Just a Gwai Lo - fun within prescribed limits

Tomorrow I'm attending what I understand to be the book launch for City-Making in Paradise at SFU's downtown campus. Mike Harcourt and Ken Cameron are speaking, and there's more information at the SFU City program announcement for the event. I didn't know a few people I'd wanted to meet were going to be at the lecture in June, so chances are that will happen this time around.

On Thursday night, Karen and I attended City Making in Paradise, a panel session at Simon Fraser University's Harbour Centre, which featured an introduction of the book of the same name by former British Columbia premier Mike Harcourt and former GVRD planner Ken Cameron. Subtitled "Nine Decisions That Saved Greater Vancouver's Livability", the book, due in September, lays out the case that Vancouver and surrounding area since 1948 could have gone in many directions but instead chose a relatively enlightened one. Stephen Rees has the definitive notes, and I took a few my photos of Harcourt, Cameron, and the other panelists.

Stephen's notes reflect the amount of discussion paid to the Olympics, a decision that no doubt shapes the next 30 years for the city. Only at the end were the Games and their effect on British Columbia and its major cities. For the record, I opposed the Olympics, but not on economic or environmental grounds, but rather moral grounds. It's a done deal—a phrase to describe both the proposed freeway through Strathcona, the opposition to which is fairly mythologized in this city, and the Gateway Project (the subject of some inspired blogging at Urban Vancouver), which Harcourt argues should go ahead, but done right.

The night featured a heckle from the back, the heckler's wife Adriane Carr (yes, the Adriane Carr) writing about it at some length, David Eaves has a recap and thoughts of the evening.