Why are we Getting Rid of a Highway in Vancouver?

Why are we about to get rid of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts in Vancouver? It's a complicated and sortof controversial story, but I've tried to boil it down into about... 5 minutes... for you :)

[@stpat7614]

Our leaders continue to describe old neighbourhoods as supposedly blighted and in need of renewal. Except now we replace them with highrises instead of freeways. Note that we are not rebuilding Hogans Alley, but simply replacing it with highrises for rich yuppies.

[@Maitch3000]

This sounds a lot like the situation in Copenhagen. In the 1970's they wanted to "modernize" the infrastructure and planned a whole network of highway viaducts going through the city. They managed to build exactly one of those streching about 1 km, but the whole project was dropped after a lot of protests when they wanted the highways to go through richer neighbourshoods.

[@TheAmir259]

Remember "London's unfinished motorways" by Jay Foreman?

[@jameshansenbc]

Keep making more videos on urbanism in Vancouver, this is wonderful stuff.

[@aaronchapman5094]

Dang, five or six years later we’re still waiting for the viaduct to be torn down-with seemingly no agenda or schedule ahead. I don’t know if the city, in the wake of the pandemic, has resulted in not having the money to tackle this now, or if the new St. Paul’s hospital project has strategically preempted the Viaducts removal to be undertaken.

[@chryno9600]

I'm currently studying Urban Studies in the UK and I obviously enjoy the course and the area of study, but watching this video just granted me the first moment where I have literally gotten goosebumps over how exciting it all is. The editing and information in this video is unbelievable. I don't suppose for future videos you could leave references in the end credits or description? I think this video has just swayed me into writing my essay on exemplary public health on Vancouver lol.

[@HSMiyamoto]

The removal of the Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco is one of the most ambitious of the Freeway Removal projects. You can see the old highway in many old TV shows from the 1970s, like "The Streets of San Francisco." It seems like the primary use of the highway was to provide a location for gun battles below the main road.

[@Lafv]

i was just about to mention our similar situation here in Halifax!

[@jinthefather4028]

Thank you sooooooooo much for making videos about Vancouver. I’ve been living in this city since 2007, I love Vancouver and since couple years ago, I began to interested in the history of Vancouver. Your videos are so helpful. Hoping forwards to see your new video!

[@hugobenedict8987]

Simply the reason. The city and the planners were bought out by the developers. I was working for the city planning when it happened. Believe me.

[@ngugikioi3147]

I love your videos man. The writing, narration, editing and use of music is tip top. Great work.

[@bl1ndguy0]

Wow. I visited that river in seoul, had no clue that used to be a highway. Btw, great videos! I absolutely love it. I find architecture and infrastructure so interesting and sometimes, they make it physically beautiful too. Keep it up! If you want to really to see peak advancement of infrastructure, just look at Seoul's subways.

[@Sock_Puppet_Muppet_Slots]

Great Video. Lived here half my life, and didn’t know the background. Keep up the good work.

[@sw2598]

Watched the video mentioned in high school. Glad to see that it’s being brought to light! ❤️

[@tinkersdinkers]

i love the music you use in these videos everytime, not really on-topic but wanted to show my appreciation :)

[@a.y9008]

This was such an amazing video! Thank you for pointing out Hogan’s alley!

[@11jacqueline11]

Thanks for explaining this project. Love your videos, very informative and well researched.

[@Screamingrift]

Really liking your videos man. Great music choice. Excellent graphics for a small channel. Love it

[@GordoGambler]

Chengdu double decked their inner ring roads over the last 12 years, with integrated bus lanes in the middle. I think the speeds are only 60 kph. I loved riding my bicycle under/ beside them for 13 weeks in 2015. So few bikes now, so the lanes are a pleasure to ride, though I also lament the passing of the way it was in 2006. They are not ugly or noisy at all. A lot of it has artsy touches and now vines are on some of it. There are also crazy complicated flyover intersections of course.

[@BenLomonRail]

Great video! Montreal did this by demolishing part of the Bonaventure Expressway into downtown, extending a main boulevard at ground level and turning the land the elevated expressway once occupied into a public space as the “entré de ville”. There’s also big plans for a large park to be made where a section of Autoroute 20 once was. The 60s was the era of highways, while today we’re in the era of reimagining areas once occupied by highways.