Think City Minute

With Vancouver city council's recent decision to tackle the age-old question of how can the city better accommodate cyclists, vehicles and pedestrians on the Burrard Street Bridge, the debate can really begin on the future of transportation in False Creek.

"Seeing my neighbourhood with new eyes was enlightening!" So said one enthusiastic participant in Vancouver's second annual Jane's Walk.

In the wake of the provincial election results and an April ruling that granted a landlord’s request for excessive rent increases,renters in British Columbia are more at risk than ever before say tenants’ rights activists.

By Kennedy Stewart

While electoral reformers may be tempted to dwell on the defeat of the single transferable vote (STV) in the May 12 referendum, they would be wise to keep an eye to the future as the next electoral reform opportunity is quickly approaching.

By Think City Staff

By any standard, the City of Vancouver is not a very affordable place to live for the middle class. According to the 2006 census, the average family in Metro Vancouver earns $64,332. Using generally accepted guidelines of affordability, this means that the average family, given an average down payment, could afford to buy a $258,142 home.

With almost $5 million spent on the 2008 civic election, Vancouver has set a new Canadian record for campaign spending. The city`s four successful civic parties filed their campaign finance disclosures with city hall on March 16 revealing how much they spent and who funded last fall's election.

Think City has released the results of its third annual Citizen Budget survey that show Vancouver residents oppose Mayor Gregor Robertson's continued support of the previous council's plan to shift a greater share of the tax base from commercial taxpayers to residential homeowners.

Jane's Walk is coming to a neighbourhood near you. Soon. This year, on May 2 and 3, Think City, with the support of the CBC and the Georgia Straight, will once again host the Vancouver leg of this growing North American event.

On March 16, the four civic parties that successfully elected candidates in the 2008 Vancouver municipal election will disclose their campaign finances to the city clerk's office.

Despite their past opposition to tax shifting, the governing Coalition of Progressive Electors and Vision Vancouver majority is expected to follow through on Mayor Gregor Robertson's election promise to continue the Non-Partisan Association's (NPA) 2008 tax shift plan.