The Houston Galleria and Galleria Dallas

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

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

Texas is a place where thinking BIG has been going strong for almost a century. 

By the year 1900, NYC had to start thinking and building on a big-city scale, simply out of necessity.

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2015/03/11/nyc-big-apple 

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

In contrast, backwater BC has a tough time keeping up with Alberta and Washington State. Especially with Ontario and Quebec. BC is 75% mountainous and has a seawater barrier on its west side. Still, its almost as if some people would like to have a wall around BC, or even a forcefield like out of Star Trek. 

Keeping things small and backwards in BC whenever possible seems to be part of a multigenerational symbolic agenda. 

Its as if there is something like a BC Mind Virus (BCMV).

Texas has more people than Australia and California has more people than Canada. Despite its overall size, Canada has less than 1% of the worlds population. 

Singapore is on an island that's smaller than all of NYC or Chicago, even. Yet, it has proper big-city trains, bridges, roads and buildings.

A weekend washout for the GTA

 https://www.cp24.com/video/2026/05/23/a-weekend-washout-for-the-gta-its-going-to-be-an-all-day-affair-climatologist-on-weather-update/ 

No matter how much rain in TO, there is always more of it in Vancouver. It shouldn't be fall in May. However, when Toronto finally gets summer, its summer for more than just a few months. Unfortunately, summer in Vancouver always seems so short, just like its short trains and short buildings. Even shorter-swimming-pools. One hopes that from June 1st to September 1st, Vancouver will have constant 25-30C days. Unfortunately, the dam rain sometimes kicks in to reduce the number of sunny summer days. Then by 2nd week of September, summer is fading & you're lucky to have spring like days. 

The Broadway Subway-Mount Pleasant to Broadway City Hall

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z64SisMwIuY 

Another illogical lane reduction project. Broadway was for the most part, always 6 lanes, 7, if you count the turning lane at major intersections. The train isn't a 24 hour service, so its important to always have 1 bus lane each way, especially if the train is shut down for an occasional emergency. Then there still should be 2 general lanes each way, because this isn't supposed to be a small town street or avenue. 

This, combined with so many 4 lane bridges, ensures that BC bottleneck-chokepoint planning remains firmly entrenched. 

A 5 car Vancouver train is expected to do the job of a 9 car Montreal Metro train. That's because a short Vancouver train can run a little more frequently than a 9 car Montreal Metro train, during even the most busy times of the day. Of course many proper cities have long big-city trains, because they aren't under anything like small thinking Vancouver, or a backwater BC mentality.

The standard short trains, narrow bridges & narrow streets and short buildings, are all part of holding the scale of Vancouver back. Apparently, if you can't build a wall around Vancouver, the next best thing is to continually plan and build symbolically for a provincial backwater of a city.

Concord | Metrotown in Burnaby

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbFE98Esk9k 

Burnaby isn't under the strict restrictions of Vancouver, so its able to have taller buildings and even a freeway.

Sydney's SEVERED Skyline vs. the stumps of Vancouver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpEoJia-4ns  Fortunately, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth don't have similar restrictions as Sydney. However, NSW still has less imposed restrictions and impediments as backwater BC.

Backwards+Vancouver B$ logic should never make it to Sydney, or any other properly functioning city. Fortunately overall, NSW never was overtaken by anything like the BC Mind Virus (BCMV). Otherwise, Sydney would also have narrow bridges, short trains and mostly short buildings. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_Martin_Place Over 60 levels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotia_Tower Not even 40 levels.

Vancouver still won't allow any office tower to have 40 floors, let alone 50 or 60.

The urban trifecta of backwards Vancouver

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifecta 

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

Ideally, for some small thinking cities, the plan is to symbolically have mostly short buildings and short trains and mostly narrow bridges.

That seems to have been the goal of Vancouver over the past several decades. In contrast, Brisbane after its Expo 88, was able to really go into big city planning mode, because it doesn't have anything like the excessive Vancouver restrictions holding it back. 

1 The+Typical+Vancouver+Size+Stump+Building No office tower has been permitted to have a 40th floor. https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Stumpy+Post+building+in+Vancouver Never-mind 40 or 50 stories, it wasn't even allowed to have 25 floors.

