Virtual Urban Planning

Always wanted to be an urban planner? Take a few minutes and help Vancouver redesign their city. While your at it get some inspiration for Buffalo.

An architechtural firm in Vancouver is taking advantage of the national spotlight the city is receiving with the Winter Olympics happening this week with a poll for citizens and visitors alike to contribute to the future growth of Vancouver, with their campaign Shape Vancouver 2050. The International architecture firm Busby Perkins+Will is considered one of North America's leading green practices with the largest portfolio of built green projects in Canada. The firm also researches, educates, and is heavily involved in the development of public policy and sustainability guidelines.

Already their have been over 1,200 virtual skyline's submitted to the firm. According to the website www.shapevancouver.com,

The impacts associated with this average skyline are:

Enough ENERGY to take four people on an electric car road trip around the circumference of the earth 2,400 times each year.

Equivalent CARBON reduction to planting 67 forests the size of Stanley Park every year.

Enough MONEY to provide every person in Vancouver a free bus pass for one year.

Enough NEW RESIDENTS to fill British Columbia Place for a Lions Game.

Reduction in AUTOMOBILES saves enough parking space area to add three more convention centres downtown.

These results indicate that despite Vancouver’s enthusiasm for mountain views we are willing to compromise in an effort to live more sustainably and reduce our carbon footprint while appreciating all the unique amenities and natural beauty Vancouver has to offer. With attitudes like this we will achieve our goal of becoming the Greenest City in the World.