The Cambie Bridge

Unfortunatly, backwards Vancouver planning didn't allow for 2 very wide sidewalks on the Cambie_Bridge.

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/cambie-street-bridge-upgrades.aspx

While the current bridge is a great improvement from the previous Cambie_Bridge, there still wasn't enough interest or motivation to really have an adequate bridge. A 5 lane bridge with only 1 wide sidewalk is too half-assed. Due to Vancouver's inability to properly plan & build for the future, the once 6 lane Cambie_Bridge only has 5 lanes & still has a narrow sidewalk on its west side. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Cambie_Br_in_1986%2C_street-level_view.jpg

If this sidewalk can ever be built out to be much wider, then the bridge can have 2 proper bike lanes, as well as 2 sidewalks. Then the bridge could have all 6 lanes again. A 6 lane bridge makes it easier to accomodate 2 bus lanes. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Cambie+Street+Bridge

The inadequate Arthur Laing Bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Laing_Bridge Another fine example of how Vancouver doesn't allow for proper big city infrastructure planning. The ALB has no sidewalks, no proper bike lanes, & especially, no bus lanes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Laing_Bridge#Since_opening

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Arther_Lang_Bridge_and_Fraser_River%2C_Vancouver_%28504734%29_%2823678427633%29.jpg The 4 lane BC bottlenek mentality is so firmy entreched. There just wasn't any proper concept to have 2 bus lanes, in addition to 4 general lanes. There is no good reason as to why the Arthur+Laing+Bridge wasn't designed to have 2 sidewalks & 2 bike lanes. 

Unless the bridge can slightly be widened on each side, safe & properly separated bike lanes will be unlikely. 

https://bikehub.ca/about-us/news/arthur-laing-bridge-bike-lane-widening

• Arthur Laing Bridge (Richmond-Vancouver): As there are no sidewalks on the bridge, cyclists ride on the shoulders of the roadway. Northbound cyclists can get to the bridge via Russ Baker Way or an off-street pathway that can be accessed from the Airport Station bus loop or from the Airport Connector bridge.

https://www.richmond.ca/parks-recreation/parks-trails-cycling/cycling/cycling_maps.htm

https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/transportation/bicycles-and-cycling

https://evelazarus.com/?s=the+Arthur+Laing+Bridge

This bridge & the Knight+Street+Bridge are so narrow, that there should be a bus & bike bridge built next to each of them. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Arthur+Laing+Bridge

The BC Coquihalla Highway

 https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/pedestrian-killed-in-crash-that-closed-coquihalla-highway-near-merritt-bc/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_5#Accidents_and_weather

https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/canada/4008-coquihalla-highway.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_5

https://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/380.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_5#Coquihalla_Highway

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/coquihalla-highway

https://transcanadahighway.com/british-columbia/bc-tch-history/highway-history-coquihalla-highway-5

https://www.wilsonvilletoyota.com/blog/uncategorized/10-most-treacherous-roads-in-north-america/

Downtown Vancouver sees drop in visitors and an increase in storefront vacancies

 https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/downtown-vancouver-sees-drop-in-visitors-increase-in-storefront-vacancies/

From the old and inadequate Fraser Street Bridge to the inadequate KSB

Somewhere in between 1950 & 1960, the old Fraser_Street_Bridge should have been replaced with a new 4 lane bridge, with 2 very wide sidewalks for bikes & a future provision for 2 bus lanes. Unfortunatly, backwards Vancouver has always been a city without a proper big city vision.

https://evelazarus.com/the-fraser-street-swing-span-bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Street_Bridge_(1894)#Provincial_government_headache

https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/photos-and-video-was-this-the-unluckiest-bridge-between-richmond-and-vancouver-4475444

https://search.nbca.unbc.ca/index.php/fraser-st-road-bridge-in-vancouver-bc-1 In the late 1800s, just being able to have a bridge roadway width of 2 wagon-roads in backwater BC was amazing. Then, decades & even several generations later, any BC bridge that could provide 2 wagon-roads each way was even more amazing. 

https://structurae.net/en/structures/fraser-avenue-street-bridge

As usual, Vancouver & BC lost & messed up an opportunity to have 2 great new bridges.

https://structurae.net/en/structures/knight-street-bridge

https://evelazarus.com/the-knight-street-bridge-part-2

Once again, the lack of a proper big city vision resulted in the inadequate design for the 4 lane Knight+Street+Bridge. However, it makes sense from a bottleneck planing mentality. Despite Vancouver being part of what is suppose to be a major port region and in need of proper transportation corridors, the Knight_Street_Bridge is a classic chokepoint.

https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/work-on-knight-street-bridge-in-richmond-below-deck-as-well-7319230

Just because the Knight_Street_Bridge started out as a 4 lane joke, there immediately should have been 2 wide shoulders, which could have eventually become 2 extra lanes. Plus, there should have been a future provision to add 2 bus & HOV lanes. Two wide sidewalks & 2 wide bike lanes. However, that would go against the congestive planning mentality.

