Impact of Olympic exposure on Vancouver

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by Vancity

Vancouver's a fine city. I love it But that doesn't mean that we can't push to be one of the world's very best cities (like the NY's, Londons', and Paris' of the world).

Vancouver has many things those cities don't have... but we lack one very important thing that they do have... HISTORY.

[trofirhen]

This may quicken http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdxNmvXusM0&NR=1&feature=fvwpancouver's image, profile and substance up to World Class City.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
*
It is not World Class now, according to the referential study at Loughborough University in England. Neither was Seattle. Auckland ran in our league. So did Brisbane and Portland Ore.
it went, sort of like this - - - - - - - - - - - - - >

Alpha World city: New York, LA, Tokyo, Paris, London.
Beta "" "" : San Fran, Sydney; Toronto; Chicago+ (?)
Gamma "" "" : Melbourne, Montreal, Stockhom + (?)
Delta (?) "" "": Rome Houston (or something pretty Close.))))))
the a big class of cities in the sub class: group one include places like Colombo, Bombay, Dusseldorf, Kansas City, Novosibirsk ........
Anyway, they are layered, and Vancouver is in the "MID layer, of cities, with World Class status potential. No higher than Auckland at the moment.

It may become a World class city from its current status to world class, the way Montreal did over many years, or a bit more quickly, like Toronto, or San Francisco, but all these cities were founded and active before Vancouver was. It will go through a massive "boom" that the world media will notice rather more, and may become a more popular European Tourist destination.
But it won't be truly World Class until it cleans up its stock exchange, has year-ound opera, an economy of scale that is diversified and modern, hopefully one or two more major corporate head offices, a completed transit system, and continues much of what it already has.

But as was just stated by sacrifice333, it doesn't have HISTORY!!!!!
( and that, is very much central to attaining World Class Status)

[mooks28]

Why do people care so much? All this worrying about World Class is really silly. Vancouver is never going to be a New York or Tokyo. Let's just get over it and make this place a better place to live for everybody.

[AlexYVR]

Not only that but if we're talking about world class status, maybe we should think of it this way: Harvard and Oxford are (with some debate) the world's premier research institutions and whenever 'world class' Universities are debated, these are top tier, always.

However, there are colleges like Wellesley and Oberlin and Reid which are small, teaching-focused schools that are revered and regarded every bit as highly as Harvard and Oxford. Will any of these colleges cure cancer? No. Do they try? Just as importantly, no. 'World class' does not mean one thing and it's time that people realize that. Vancouver can grow and evolve into an amazing little city without trying to 'compete' with Paris, NY, Tokyo, and London. Why bother? It's got something great all on its own.

[trofirhen]

AlexYVR ..... I hear what you're saying. Sometimes, in terms of absolute knowledge or academic influence, a place can be realtively small.

This comparison list I mentioned does not ignore them but sort of places them in a class of their own. What they are comparing is cities of approximately similar size and scale in this, and that of course starts with the biggies (NYC, London, etc)

It it is calculated on many things: financial importance, yes, but also, infrastructure, cultural facilities, housing and quality of life. Where a city has contributed greatly to the knowledge base of the worl, there are bound to be major universities, history, possible ancient imperial importance and influence (Rome, for example)

I think you feel that great, yet small centres of learning and knowledge are discounted; they are not. They just fit into a different scale, making grouping too complex for this purpose.

They all have a specialisation, and the most frequent about the greatest one there is: medicine.
We may develop it - I hope so - but in the meantime, consider that Canada's pharmeceutical centre is Montreal. That makes a statement right there.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by mooks28

Why do people care so much? All this worrying about World Class is really silly. Vancouver is never going to be a New York or Tokyo. Let's just get over it and make this place a better place to live for everybody.

right on !!

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

AlexYVR ..... I hear what you're saying. Sometimes, in terms of absolute knowledge or academic influence, a place can be realtively small.

This comparison list I mentioned does not ignore them but sort of places them in a class of their own. What they are comparing is cities of approximately similar size and scale in this, and that of course starts with the biggies (NYC, London, etc)

It it is calculated on many things: financial importance, yes, but also, infrastructure, cultural facilities, housing and quality of life. Where a city has contributed greatly to the knowledge base of the worl, there are bound to be major universities, history, possible ancient imperial importance and influence (Rome, for example)

I think you feel that great, yet small centres of learning and knowledge are discounted; they are not. They just fit into a different scale, making grouping too complex for this purpose.

