Heights

Vancouver Geography Pt. 2: City Heights

Other major cities are tall, how does Vancouver stack up?

Vancouver, despite being one of the larger cities in North America, does not hold the same pedigree for towers that major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, or Los Angeles. The average height of Toronto's 5 tallest buildings (CN Tower excluded as it is considered a structure, not building) is 885.6 feet, Chicago tallest buildings average 1,222 feet, and Los Angeles averages 822 feet. The average height of Vancouver's 5 tallest towers, with the Living Shangri-la standing the tallest at 659 feet, averages a measly 527.6 feet.  New York City, which actually has much in common with Vancouver geographically, boasts an impressive 1263.6 average. So why does a world class city like Vancouver fail to reach the heights of other major cities?

Vancouver Landmark: BC Place Stadium

Happy Birthday BC Place!

Today marks the 30th anniversary since the opening of BC Place Stadium! This remarkable stadium has been an iconic fixture in the Vancouver cityscape since June 19, 1983! Originally built as a part of the preparations for Expo 86, it was very well known for being the world's largest air-supported domed stadium. This building's unique roof structure became a highly recognizable part of the city of Vancouver, even as the roof and city have changed over the years. Located on the north side of False Creek it has been a staple in many of city photographs looking for the skyline and mountain backdrop.


Vancouver Geography Part 1: Vancouverism

Vancouver Geography Pt.1

What is Vancouverism? And how does it relate to the Geography?

In order to take a closer look at the geography of the city of Vancouver, we must understand a bit of the mantra behind which the city is created. All cities have a plan, and those who developed Vancouver had its local geography in mind and now other cities are taking notice and trying to emulate. The utilization of space through mixed-use buildings has since been dubbed "Vancouverism" and is now a common term in urban planning.