Report details challenges vs. opportunities facing downtown Vancouver

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11114359/state-of-downtown-report/

Canary Wharf, London

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Wharf

https://canarywharf.com/living/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Dogs#Society

https://offices.canarywharf.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Tower_Hamlets#Geography

https://canarywharf.com/the-estate/

https://www.propertyinsidelondon.com/chinese-get-greenlight-for-67-floor-canary-wharf-resi-tower/

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/londons-canary-wharf-sees-15-bln-slashed-property-values-2024-04-25/

https://www.propertyinsidelondon.com/buying-uk-residential-property-a-brief-guide-for-overseas-investors/

Just another stump in Swiss Cottage, London, UK

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Cottage#Urban_development

https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/24198051.new-owner-pledges-finish-swiss-cottage-tower-block/

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/08/07/stalled-100m-north-london-build-to-rent-tower-to-start/

https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/regal-to-increase-numbers-of-homes-in-proposed-24-storey-block-to-make-scheme-viable/5131568.article Not 48, only 24 floors.

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/government-approves-contentious-grid-tower

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcots_Estate Only 23 stories, not 46.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Cottage#Transport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Cottage_(ward)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primrose_Hill

Tallest buildings in Switzerland

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Switzerland#Completed_buildings

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/country/switzerland

No office tower in Vancouver or BC in general, is as tall as the Roche_Tower, at 178 metres (584 ft). No building in strict Vancouver, whatsoever, is permitted to be as tall as Roche_Tower_2. However, some buildings outside of small Vancouver are being allowed to be taller than the tallest building in Basel.

Power outages persist in hard-hit areas after Ontario ice storm

 https://www.cp24.com/news/2025/04/01/power-outages-persist-in-hard-hit-areas-after-ontario-ice-storm/

Its suppose to be spring.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/central-ontario-power-restoration-timelines/

Unfortunatly, not everyone has a home power generator.

https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/freezing-rain-downed-trees-leave-more-than-400-000-without-power-across-ontario-following-ice/article_7675b34c-ff59-4eb4-a2d5-5200ecdac014.html

https://poweroutage.com/ca/province/ontario

https://weather.gc.ca/data/wxoimages/wocanmap0_e.jpg There is nothing like being stuck in a freezing part of Canada without any electric power.

https://weather.gc.ca/canada_e.html

30-storey rental housing tower proposed for Cambie Street Bridges' south end

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/2219-2285-cambie-street-vancouver-rental-housing-tower-nicola

Long Trains and Stations 150m +

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(New_York_City_Subway_service)#Rolling_stock , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway_rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Metro#Rolling_stock

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_%22L%22#Rolling_stock

Medium Length Trains and Stations 100m +

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_Metro#Rolling_stock

metro and subway

Short Trains and Stations 40-100m

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_Rail_Italy_Driverless_Metro#Rolling_stock

The line uses 256 ft (78 m) four-car train sets, each with the capacity to carry nearly 800 passengers,^[213] similar in weight to heavy rail systems elsewhere in the United States (such as the Chicago 'L' in Chicago, Illinois). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Rolling_stock

The articulated, four-car trains are 50 metres (160 ft) long. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki_Metro#Stations,_depot_and_rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Light_Rail#Current_fleet LRT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetroLink_(St._Louis)#Rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Trolley#Fleet

New Westminster City Council balks at high-rise density plan

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lower-twelfth-street-area-study-update-new-westminster-rejection

Given the limited industrial areas within the Greater Vancouver Region, there should be a balance between residential & industrial. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/columbia-square-new-westminster-edgar-development-plan-approved

However, some parts of NW need more taller towers in order to have much grater urban density.

https://www.newwestcity.ca/transportation/transportation-planning

https://www.newwestcity.ca/planning-building-and-development/roadworks

https://www.newwestcity.ca/transportation/trucks

https://www.newwestcity.ca/railways

https://www.newwestcity.ca/qtoqferry

TransLink's fare enforcement blitz in B.C.

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-fare-checks-inspections-statistics-evasion

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-fare-increase-2025-rates-approved

B.C. drivers sound off about EVs in HOV lanes

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-drivers-sound-off-about-evs-hov-lanes

New Zealand

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_New_Zealand

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_New_Zealand#Debate

Head of State and Governor-General for Australia

 https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/corporate/protocol-guidelines/1-introduction-to-australia-and-its-system-of-government#:~:text=Australia's%20Head%20of%20State%20is,the%20Prime%20Minister%20of%20Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Australia

https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/head-of-state

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Australia#Public_polling

PM Carney pushes nation building plan after 'positive' call with Trump

 https://www.tricitynews.com/the-mix/carney-pushes-nation-building-plan-after-positive-call-with-trump-10441207

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/crown-canada/about.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_General_of_Canada#Role

https://sencanada.ca/en/sencaplus/how-why/what-is-dissolution-of-parliament/

https://www.britannica.com/event/Canada-Act

At some point the training wheels should be removed so that Canada can become fully independent of the UK, as well as never being absorbed by the US.