They are a specialisation, and about the greatest one there is: medicine.
We may develop it - I hope so - but in the meantime, consider that Canada's pharmeceutical centre is Montreal. That makes a statement right there.

Sorry, I wasn't actually talking about institutes of higher knowledge. I was making the point that aspiring to be similar to the 'biggest and best' (in this case, top-tier cities) ignores the fact that there are so many other criteria on which to develop a 'world class' city: outdoor activities, livability, natural beauty, and so on and so forth. It was a similie. Vancouver is to Oberlin as New York is to Harvard - or maybe I should compare them to SFU and UBC. Two different institutions, and UBC will always come out 'better' in global rankings - but for quality of teaching and individual education, SFU is by far the better school. Either way, great places to be if very, very different.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Vancity

Well, this is what I'm worried about. I'm not convinced, or confident that our current government has anything planned for the future. What are they going to do with the extra exposure they will receive from the rest of the world because of the Olympics? What kind of economic/business future plan do they have for the city? How are they "re-branding" the city of Vancouver in the global market? Talking is well, we need discussion, but without putting the talk into action - all that talk - well, is cheap.

One poster say that there are few "world class" cities in the world. I would agree with that statement. Can Vancouver become a "world class" city? I suppose. I'm not sure if they will ever get to the statuses of the New York City's, or the London's, Paris' of the world, but hey, very few cities can achieve that kind of global status and influence. Vancouver has a very small town mindset when it comes to government, and well everything else (unfortunately).

Vancouver's a fine city. I love it But that doesn't mean that we can't push to be one of the world's very best cities (like the NY's, Londons', and Paris' of the world).

Location location location.

We might not be a "world class" city, like the likes of cities that are thousands of years old like London or Paris, but we do have something very few major metropolitan cities can offer, our location.

We are a young city, probably one of the newest cities in the world. And that is our advantage. We are on the edge of what's left of the wild frontier, the great unknown. We are a young city with lots to offer visitors that no other city can give.

There are very few cities in the world where you can take a 20 minute transit bus ride and go for a walk on the side of a mountain that is still so wild it claims lives on an almost monthly basis. And that is just on the outskirts of our city. We are the gateway to a lot more. You can go from sunning on a beach or brunch on a patio to skiing in the afternoon, and come back and catch a show or concert by major headliners.

We're not going to win in the skyscraper and infrastructure battle (but we do very well for our small young city) with other cities. But we do kick their ass in our sustainable design and integration with nature. We are a very unique city: major and metropolitan, yet young, quaint, isolated, and wild. How many other cities can claim that?

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

maybe I should compare them to SFU and UBC. Two different institutions, and UBC will always come out 'better' in global rankings - but for quality of teaching and individual education, SFU is by far the better school. Either way, great places to be if very, very different.

I've always heard that UBC is an Engineering/Medical school, SFU a Business/Comp Sci. school and BCIT a Technology / Computing school.

It'd be hard to state that one school is vastly superior to the other. They seem to serve different purposes.

The same is with cities. Different cities offer different things. Even a "lower-tier" city can attract top-notch clients.

For example. Many local employers will choose someone who's graduated from a 2-year Diploma program at BCIT over a 4-year Comp. Sci. grad from UBC. Why? Because it's got a reputation for being a very hard program to pass and the students usually have more job-ready skills.

In the same vein, an industry could choose a smaller less-established city like Vancouver over a larger more established one if we create a reputation for being leaders in the field.

Film studios are a great example. The industry, though fraught with ups and downs, is well established here, but it took provincial scale investment and tax breaks to get here.

I don't know if "Green Capital" will work but it's something. It should be more of a "Metro Vancouver" initiative. Perhaps we need a regional mayor. Then we could start to consolidate certain non-controversial services (like garbage pickup... no one cares if it's regionally managed).

Unifying the region under one banner, whatever it is, is a great way to bring world attention to Vancouver. And we don't need to be labeled world class to do it.

