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Housing That Connects Us

Rendering of Vienna House - Image: Public Architecture

Project overview

We are excited to be joining Hey Neighbour Collective and Happy Cities’ continuing work on the Housing That Connects Us project.

In a time of interconnected challenges – climate change, housing affordability, growing inequities and social isolation – there is enormous opportunity to shift towards policies and practices that multi-solve for community wellbeing.

As cities work to build more multi-unit housing, there is a growing need to balance quick delivery with affordability, climate resilience and social connection. Multi-unit housing plays a key role in community building. Thoughtful policies and design can help strengthen connections with neighbours while simultaneously supporting climate and social resilience.

We are supporting local governments to enable and incentivize low carbon, climate resilient and socially connected multi-unit housing through effective policies, planning tools and peer learning.

Housing is particularly well-suited to multi-solving approaches, as it is so much more than four walls and a roof: it is critical to economic, health, safety and social infrastructure.

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Our focus

Multi-solving in multi-unit housing

We explored how site designs can integrate social and climate resilience for multi-solving in multi-unit housing by hosting two workshops to reimagine policy and designs that incentivize social connection and climate resilience in multi-unit housing.

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Case studies of innovative multi-unit housing

We co-published a series of case studies on housing developments that prioritize social connection, wellbeing and inclusion, as well as the policy contexts that enabled them to inspire local governments.
 

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National training cohort for planners

We co-hosted Building Social Connections in Practice, a series of workshops for planners across Canada to unlock the social potential of multi-unit housing in all types of communities.

 

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Multi-solving in multi-unit housing

We hosted two cross-sectoral workshops focused on using policy and design to incentivize multi-solving to support social and climate resilience, with a focus on nature-based solutions (NbS) in multi-unit residential buildings.

Project partners: Hey Neighbour Collective, Happy Cities, SFU ACT – Action on Climate Team 

Related nature-based solutions resources

What are NbS?

An introduction to nature-based solutions and examples of these solutions at the neighbourhood, city and watershed scale.

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NbS options in multi-unit residential buildings

An overview of common nature-based solution options for multi-unit residential building sites in B.C. 

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NbS in multi-unit housing

An overview of how nature-based solutions can be implemented at a site scale and a case example of a mixed-use, residential building. 

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NbS backgrounder

A workshop backgrounder that outlines the potential of nature-based solutions, key barriers to implementation and solutions.

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Design jam: Resilient and connected housing

How can we incorporate nature-based solutions for social connection into new or existing site designs? 

We brought together 40 experts in housing, climate, nature-based solutions, design and local government staff to reimagine existing sites with socially connected nature-based solutions. 

Small interdisciplinary groups worked on an example retrofit or new build site with the task of incorporating nature-based solutions and social connection into a multi-unit residential building.

Download the report back for insights and illustrations. 

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From green spaces to connected places: Pathways to more resilient multi-unit homes

How can nature-based solutions act as social infrastructure in new buildings and retrofits?

We brought together 60 experts in housing, development, public health, local government, design and academia to explore opportunities to connect nature-based solutions and social connectedness in multi-unit housing.

Download our report back for insights and illustrations.

Download

Case studies of innovative multi-unit housing

How are cities, housing providers and architects building innovative homes and policies that encourage social connection?

Explore our case studies to learn from three developments in B.C. that showcase a wide range of innovative design and policy approaches that focus on building strong social connections and mutual support between neighbours.  

Coming soon: Stories from building tours around Metro Vancouver highlighting other successes of socially connected homes.

Project partners: Hey Neighbour Collective, Happy Cities

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Featured developments

Móytel Lalém

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Vienna House

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Little Mountain Cohousing

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National training cohort for planners

What design principles and strategies can enhance social wellbeing in multi-unit housing? How can planners implement policy to enable sociable design while maintaining affordability?  

We co-hosted Building Social Connections in Practice, a national training workshop series specifically designed for local planners working on housing, community planning and development policy in Canada.  

Planners gained practical tools to unlock the social potential of multi-unit housing, valuable connections and renewed inspiration to continue to drive change in their communities  

Partners: Hey Neighbour Collective, Happy Cities

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