The new Oakridge Park mall

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/oakridge-park-mall-vancouver-new-retailers-sporting-life

Maple Ridge planning transit-oriented development around future Bus Rapid Transit line

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lougheed-transit-corridor-area-plan-maple-ridge-translink-brt

The Golden_Ears_Bridge should have been built with 2 wide shoulders, which could have eventually become 2 bus lanes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Ears_Bridge

The Pitt_River_Bridge also should have had 2 wide shoulders, so that they easily could have become bus lanes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_River_Bridge

Most of the existing bridges are too narrow, so there needs to be a regional framework of bus-bridges.

Vancouver, WA could become the second-largest city after Seattle through annexation

 https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/vancouver-annexation-plans-federal-impacts-uncertainty-interstate-bridge/283-1d4427ff-92c7-4428-8217-7b46c0d805ab

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/move-over-spokane-tacoma-vancouver-could-become-second-largest-city-wa/A2VOTPIBGVCO7FISIIQRP6OWVA/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_County,_Washington

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_metropolitan_area

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multnomah_County,_Oregon

Western Canada's future tallest tower in Metro Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pinnacle-lougheed-burnaby-office-condo-use-revisions-tower

Living in BC & especially in Vancouver, you are conditioned to expect almost everything to be watered-down or half-assed. So, for Greater Vancouver to potentially have the tallest building in Western Canada, will be quite an achievement. Since a wall couldn't be built around BC, especially the Lower_Mainland to keep people out, the next best thing was to symbolically build half-size or half-assed infrastructure. In contrast, by building proper big city infrastructure, that's indicative of wanting to accommodate growth. 

Decades ago, there should have already been a bus & HOV tunnel built near the Lions+Gate+Bridge. Then followed up with a truck & passenger train tunnel. Unfortunatly, the Canada+Line doesn't seem to be planned to ever reach W. Vancouver & especially, Horseshoe+Bay. That might actually help to improve regional transportation, which is quite lacking in backwater BC.

Toronto councillors give themselves gigantic raises of 24%

 "On Thursday evening, Shelley Carroll urged her colleagues to “be brave” and vote “to go right on chronically underpaying yourselves” — only now, they’ll be underpaid at just $170,588.60 a year. 

“These are hard times, these are desperately hard times, and we need the best in the city to want to join us in this chamber,” an emotional Carroll said before councillors voted 15-8 to lift their salaries from $137,537." https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/be-brave-toronto-councillors-give-themselves-gigantic-raises

A lot of people would be happy if they got a 5% pay increase, a 10% increase above the past year would be amazing. However, the hard done by city councilors might be able to scrape by with a 24% increase. A pretax monthly income of $14,215 is pretty good pay, if you can get that, but many people don't.

vancouver-art-gallery-proposal-rfp-submissions-design

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-art-gallery-proposal-rfp-submissions-design

A promise for new 50-metre pool in South Vancouver?

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/abc-new-50-metre-pool-aquatic-centre-south-vancouver

It's strange that several decades ago, extra space wasn't set aside for more pools as well as expansion of existing facilities. Unfortunatly, Vancouver & BC in general, has such difficulty in properly planning infrastructure for more future capacity. 

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/swimming-pools.aspx

Boutique hotel conversion for office tower near Vancouver Convention Centre Centre

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/le-germain-hotel-vancouver-1111-west-hastings-street

New limited fourth BC Ferries route to run from Metro Vancouver to Vancouver Island this summer

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-ferries-tsawwassen-departure-bay-route-summer-2025

 

How Expo 88 changed Brisbane forever and for the better

 https://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/latest/infocus/entry/the-making-of-a-city-how-expo-88-changed-brisbane-forever

World_Expo_88 didn't just help to put Brisbane on the map, it was quite a catalyst for Brisbane.

https://bie-paris.org/site/en/latest/blog/entry/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-expo-1988-brisbane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#The_Fair

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#Legacy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railways_in_South_East_Queensland#Future

"six-car passenger trains" https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/programs/queensland-train-manufacturing-program Fortunatly, the BC mentality wasn't able to reach & influence Queensland. A 6 car urban train is what Vancouver should have had decades ago. The Montreal Metro was designed to have 9 car trains, ever since the 1960s. Vancouver really needs 10 car trains, but its tough enough just to eventually run 5 car trains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busways_in_Brisbane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_Point_Green_Bridge For some strange reason, Vancouver and the metropolitan region, never got around to building a series of similar bridges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Schonell_Bridge A nice bus-bridge for Brisbane, Calgary has its version, but of course Vancouver is very slow to building any bus-bridges. Apparently, its better to just funnel everything onto a narrow bridge that's already overloaded with general traffic flow.