2 YVR-Canada+Line A 2 car joke of a train. 

3 Lions+Gate+Bridge A 3 lane joke of a bridge.  

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

Free entry to Vancouver Lookout observation deck for City of Vancouver exhibit on considering higher buildings

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-lookout-city-higher-buildings-policy-review-exhibit 

The Perfect Mass Transit Model is in Montreal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsoZVzd9djQ

Expo 86 and Expo 88

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_86 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_86#Fair 

Unlike highly restrictive Vancouver, Brisbane started to allow taller buildings, wider bridges and longer trains. 

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

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

No office tower in Vancouver has been allowed to have a 40th floor. No Vancouver bridge is allowed to have 8 lanes. Only some of the newest Skytrains have 5 cars, but certainty not 8-10. That would go against the congestive transportation mentality of BC. 

The VMV and the BC Mind Virus are so firmly entrenched.

The future of tall buildings in downtown Vancouver

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/help-shape-tall-buildings-may-2026.aspx

While there are some taller residential towers, no Vancouver office tower has ever been permitted to have a 40th floor.

 https://globalnews.ca/video/11827046/vancouver-tall-building-policy-review/ 

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/new-territory-vancouver-city-first-supertall-tower-could-be-first-more-to-come#:~:text=Sign%20In%20or%20Create%20an,Article%20content 

https://maps.nicholsonroad.com/heights/

The World's Tallest Buildings Are Cheating

 https://www.theb1m.com/video/skyscraper-vanity-heights The B1M

A New Supertall Skyscraper could be Rising in Vancouver

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0JAcGSwrMk 

While Vancouver has allowed a couple residential towers to have at least 60 stories, no office tower has been permitted to have a 40th floor. While buildings over 200m have been allowed in Sydney and SF, slow provincial Vancouver has been very restrictive to allow big city symbolism.

Stumpy and small Vancouver, BC

https://www.reddit.com/r/skyscrapers/comments/1sw8tad/vancouver_bc  

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

Looking east with the taller buildings in Burnaby. While Vancouver allowed its first 30 story office tower in the early 1970s, no office tower in Vancouver has been allowed to have a 40th floor. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver#Cityscape

However, since Burnaby and Surrey aren't under any Vancouver type restrictions, that's where the first 40 story office tower in BC will be. 

The Harbour_Centre was a joke right from the start. Even with the flag pole, the Harbour_Centre had to be shorter than the Space_Needle and the Calgary_Tower. It especially had to be less than a 3rd of the height of the CN_Tower. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbour_Centre#Height "the building is listed as being 28 stories tall, though the tower/observation deck/revolving restaurant extends above the 28 office floors (claimed to be on the 33rd and 35th floors)." 

https://harbourcentre.com/office-leasing/ The office floors only go up to 28 stories. 

https://skyscraperpage.com/b60/vancouver/harbour-centre 

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=112623234&page=3 

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1 

So far, every attempt to have real tall buildings in Vancouver kept being stumped by the cities height restrictions.

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1&status=15 

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?countryID=1&status=15

Vancouver General Hospitals 10-Phase Campus Redevelopment Plan

The new Vancouver General Hospital campus would include over 3.2 million sq. ft of modernized healthcare space across buildings up to 24 storeys. https://storeys.com/vancouver-general-hospital-redevelopment-application 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-general-hospital-vgh-campus-master-plan-rezoning-application-proposal 

The main VGH campus should eventually be on the scale of something like the Texas_Medical_Center. However, BC has been under a backwater mentality since its inception. Thus, its still difficult for proper big city planning to be established.

https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/ubcx-no-brainer-council-motion-is-a-brain-test/

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Guy%27s+Hospital%2C+London

How THIS Street Shaped San Francisco’s Most Iconic Buildings

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPNc8rWgilY

40 years after Expo 86

 https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1980/expo-86 

Unlike Brisbane, Vancouver doubled down on its various restrictions. Ideally, any tall building in Vancouver had to be shorter than what Brisbane allows. The bridges kepet narrow and unduplicated than what Brisbane allows. The trains are to be shorter than what Brisbane and most cities allow. 

