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Reposted by Albert Huang - 黃忠堅

Andrea Woo @andreawoo.bsky.social · Apr 25

Reposted by Albert Huang - 黃忠堅

Andrea Woo @andreawoo.bsky.social · Apr 27

At least nine people dead after man drives into crowd at Vancouver street festival Saturday night
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/briti...

Nine people dead after man drives into crowd at Vancouver street festival

Vancouver Police have ruled out terrorism and say a 30-year-old suspect has been arrested after the incident at the bustling Filipino festival

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Reposted by Albert Huang - 黃忠堅

Jens von Bergmann @jensvb.bsky.social · Apr 15

Good episode talking about how to evaluate zoning reforms. This touches on a lot of concepts, zoned capacity, development potential, and how land use interacts with economics.

Episode 89: How to Evaluate Zoning Reforms with Aaron Barrall (part 1)

Aaron Barrall shares insights from Los Angeles's zoning reform and what they reveal about upzoning’s effectiveness in cities worldwide.

www.lewis.ucla.edu

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

If you enjoyed this event or my thread here, please make a donation to us here at AHV!

www.abundanthousingvancouver.com/donate1x

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

….like @movementyvr.bsky.social succeed in other cities. Advocacy works!

Ravi: thanks to @ahvancouver.bsky.social and Movement for their advocacy and awareness raising. These are importance conversations for our future. It’s great to see the work of 9 years ago starting to bear out.

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

…and vote to keep taxes low? Past governments have used this before.

Now closing thoughts!

Jenn: There’s a byelection coming in Vancouver. Who are the candidates prepared to raise property taxes to incentivize higher density uses? Support them.

Denis: I’ve seen groups….

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Jenn asks if the province would consider a change in property tax regime where cities assess a higher rate of taxation just on the land value component of a property.
Could this be another avenue for government to raise needed revenue?

Denis: Do more voting Vancouverites have land assets….

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Danny’s next big Q for our panels: what’s it saying when land wealth is increasing faster than labour and other assets?

Jen points out that property taxes aren’t increasing at the same pace as valuation increases. Perversely encouraging private capital to seek out land investment.

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“…. I’m encouraging cities to come to the province and the federal government to join me in having a conversation about how to fund infrastructure.” -RK

Jenn: “How about cities that have avoided looking to their own property tax revenue sources?”

Ravi: 🤔🤐

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“What about cities that levy higher development fees to get around policies encouraging housing development. Many cities charge higher fees on apartments vs detached homes” - Jenn

“There are communities that use these charges as an obstacle. And are not concerned with actual infrastructure” -Ravi

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“How do we are the financial and economic viability of housing development”

Ravi: “we are looking at everything. Interest rates have been high for some years. We’re not afraid of looking at development cost charges, and don’t expect any one thing will be the key. Likely a few things “

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

She goes on to describe Japanese urban land use not discriminating between forms of housing (apartments and detached homes) being treated as the same. Japanese senior government levels shoulder the political need to encourage housing rather than let it fall victim to local political capture.

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“It was probably one of the best years of my life” Jenn describing living in a small Taipei apartment as a student walking distance to her university and local markets

“There are ranges of housing needs, we could use that in our home here”

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

….with access to more job options.

And Ravi takes transit! Speaks to people being surprised to see him catch the bus to the skytrain to even come here tonight!

Thanks for normalizing and encouraging transit lifestyles @ravikahlon.bsky.social @movementyvr.bsky.social !

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Denis “we need to focus on the million people that already take transit at least once a week. If we improve the reliability and the experience, we’ll see more ridership.”

Also cited research that people with shorter commutes are more likely to escape poverty. And it provides people….

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

….and write to their city and public officials to make sure it’s known how much support good ideas have.

Ravi: “and congratulate and recognize when people are doing good things”

Jenn: “Feel free to be more pushy with cities that are not acting fast enough for the moment!”

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Excited to see that even non Vancouver communities are having conversations about alternative transportation - electric bikes, mobility scooters, etc.

Denis shares his own experience with seeing the public email agencies and elected officials. Transit riders and housing advocates need to call…

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Ravi highlighting that we need to be more worried about housing for people, and less of a focus on housing for cars. May be importance to suburban communities where transit is less available.

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

…..stores, businesses, schools, and services without efforts to seriously make these neighborhoods more accessible with more housing.

Danny shifting to the overbearing dominance of parking minimums in Vancouver. Did not expect cities to be so prepared to do away with parking minimums in new housing

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Jenn describes getting up in North Vancouver in a detached house supported by a single working income, but gentrification has taken hold even without physical change. The District of North Vancouver has gentrified to become the place of $3M homes with low populations that can’t support….

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Danny: “What transit route needs improvement”

Denis: “the 49! People reporting being passed up by 3-4 buses in a row during rush hour. And many routes are in a similar situation “

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“…but they HAVE already been changing without the housing form to accommodate” - Rvizzy Kay-lizzy

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“It’s an idea whose time has come. We hear about Vancouver schools with low capacity issues and we need to see our cities plan for this now. I hear from some of my constituents about fearing physical changes of our cities…”

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

“Why aren’t we putting 6, 8, 10 storey apartment buildings on quiet streets around our beloved parks and schools. We love them in the West End and by Stanley Park” - DO

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Albert Huang - 黃忠堅 @albertzghuang.bsky.social · Mar 18

Jenn noting the long issue of new housing only being built on our arterials, but what does it say about our planners and city councils that they are putting new residents on noisy polluted truck routes. 😩💨🚛

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