History of Expo 86 in Vancouver

http://bobbea.com/expo-86/history.html

Seattle, Montreal and Brisbane, all seemed to make a giant urban leap after their turn of hosting a world's fair. Yet, somehow after Expo-86, Vancouver was still so hemmed in as to what it could do after hosting a World Expo. Short trains, mostly narrow bridges for general traffic, no bus-bridges and a stumpy building height limit, all fit into the slow-growth agenda. Of course several decades later, it was realized that neither Greater Vancouver or BC in general, could build a wall or generate a force-field to keep people out. However, by continually building half-size infrastructure, that at least symbolically shows how urban planners can ignore the demands of properly building for future growth. The big question is, where has the money for proper size urban infrastructure gone over the decades? 

https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1980/expo-86 The unofficial inside joke for Expo 86, was to not provide proper long-range transportation planning & development of infrastructure. Today, Vancouver is one of the best examples of what not to do if you want to have an efficient, high capacity transportation system. 

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/expo-86

https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/expo-legacy-science-world

The scale of Seattle, Montreal and Brisbane in the 2020s is so far beyond Vancouver & its restrictive agenda, of red tape & Gordian-knots.

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia

Interesting that the Olympic_Winter_Institute_of_Australia wasn't located in Hobart, rather than in Melbourne. Of course Melbourne is so much larger.

https://www.owia.org/  https://www.olympics.com.au/the-aoc/olympic-winter-institute-of-australia/

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Olympic+Winter+Institute+of+Australia/@-37.8116239,144.9361864,790m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x6ad668027d9a3769:0xcc5b3f9ab89ce56b!8m2!3d-37.8117768!4d144.935927!16s%2Fg%2F1ptxk3hrx!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hobart+TAS+7000,+Australia/@-42.8802038,147.3093105,5036m/data=!3m2!1e3!5s0x6ad65d689ad6e16f:0xd1896815e5e757f8!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x6ad668027d9a3769:0xcc5b3f9ab89ce56b!2sOlympic+Winter+Institute+of+Australia!8m2!3d-37.8117768!4d144.935927!16s%2Fg%2F1ptxk3hrx!3m5!1s0xaa6e7584e52ccfed:0x503c94dd0de1530!8m2!3d-42.8826055!4d147.3257197!16zL20vMDNramg!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

The Queensland Government announced that the nation of Australia will see a new National Aquatic Centre (NAC)

 https://swimswam.com/new-national-aquatic-centre-nac-will-host-swimming-more-for-2032-olympic-games

https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/australias-peak-aquatic-sports-deliver-push-for-world-leading-national-aquatics-centre-in-brisbane/

https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/mcallister/media-release/new-beenleigh-aquatic-centre-makes-splash

The+Brisbane+Aquatic+Centre is already so far beyond the old & the new watered down Vancouver+Aquatic+Centre.

The Brisbane Aquatic Centre

https://sleemansports.com.au/facilities/brisbane-aquatic-centre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeman_Sports_Complex#Aquatic_Centre

https://sleemansports.com.au/facilities/brisbane-aquatic-centre/50m-olympic-pool

https://sleemansports.com.au/facilities/brisbane-aquatic-centre/outdoor-pool Its also 50m. 

Better make sure that no one from Vancouver, BC sees what Brisbane was already able to accomplish.

https://www.swimming.org.au/articles/brisbane-set-to-become-global-water-sports-powerhouse

Of course, the watering down mentality of Vancouver is unlikely to ever reach Brisbane.

• "three new pools, including two large indoor pools (50m and 65m) that would act as a national base to support multiple aquatic sports"  https://swimswam.com/new-national-aquatic-centre-nac-will-host-swimming-more-for-2032-olympic-games  
• https://www.swimming.org.au/articles/renewed-call-for-nac-only-a-national-aquatics-centre-will-guarantee-2032-legacy  
• https://giica.au/about/venues-and-villages/brisbane-aquatic-centre

Vancouver Aquatic Centre rebuild will not have a 50 metre lap pool, after all

 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-aquatic-centre-rebuild-will-not-have-a-50-metre-lap-pool

Why build things to an impressive international scale like Brisbane is doing?

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.669870 Small-scale Vancouver just has to build things that are only impressive to backwater BC.

Fortunately, The+Brisbane+Aquatic+Centre didn't have the same Vancouver B$ to contend with.