It was almost as if since Vancouver couldn't build a wall around the city to keep people out, a strong level of symbolism was imposed instead. This urban symbolism was all about keeping things small & backwards whenever possible.

Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey have all started the process to allow for taller buildings than what Vancouver permits. That's because they are bound by the same restrictions that Vancouver imposes.

Is Adelaide Is Becoming Australia’s Most Advanced City?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Wol0Q3zDg 

Still seems pretty small and quaint today. Nowhere close to the scale of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, but a good rival to Winnipeg. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide#Economy Its already set to have many more tall buildings than cold Winnipeg.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide#Transport Busses, trams, subways and commuter trains, all can help to provide people with more options than just driving. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramways_in_Adelaide#Mid-century_decline_and_closure 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramways_in_Adelaide#Renewal_and_expansion 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramways_revival_in_Adelaide#Developments_since_the_2018_election

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railways_in_Adelaide#Lines Wow, perhaps backwards Vancouver might have as many lines, someday.

YVR-Canada Line and REM Train

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ouk0VifwM&t=42s Even if the YVR-Canada Line had to initially be built as a symbolically small city train, urban transportation infrastructure can be designed in ways that can double or even triple capacity to meet future demand. Unfortunately, its very difficult to build anything in BC with significant future capacity in mind.

Ultimately, the YVR-Canada Line should have had level station clearances to eventually be able to accommodate 10 car trains. Unfortunately, in typical backwards BC planning the stations weren't even designed with enough level clearance to accommodate 5 car trains. The joke that is the Canada Line only has a level station clearance of 50m to eventually accommodate just a 2.5 car train. 

Most other cities actually build long stations to accommodate long trains right in the first place. Or, at least allow for enough level clearance so that the stations can eventually be doubled or tripled in length. 

The YVR-Canada Line should have started with the Vancouver & Richmond segment, then the Vancouver and Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal segment. Then finally, the YVR to Delta and the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal. 

The SkyTrain Stations in Greater Vancouver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qg78Bmf1fk

Unfortunately, proper big city transportation planning is very difficult to achieve in backwards BC. So much is watered down in Vancouver.

Montreal’s Biggest REM Expansion Yet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G1oeIAfxDU&t=106s 

The Montreal REM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9O6RzsXIqQ 

While the REM was designed to help the Metro, it should have the capability to be gradually expanded. Eventually, REM trains should be lengthened from 4 car trains to 6 and even 8 car trains. 

In contrast, every Skytrain line should have been designed with enough level future station clearance to eventually accommodate a train as long as a 152.5 (500 ft.) long Montreal Metro train. The first 2 Skytrain lines have 80m stations and the joke that is the Canada Line only has 50m stations. 

While the first 2 lines can accommodate 5 car trains, the C Line wasn't designed to accommodate 5 car trains. Just 2.5 car trains, someday. 

Despite there being such a symbolic push for Vancouver to keep having short trains, narrow bridges and stumpy buildings, things are gradually changing in backwards BC. The Vancouver or BC Mind Virus should have been challenged decades ago, but too many loud people wanted to perpetuate the, KEEP THINGS SMALL AND INDEQUATE agenda.

Given how most of the bridges in Greater Vancouver are so narrow, there isn't enough room for proper bus and HOV lanes, or even wide emergency lanes. One would think that at least the trains & stations would have been designed to eventually be doubled or tripled in length. But that would go against the mutigenerational congestive planning agenda. That's why there still is only a 3 lane LGB when there should have been at least a parallel bus, HOV and train tunnel. The Pattullo+Bridge replacement didn't open with 2 bus and 2 HOV lanes, not even wide shoulders or emergency lanes. NW really likes the congestive planning approach. Of course the new tunnel between Richmond and Delta won't have an additional provision for a train tube. This will also help to perpetuate the congestive transportation mandate. 

Fortunately, Selective_door_operation technology can eventually allow more sensible transportation planners to enable longer trains. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdH5d1ZthmM 

This means that a 5 car Skytrain (85m) could eventually become a 7 car train, despite the 80m stations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)_rolling_stock#Alstom_Mark_V Thus, an 80m train can become a 117m train.