[SpongeG]

does anyone know anyone who has ever picked up and moved because of the olympics in any other city?

was there a mass influx of people to Calgary after '88?

maybe some businesses will decide to open a branch here or something like that

[vansky]

i think to be near the top, van needs more sksycrapers for its infrastructure, and more expressways..and layers of dynamic transportation modes...

and more shops, more entertainment centers...

before any world class stuff, you need a "city"

[raggedy13]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

does anyone know anyone who has ever picked up and moved because of the olympics in any other city?

was there a mass influx of people to Calgary after '88?

maybe some businesses will decide to open a branch here or something like that

I'm doubting it. I don't think that many people will necessarily 'pick up and move' because they saw Vancouver on TV, but I do think more new Canadian immigrants who are already headed to Canada will choose to settle in Vancouver (versus Toronto for example). I feel Toronto manages to attract a lot of new immigrants because it is the most internationally recognized city in Canada and therefore immigrants choose to settle there because they are largely unfamiliar with other options (though of course there are plenty other reasons immigrants might settle in Toronto such as family, presence of a certain ethnic community, perception of having greater job opportunities, etc.)

For those newcomers that may have heard of Vancouver (or not) but know nothing about it, seeing this shiny new city in a beautiful natural surrounding and with no snow on the ground in winter would, I'd imagine, be a fairly attractive prospect over their vision of Toronto or whatever other Canadian city they may have originally eyed to settle in. I could be totally off on this but I think if the Olympics were to attract more new residents it would be for this reason.

[Yume-sama]

Calgary exploded after 1988. The city was a small prairie town before that. Of course, there are extenuating circumstances to Calgary's growth (as there are with Vancouver), however, you would be foolish to say the Olympics did not play a huge part (it got us the Calgary Flames even ) in that in the immediate aftermath (5 years), and I think that is one thing any Calgarian who has lived in the city since then can attest to.

It also caused tourism to boom, which is still lasting, due to being the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. And the entire World saw that

Vancouver, it will be different, as it is already a major well known city. The Olympics could succeed in helping it take the next step in the next 5 - 10 years.

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

We are a very unique city: major and metropolitan, yet young, quaint, isolated, and wild. How many other cities can claim that?

hear, hear!

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

I'm doubting it. I don't think that many people will necessarily 'pick up and move' because they saw Vancouver on TV, but I do think more new Canadian immigrants who are already headed to Canada will choose to settle in Vancouver (versus Toronto for example). I feel Toronto manages to attract a lot of new immigrants because it is the most internationally recognized city in Canada and therefore immigrants choose to settle there because they are largely unfamiliar with other options (though of course there are plenty other reasons immigrants might settle in Toronto such as family, presence of a certain ethnic community, perception of having greater job opportunities, etc.)

For those newcomers that may have heard of Vancouver (or not) but know nothing about it, seeing this shiny new city in a beautiful natural surrounding and with no snow on the ground in winter would, I'd imagine, be a fairly attractive prospect over their vision of Toronto or whatever other Canadian city they may have originally eyed to settle in. I could be totally off on this but I think if the Olympics were to attract more new residents it would be for this reason.

While it may look pretty on the coverage (of course it could also look wet, gray and miserable), the cost of housing will throw a bucket of cold reality on anyone looking to settle in Vancouver.

[Yume-sama]

Perhaps Americans. But, Europeans (specifically British) and some Asians, who are obviously our target audience, will find it practical.

Particularly the British, whose houses cost the same or more... only in GBP... which is double.

Now, in America where the average price of house is $150,000 or so nation wide....

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Perhaps Americans. But, Europeans (specifically British) and some Asians, who are obviously our target audience, will find it practical.

Particularly the British, whose houses cost the same... only in GBP... which is double.

Now, in America where the average price of house is $150,000 or so nation wide....

Perhaps, but by and large, those aren't the people immigrating to Canada.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Perhaps, but by and large, those aren't the people immigrating to Canada.

Are you sure you've ever been to Vancouver?

[raggedy13]

Originally Posted by whatnext

While it may look pretty on the coverage (of course it could also look wet, gray and miserable), the cost of housing will throw a bucket of cold reality on anyone looking to settle in Vancouver.

The price doesn't seem to stop the tens of thousands that currently immigrate to the Metro area every year, and it certainly wouldn't deter the business-class immigrants. Also, didn't you just insinuate on the last page that we could have a post-Olympic real-estate bust? Affordability problem solved.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Are you sure you've ever been to Vancouver?

You're saying high prices aren't a deterrent to the South Asians, Filipinos, Columbians and Eastern Bloc immigrants?