If you are from Brisbane & plan to visit Vancouver, you might at first expect to see a city on the scale of Sydney or SF, or at least Seattle or Perth. Instead, you will see a provincial backwater of a city.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Vancouver+Aquatic+Centre 

City of Vancouver proposes huge residential project near Science World

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/images-city-of-vancouver-proposes-huge-residential-project-near-science-world-10428874

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1405-main-street-1510-quebec-street-vancouver-rental-housing-towers

Despite being right next to a train station, these buildings will be 30-40 floors shorter than what they should be. Real dynamic cities such as, Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto can build on a grand scale, because they aren't thwarted by anything like the overlapping restrictions that backwards Vancouver has imposed for generations.

Not 50m, just 25-metres for new Vancouver Aquatic Centre pool

A report to the Vancouver Park Board is splashing cold water on a community campaign to ensure a 50-metre pool is included in a rebuild of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.

The report, headed to the board next Monday, says the city should proceed as planned with a smaller 25-metre pool. https://globalnews.ca/news/11095576/vancouver-aquatic-centre-50-metre

This is backwards Vancouver thinking & planning at its best. 

https://globalnews.ca/news/11027649/sports-groups-slam-pool-design-new-vancouver-aquatic-centre/

First residents could move into Senakw's first rental housing tower by the end of 2025

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/senakw-vancouver-squamish-nation-construction-march-2025

This area should have had the tallest buildings in Vancouver. However, litle Vancouver isn't allowed to have buildings as tall as some in Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto. While Vancouver remains so strict and restrictive, some the areas outside of, and around Vancouver, are allowing taller buildings. Thus, not only Burnaby, but eventually Surrey will have taller buildings than what Vancouver permits. 

Vancouver and Seattle differences, again

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-seattle-differences

Seattle is allowed to have longer trains than Vancouver, but the Link_Light_Rail isn't completely separated from the surface streets like SkyTrain is. Thus SkyTrain always has the potential to run more frequently. There is a lot of potential to eventually run a Link_light_rail train every few minutes during the busy times. Its just a matter of having enough extra trains. SkyTrain needs to be longer & even more frequent when necessary. 

New-report-revealing-SF Bay-Area-bridges-are at risk

 https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/what-know-report-revealing-bay-area-bridges-risk-20234831.php

Functionality Mistakes Throughout History That Were Way Too Expensive to Fix

 https://dailytalkshub.com/functionality-mistakes-throughout-history-that-were-way-too-expensive-to-fix-is/21/

Public transit advocates to rally Sunday to save BC Lower Mainland bus routes

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/22/lower-mainland-public-transit-rally-burnaby-metrotown/

The region is already thwarted with short trains & a lack of bus-bridges. Of course the next best thing to increase urban congestion & degrade public transit, is to cut some bus routes.

The Guess Who - Bus Rider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcWQ0utym4I

Bold annexation plans could push Vancouver, WA city’s population beyond Spokane and Tacoma

 https://mynorthwest.com/local/vancouver-second-largest-city-wa/4065389

Tacoma is part of the Greater Seattle Area. Spokane is far enough east that it already is the biggest city & commercial center for Eastern Washington. So some day there should be over a million people over there.

Vancouver, WA is part of the Greater Portland Area, and has lots of potential for growth. Perhaps someday Vancouver might have buildings as tall as those in Portland. Ultimately, V,WA should have buildings as tall as the tallest in Bellevue,_Washington.

Riverside Centre, Brisbane and QV1, Perth

https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=1097 40floors, 466ft 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Centre,_Brisbane "Completed in 1986, it contains 40 storeys and rises 146 metres (479 ft) above ground." https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=170&searchname=timeline , https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=170&status=15

Brisbane and Perth have a similar looking office tower.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QV1 "QV1 is a 40-storey modernist skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. Completed in 1991, the 163-metre (535 ft)..."

https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=1263 40 floors, 533ft https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=168&searchname=timeline 

The big question is, will WA ever permit some Gold Coast size resedential towers? https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=712&status=15

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=51&status=15

https://www.quora.com/Why-doesn-t-Australia-build-up-the-west-coast-north-of-Perth-with-resorts-as-in-Queensland-It-could-bring-in-people-from-the-UK-to-help-develop-it-then-settle-there-afterwards

While cold Canada has a lot more towns that could gradually be expanded into proper cities, the warm coast of WA has tremendous potential for urban growth. Yet, most of the state can or will likely remain undeveloped. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/WesternAustralia/comments/19azez6/is_there_a_reason_why_there_are_so_few_cities_on/

The Vancouver Size Stump

 Given that most proper big cities around the world are permitted to build much taller buildings than what is allowed in strict & stubborn Vancouver, a curious thing has happened over the decades. When a tall tower is built in another city, next to it will be a Vancouver size stump of a building. However, the Vancouver stump isn't always part of the complex, The Vancouver Size Stump might be across the street or a block away. Yet, such a stumpy building can provide an excellent example of the larger scale that most big cities are allowed to exist upon. 