A two car and 2.5 car (50m) train on the multibillion dollar Canada Line is so absurd and inept! With some slight station modifications, there could be a potential to eventually accommodate three, 20m cars at such short platforms. Then, once 3 car trains could become possible, its just a matter of having an extra 20m car at both ends of each train. A 5 car train of 100m is so much better than a 50m joke of a train. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#Alstom_Mark_V_fleet 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain-Canada+Line

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=REM

Vancouver 1960s vs Today: The Shocking Difference

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnMLMp_gf1w 

Unlike Toronto, SF and Melbourne, Vancouver was one of the first cities to get rid of streetcars and tram-trains or interurbans. Backwards Vancouver will likely be one of the last cities to ever bring them back. 

No office tower in Vancouver was allowed to have a 30th floor before the 1970s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TD_Tower_(Vancouver) The first 30 story office tower in backwater BC opened in 1972. As of 2026, no office tower in Vancouver, or anywhere in BC has been permitted to have a 40th floor. 

As of 2026, no Skytrain stations are even close to the length of the Montreal Metro, TTC subway and underground Edmonton LRT stations. 

Unfortunately, almost every city around the world is expensive. Its just that you get less of things in Vancouver. Short trains, short buildings, narrow bridges and mostly narrow streets. 

Thus, its no surprise that there isn't a regional network of bus-bridges. Congestive transportation planning is what Vancouver does best. 

Vancouver seems to be reluctant in constructing a network of bike-bridges. The city would rather remove a total of 5 lanes from 3 bridges for bike lanes. 

Broadway will eventually be reduced from 6 lanes to 4 lanes so that even some small towns will have wider major streets.  

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

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

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

Surrey should have more night-bus routes.

 https://www.reddit.com/r/Translink/comments/1rop925/thoughts_on_yvr_movenments_idea_of_making_surrey 

Alberta has two cities with over a million people each, those being Calgary and Edmonton. 

Vancouver has never had 1 million residents, but the Metro_Vancouver_Regional_District has well over 3 million people.

Victoria,_British_Columbia has yet to reach 100K, but the Capital_Regional_District is getting close to half a million. 

Surrey has almost 3 quarters of a million people and is expected to be the first city in BC to eventually have a million residents. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey,_British_Columbia#Current_transportation_network 

Surrey like Burnaby, will eventually have some of the tallest buildings in BC, that's because they aren't under the extreme height restrictions that Vancouver has.

https://www.surrey.ca/about-surrey   

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=2&status=15 Surrey

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1&status=15 BC 

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?countryID=1&status=15 Canada

Last week's malfunction of the Second Narrows (rail) Bridge shows how dependent the Prairie economy is on this transportation chokepoint

 https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-users-need-more-say-about-vancouvers-rail-bridges 

The Greater Vancouver Region should have had all of its freight rail bridges at least double tracked by now.

https://www.cn.ca/en/stories/20250429-cn-and-port-of-vancouver-collaborating/

There is a subtle KEEP BC SMALL AND BACKWARDS mentality, but sometimes it's right in your face.

https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-vancouvers-port-must-up-its-grain-game 

Its as if there is a VMV and the BC Mind Virus. Although no one can actually pinpoint it, the effects of it are quite apparent. 

https://financialpost.com/opinion/nutrien-bypass-port-vancouver-underscores-need-change  

Despite the size of Canada, it has less than 1% of the world's population.

https://www.portvancouver.com/project/second-narrows-dredging-works 

Unfortunatly, by not even keeping up with moderate infrastructure growth demands, Canada keeps falling behind in a world with over 8 billion people. 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/10/20252027-immigration-levels-plan.html 

There should be a way to expand the economy and population, while making things more affordable.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels/supplementary-immigration-levels-2026-2028.html 

https://thoughtleadership.cibc.com/article/population-growth-projections-are-we-repeating-past-mistakes/

https://www.rbc.com/en/economics/canadian-analysis/featured-analysis/insights/canada-maintains-tight-immigration-policy-despite-permanent-resident-exemptions/ 

Vancouver keeps holding back the scale of bridges, trains and buildings. This is part of a symbolic mentality and agenda to not think like a proper big city.