Vancouver

Vancouver’s Resilience Journey

Vancouver’s scenic views, mild climate, and friendly citizens have earned it a reputation as one of the most livable cities in the world.

However, the city’s long-term health could be undermined by rising sea levels and earthquakes: models show that a 7.3 magnitude earthquake could damage or destroy hundreds of thousands of buildings, and cost thousands of lives. Cascading emergencies would include flooding, water shortages, fires, hazardous materials incidents, and long-term power outages. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has modeled economic impacts of up to $75 billion, impacting the city for years.

A number of factors contribute to Vancouver’s growing challenge to provide affordable housing. In addition to the construction of new replacement housing, focused rehabilitation and the implementation of an energy-efficient infrastructure program is needed to preserve aging rental units before loss of affordable housing leads to even higher residential real estate prices.