The Royal_Banck_Centre_in_Vancouver, B.C. The windows only go up to the 36th floor, but there are 3 more levels above that. It's only 475 feet in height.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Centre_(Vancouver) "The skyscraper stands at just under 145m tall and 37 storeys. Royal Centre was the tallest building in Vancouver upon completion in 1973..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Canadian_Place The windows go up to 72 stories, plus a few levels above that. The BMO in TO is about twice the height of the RBC in Vancouver.  

The Scotia_Tower in Vancouver, stands at 138 m or 35 storeys tall and completed in 1977. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Scotia_Tower_Vancouver The windows only go up to 34, but there are a few levels above that. The Toronto version has its windows go right to the 68th floor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotia_Plaza 275 m (902 ft) with 68 floors.

A Vancouver Size stump in tall Toronto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange_Tower It's a 36 storey 146 m (479 ft) tower in the First Canadian Place complex of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Due to the strict zoning restrictions in Vancouver, its difficult to even have an office building with 36 floors.

A Vancouver Size Stump in Perth, WA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange_Tower,_Perth It's a 40-storey skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. Completed in 1992, the 146-metre (479 ft). Stubborn Vancouver just won't permit any office building to have a 40th floor. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Perth_skyline_from_KS1%2C_November_2017.jpg The former AMP has become a stump in Perth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/140_St_Georges_Terrace "140 St Georges Terrace is a 30-storey skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. Opened in 1975, the 131-metre (430 ft) tower was known as the AMP Building..."

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Elizabeth_Quay_February_2016_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-Elizabeth_Quay_February_2016_%28cropped%29.jpg The former AMP is a good example the stump size building that stubborn Vancouver wants to hold onto. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/AMP_Bankwest_gnangarra.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Perth

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/perths-mining-boom-to-blame-for-lack-of-heritage-20130315-2g4xl.html

Vancouver is a very tiny part of the BC land area. Even in the Greater Vancouver Region, Vancouver is a small component. Thus, while stubborn Vancouver wants to keep its stumpy agenda, other BC cities are more accepting of significantly taller growth. https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1&status=15

BMO Tower in Chicago and Toronto...

A Toronto bank tower exists in Chicago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMO_Tower_(Chicago) 51-story, 727 feet (222 m)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Union_Station

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chicago+Union+Station/@41.877568,-87.6397406,525m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x880e2c3cd0f4cbed:0xafe0a6ad09c0c000!2sChicago,+IL,+USA!3b1!8m2!3d41.8781136!4d-87.6297982!16zL20vMDFfZDQ!3m5!1s0x880e2c8dbbb32f5d:0x5f985dc0044b1109!8m2!3d41.8786897!4d-87.640311!16s%2Fg%2F1tj7wzcm!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Canadian_Place (BMO Tower Toronto) 298 m (978 ft) 72 stories 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/First_Canadian_Place_August_2017_01.jpg/320px-First_Canadian_Place_August_2017_01.jpg 72 stories in Toronto, while its Vancouver counterpart, or stump is only 32 floors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Canadian_Place#History_and_architecture

"Exchange_Tower is a 36 storey 146 m (479 ft) tower in the First Canadian Place complex."

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/130_King_Street_West_2022.jpeg Whether its in Toronto, Chicago or Calgary, there is usually a Vancouver size stump that's part of the official complex, or close by.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentall_Centre_(Vancouver)#Three_Bentall_Centre "Completed in 1974, it stands at 122 m or 32 storeys tall. Bank of Montreal is the main tenant of this building."

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Bentall_Centre_2018.jpg/960px-Bentall_Centre_2018.jpg

Interstate 90

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_90

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_90#History

The sinkhole opens up on I-80 in Wharton, New Jersey

 https://abc7ny.com/post/new-sinkhole-opens-80-wharton-nj-westbound-lanes-closed-exit-34/16052839/

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/i-80-center-median-collapses-near-wharton-nj/

https://nypost.com/2025/03/19/us-news/massive-new-sinkhole-opens-up-on-i-80-in-new-jersey-with-all-traffic-now-detoured/

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-jersey/i-80-nj-closed-both-directions-wharton-collapse-sinkhole/6193465/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_80

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_80#History

Vancouver developer pitches 43- and 39-storey towers next to Commodore Ballroom

 https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/vancouver-developer-pitches-43-and-39-storey-towers-next-to-commodore-ballroom/

Of course, nothing to rival the tallest in Edmonton or Calgary & especially not Seattle, SF & Sydney, NSW.

https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/800-876-granville-st/revised-introduction.pdf

