[ClearDop]

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

Absolutely we rely (hard) on our frigging beautiful natural environment, but we should. It's something to be proud of.

A lot of the criticisms from the German and from Mr. X are warranted - the club scene sucks, arts and culture are constantly struggling (though I feel reinventing themselves just as constantly in interesting and vital new ways that some people on this forum might not seek out or be aware of!). I also feel like it's true that you need to live in Vancouver proper to appreciate Vancouver - but that's probably true of all cities? I don't appreciate Richmond, but I don't live there so I wouldn't judge it on my experiences with it.

For a skyscraper board, everyone on here forgets how world-reknowned Vancouver is for its urban planning and the decisions that were made to turn the city into what it is today. Like it or not, the choices that were made have resulted in a very, very distinctive city that has its pluses (if you buy into them) and its negatives (if you don't). We're as close to a manufactured city as you can get outside of a place like China or Dubai and yet for all our scheming about zoning, bikes, pedestrians, point/podium, etc, we've kept what they will never have - an organic feel that permeates the city and shows you that real people live here. They may be real people who drink Starbucks and like taking their designer dogs for walks on the seawall, but Vancouverites really do use the space around them and fill up the places they inhabit. Is it conventional? Not really. Are most peoples' 'front yards' 2x2 balconies? Yep. Does it work? Somehow, weirdly, yes. We're pretty cool for that, too.

What makes Vancouver such a "manufactured" city? Theres so much random in-fill going on there. I'd say its as far from a "manufactured" city as possible. More like a developer's free-for-all.

I can appreciate Vancouver for what it is though. I don't live there but I was born and raised in the lower mainland and I've probably spent more time in Vancouver than most of its residents