Vancouver extruded density map
March 6, 2008
By Erick Villagomez, re:place magazine
Since publishing my first EcoDensity article (that was subsequently posted on The Tyee), this map seems to have reached all corners of the Vancouver. Given the latter, I’ve been asked a number of questions about it and, thus, I think that it requires some explanation and reflection.
The Specs
The map was created from Census 2006 data that quantified the gross population density of Vancouver by the block - one of the most interesting census maps that I had encountered. The information was given originally in number of people per hectare (by block), which I then converted to dwelling units per acre (du/ac) - using the 2006 Census average of 2.2 people per dwelling.
Why convert? Well, being a part of the industry, dwelling units per acre is the most common way to discuss density. This can then readily be related to building types - i.e. single-family neighbourhoods are typically between 0.25 - 4 du/ac gross. This could then be weighed against other meaningful standards such at typical “sustainable” densities, etc. Given that I was targeting policy-makers and CoV industry professionals with the article, I thought this standard would be the most fruitful and information.
This information was then transferred to a 3-d rendering software and extruded in accordance with the converted values. A plan and pie chart giving the viewer a more information was then included - adding to the 3-d snapshot.
Reflections
After hearing much commentary, I beleive that its success and popularity lay in its accessibility - beyond the jargon-based details stated above. For it graphically expressed a simple and fundamental question that EcoDensity documentation failed to address: where does the density currently exist and how is it distributed throughout the city.
As it is explicitly depicted - and as the article describes - the vast majority of the density currently lies within Vancouver’s Eastside. Anyone familiar with CoV planning documentation would have guessed this outcome since there are a number of laws that make densifying low-density Westside neighbourhoods quite difficult. But the extent of this difference is somewhat surprising.
That said, I think one of the more interesting aspects of the graphic is a subtle one. Anybody familiar with the Eastside communities knows that they look like run-of-the-mill single-family neighbourhoods. But, as this map shows, this is very different to the reality of the situation. Within each freestanding house live many more people than one would expect. This is a mixed blessing, of course. My humble 1100sq.ft, three bedroom half-duplex used to house 5 single, unrelated occupants living in separate rooms, prior to my family moving in.
Surprising? Yes. Disturbing? Perhaps. But, nonetheless, it shows our ability to adapt these environments to accommodate ours needs, and how the lack of affordable homes has affected the behaviour of this city’s inhabitants despite municipal attempts at control. Not to mention how these densities can create vibrant communities.
At the end of the day, however, I think that Vancouver - or, at least the Eastside - is truly deserving of its reputation as an urban suburb.
For a bigger version of the map, click here.
[...] already generated some buzz with Erick Villagomez’s density map of Vancouver, that also appeared in The [...]
it was a great article. Glad it got so much attention.
I am concerned with two things about density:
a) how can we guarantee that people who work in the city will benefit from living in the city (with the added housing stock)
We drop the “eco” when we can’t guarantee that the whole lot of people moving into these places aren’t just commuting elsewhere to work.
b) how do we know that building more suites/housing stock will inrease density of people?
For example, many people have stated the benefits of laneway housing and have touted it for the possibility that elderly relatives can live in the smaller units with their children and relatives (who, ideally, can take care of them) nearby. But would we not do the same things if the elderly parent resided within the home with the children? It happens all the ime in asian extended-family households.
So what guarantees that we are not just spreading the same amount of people out except in theirown contained household? And if there is no denial to this point have we already chosen that this model of living is better/more beneficial for the community?
Those are my two cents about density thus far.
[...] as areas for redevelopment. Yet when one considers that these same areas have some of the higher densities and transit ridership in the city, this makes the City’s choice as locations for [...]
Fascinating map and visualising of census data.
Can you include the UBC lands at least as grey space (as you’ve done for Stanley Park), or are there stats you can use for the housing at UBC?
I’d also be curious to see a similar map that includes Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, and North Shore as a combined GVRD map or as individual maps of those areas. I think it would be eye-opening to see how each city compares to the others and see comparisons between urban / suburb areas of the lower mainland.
Hi JS,
I’m glad you like the map.
I would have loved to include UBC, but since it isn’t a part of the City of Vancouver there isn’t any data on it. Similarly, including Burnaby and the other surrounding cities is a wonderful idea. However, they also don’t have the data in this format - that is, density by the block. This is because census data is collected by tracts - large swaths of land that don’t necessarily match political boundaries. So, customized information, outside of the standard tract, is done by special order and typically paid for by the whatever institution that desires the information. Unfortunately, this means that data isn’t standardized across municipalities….and we haven’t even begin to discuss any information disclosure practices of different political jurisdictions.
That said, I appreciate the idea and I’ll continue trying to compile the information required to make your suggestion a reality.
All the best,
E