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=800+Granville

Revamped 800 Granville proposal drops offices for rental housing and hotel uses

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/800-876-granville-street-vancouver-revised-design-bonnis-rental-housing

A taller version of 800+Granville, but still stumps when compared to what many other cities allow.

https://storeys.com/bonnis-properties-800-granville-revised-rezoning/

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/800-876-granville-st

Few-developers are-building-homes-in Toronto, as the market-plunges

 https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-toronto/2025/03/few-developers-building-homes-toronto-market-plunge/

Gordie Howe International Bridge

https://www.blogto.com/city/2025/03/gordie-howe-international-bridge-ontario-trade-war/

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/gordie-howe-bridge-canada-border-crossing-trade-war

https://www.gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/en

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge

Fortunately, no one from Vancouver or NW was able to get it to be like a 4 lane BC bottleneck bridge. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Design

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Interstate_75

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Walking_and_cycling

unité urbaine - urban unit

An Urban_unit is an area that should always be keeping up with various urban infrastructure needs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_urban_area

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/FrenchTop25Cities.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_unit#French_urban_units_with_over_200,000_inhabitants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_urban_area#List_of_functional_urban_areas_by_population

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_Europe#Metropolitan_areas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_the_European_Union_by_population_within_city_limits#Cities_by_population_within_the_city_boundary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom#Demographics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany#Demographics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities#List

Canada has less than 1% of the worlds population. BC has less people than Switzerland. Yet, the area of Switzerland can fit into BC 23 times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_British_Columbia#Metropolitan_areas

Granville bar owners demand immediate action ahead of FIFA

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11085900/never-seen-it-this-bad-granville-bar-owners-demand-immediate-action-ahead-of-fifa/

There seems to be an unofficial, LET THE CITY GO TO $HIT attitude. That's especially the case with Granville Mall and Gastown. 

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/share-your-thoughts-on-granville-street-feb-2025.aspx

The city & region desperately needs thousands of new hotel rooms. Yet, the extreme height limits in Vancouver doesn't allow developers to put 30-40 floors on top of a 30-40 story hotel. Some cities can get enough steady business that a hotel can be over 70 stories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Peachtree_Plaza_Hotel Atlanta

The Marina_Bay_Sands in Singapore was possible, because nothing like the Vancouver building restrictions gets in the way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands#Expansion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JW_Marriott_Marquis_Dubai

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_hotels#Completed_or_topped_out

Metro Vancouver's new housing construction starts down by 48%

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-housing-starts-february-2025

The Case of Some Buildings That Couldn’t Be Bought and Torn Down

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holdout_(real_estate)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Macefield#House

 https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2024/04/09/Del-Mar-Hotel-Vancouver

https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/del-mar-inn

https://changingvancouver.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/kingston-hotel-richards-street/

https://changingcitybook.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/telus-the-residential-tower/

https://www.canadianarchitect.com/complexity-contradiction-telus/

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kingston+Hotel/@49.2807768,-123.1167149,191m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m17!1m7!3m6!1s0x548673c783a3a10f:0x522d4ed6632343b2!2sTelus+Garden+Residences!8m2!3d49.2805764!4d-123.117455!16s%2Fg%2F11byyjzmzf!3m8!1s0x5486717ee5828b11:0xa4521fe2a862c268!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d49.2807309!4d-123.1173501!16s%2Fg%2F1thpwjhl!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/development-permit-board-minutes-feb-20-12.pdf

https://www.canadianarchitect.com/complexity-contradiction-telus/

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/telus-garden-residential-tower/14081

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/telus-garden-office-tower-boasts-street-overlapping-protruding-box-architectural-features

Of course at least half a dozen floors were cut from the project.

https://vancouverstreetblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/with-news-that-all-428-units-have-sold.html

https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2022/08/01/the-two-holdout-houses-that-forced-rockefeller-center-to-be-built-around-them/

Some gas, hydro or electric company office towers

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Company_Tower It has 52-stories, at 749 ft (228.3 m).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Gas_%26_Electric_Building It has 34 stories, at 150 m (490 ft).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Power_and_Light_Building

I wish that the old BC_Electric_Building had at least 44 stories, but it only has 22 floors.

Even today, it would be a big building if it were in Victoria-Prince+George-or-Kamloops.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Electra_Building.jpg 

https://changingvancouver.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/homer-street-500-block-east-side/

https://ounodesign.com/2010/12/03/bc-hydro-building-now-and-then/

BC_Hydro never got very tall buildings constructed. 

https://karen-magill.blogspot.com/search?q=The+BC+Hydro+building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC_Hydro#History

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-hydro-rates-increase-2025

https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/province-launches-bc-hydro-review-8253022

Vancouver is stuck in a multigenerational trap of overlapping restrictions, which prevent it from reaching the scale of what Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto permit. As long as Vancouver can do things that are impressive by Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-and-Kamloops standards, that's good enough, apparently.

