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Past Events

2021

  • January 21, 2021
    Towards a More Equitable Housing System: Is Vancouver a City for Renters?
    Beginning in the early 1970s the percentage of Vancouver households living in rental units has been greater than 50%. Nevertheless, renters consistently face difficulties in finding housing that is adequate, stable and secure, with, in more recent years, rental affordability becoming a particularly challenging and detrimental issue for many households. While some in the city may strive for home ownership, data tells us that this possibility has become increasingly out of reach, even for those with moderate incomes. Given the reality that a majority of Vancouverites will most likely continue to live in rental housing, what does this mean for the next generation, for seniors and families, for low-income, racialized and marginalized households, and for the many others who do not see a secure housing future in Vancouver? How must the City of Vancouver think differently about housing and the housing market to better meet the needs of its residents, ensuring priority for those with the greatest need? What is required of a new city-wide plan to ensure the urgent and transformative change necessary to establish an equitable housing system?
  • January 19, 2021
    The Hidden Gifts of Retail: Resilience and Planning for Community Life
    In this talk, Jeremy Stone will explore the critical and often hidden roles that retail businesses play in our lives, highlighting how they are nodes of knowledge-sharing, social capital creation, innovation, and community support.

2020

  • December 10, 2020
    Planning for the Post-Pandemic City
    When Planning Vancouver Together started in November 2019, no one could’ve imagined what was just around the corner. While a global pandemic altered our relationship with our city, it also laid bare and amplified the pre-existing inequalities of our society. COVID-19 has tested the resiliency and adaptability of Vancouver’s social, economic and physical fabric. While certain parts of the city have weathered this pandemic, others have struggled. In light of these dramatic events, what does planning for the next three decades of Vancouver mean? What have we learned and experienced in the last eight months that might shape the next 30 years? How can the Vancouver Plan – a long-term strategic citywide plan – course-correct and continue to plan for a future city that is resilient to new and existing shocks and stressors, while striving for a city that truly works for all who live, work and play here?
  • December 08, 2020
    An Unbroken Line: Haida Art and Culture
  • December 03, 2020
    MST Futurism: Decolonizing the City Through a Matriarchal Lens
  • November 25, 2020
    The Post-COVID-19 Urban Economy
    Part of Pandemonium: Urban Studies and Recovering from COVID-19, a lecture series presented by SFU Urban Studies in collaboration with SFU Public Square and financially supported by the Initiative in Sustainable Urban Development.
  • November 19, 2020
    Mental Wellness and COVID-19: What's Gender Got to Do With It?
    COVID-19 is taking a toll on everyone’s mental wellbeing, but evidence demonstrates that these threats to mental health are not experienced equally. Gender is one of the many intersecting lenses we can use to look at the pandemic’s unequal impact on mental health.

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

  • Fri, 23 Aug 2013 12:00 PM
    Why or Why Not? Cultural Boycott?
    Is a boycott an effective option towards inspiring peace, or is ongoing engagement a better path, despite so many roadblocks so far?
  • Wed, 07 Aug 2013 7:00 PM
    Summer Writes
    The Summer Writes: Urban Tales series celebrates summer, writing, and the imaginative challenges of city life with award-winning writers.
  • Tue, 09 Jul 2013 4:30 PM
    Come jam with us!
    Help design a forum that will give young BCers a voice in a province-wide dialogue about our economic future.
  • Thu, 16 May 2013 7:00 PM
    Argo Adventure or Canadian Caper?
    Join us for an intimate dialogue with Mark and Cora Lijek, two of six Americans represented in the 2013 *Best Picture* Argo.
  • Tue, 07 May 2013 7:00 PM
    All Party Forum on Mental Health & Addictions
    Join us on May 7th for the BC Election 2013 All Party Forum on Mental Health and Addiction.

2012