Parts of Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills will be closed for LA Metro's D Line extension

 https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/wilshire-boulevard-beverly-hills-la-metro-d-line-extension

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/traffic/wilshire-boulevard-beverly-hills-metro/3656285/

https://la.streetsblog.org/2024/01/25/at-new-wilshire-subway-stations-metro-ignoring-l-a-city-street-standards

https://www.metro.net/projects/westside/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_Line_Extension

https://www.metro.net/projects/purple-section1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilshire/La_Brea_station

https://www.parsons.com/project/westside-purple-line-extension-section-one-los-angeles

https://la.curbed.com/2017/8/17/16163326/purple-line-extension-wilshire-la-brea-photos

Telus Boot site in Burnaby approved for five new towers

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/central-park-commons-telus-boot-burnaby-approved

B.C. government to abolish its carbon tax after 17 years

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-carbon-tax-abolish

The carbon tax was mostly another sad B$ joke in the history of backwards BC! Such a carbon tax should have gone towards the transportation infrastructure in the most populated parts of BC. Backwater BC has been so far behind in resolving transportation bottlenecks for several generations. Thus, an infrastructure carbon tax could have really improved things.

Instead, after 17 years, Greater Vancouver is still struggling to have a proper regional network of bus+lanes. In order the have such a proper regional BRT network, there has to be a series of bus-bridges and that hasn't happened yet. Most of the existing bridges are so narrow that there was no consideration for bus lanes, let alone HOV lanes.

The two SkyTrain bridges don't have 2 bus-lanes, despite the lines not being open 24-7. The first SkyBridge doesn't even have 2 sidewalks & 2 bike-lanes. However, the 2nd bridge has a shared bike & footpath, but there should be 2 of each. 

The first 2 SkyTrain lines have stations that are barely half the length of a Montreal Metro station. The Canada embarrassment Line only has 50m station vs. the 152.5m Montreal Metro stations. Having half-length & one 3rd length stations is not indicative of planning for high volume rapid transit. But this is half-assed BC, so apparently its OK.

Where did all the money go? Evidently, not enough of it went towards the transportation infrastructure, because almost everything is still half-size, or worse.

Big payment approved to remove social housing in a future Vancouver tower

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1059-1075-nelson-street-vancouver-the-curv-social-housing-removed-cacs

The city & region has to work out a way so that there can be more affordable housing built. Unfortunately, little provincial Vancouver with all its extreme height restrictions make things more difficult. If a developer can actually build a Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Toronto size tower, if they also build an affordable housing structure, that can make a big difference in motivation. However, Vancouver has been a multigenerational trap which prevents it from becoming a proper city.

City of Surrey to plan for new waterfront entertainment district next to Pattullo Bridge

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-waterfront-entertainment-district-fraser-river-study

A lot of potential, but there shouldn't be any scaling back of the riverport facilities.

Unfortunatly, for several generations, there wasn't a keen sense to properly develop the Surrey side of the river. NW never pushed for more bridges over the past few generations. 

No 10 car trains to Surrey, but at least there is a hope of 5 car trains. No 8-10 lane bridges, because it's better to just omit bus & HOV lanes on the new version of the narrow Pattullo+Bridge. So narrow that at only 4 lanes, there isn't enough width to accomodate 2 bus lanes & 2 HOV lanes & certainly no provision for a future lower LRT deck. 

Unfortunatly, the Queensborough_Bridge in NW has only 2 lanes each way & no emergency lanes. Had there been 2 wide emergency lanes, the bridge could have become a 6 lane crossing. A new parallel bridge with wider sidewalks & 2 bike lanes, could also provide 2 general traffic lanes, a bus lane & a HOV lane & the same for the old bridge, minus any bike lanes. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensborough_Bridge Apparently, it's better to just keep funneling everything into one narrow 4 lane bridge. There is no direct train from NW to the airport, so a direct bus with its own lanes to YVR would be a good idea. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensboro_Bridge The NYC version has 9 lanes.

Former city-centre-motel-at 2111-Main-street-in Vancouver, redevelopment is approved

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/city-centre-motel-2111-main-street-vancouver-redevelopment-approved

Despite being on the edge of the downtown, only half-size buildings were approved.

Massive Jericho Lands development will be 20-times denser than its neighbourhood

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/massive-jericho-lands-development-will-be-20-times-denser-than-its-neighbourhood-architect-says 

Once again, what might seem big by backwater BC standards is small or average in some parts of Australia.

None of the tallest buildings on the Jericho Lands will be as tall as the tallest in, Parramatta, NSW.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Parramatta#Tallest_completed_and_topped_out_buildings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Parramatta#Proposed,_approved_and_under_construction_buildings