Unique Career Opportunity: Mayor of Vancouver

Organizational profile
The City of Vancouver is recognized and consistently rated as one of the top three most livable cities in the world. In the past few years, the City’s initiatives and achievements in sustainability are also garnering international attention, with some of the most innovative green buildings, public space and building designs in North America. However, as the world turns its ever-watchful eye towards Vancouver even more as the 2010 Winter Games approach, the city still has a ways to go to live up to its reputation in livability and sustainability.

Although the city is situated in one of the most spectacular settings in North America, the natural environment unfortunately doesn’t make up for some of the issues in the social environment. Homelessness, insufficient public transit, a growing disparity between rich and poor, and a housing affordability crisis are marring the city’s picture-perfect image.

Key opportunities and challenges
After consulting with the citizens of Vancouver, these key land use opportunities and challenges were identified for the city and for the future Mayor:

Affordable housing The City of Vancouver is one of the most expensive cities in North America in which to live. The average house price is $921,000 and the rental vacancy rate is 0.9%. There are virtually no options for low- to medium-income families. As a result, many individuals and families are forced to find housing outside of Vancouver, contributing their income to transportation instead of shelter costs, and adding to the growing traffic in the region.

With tremendous development interest and innovative minds in the city, we can aggressively implement a suite of market and nonmarket solutions to create significantly more affordable housing in every neighbourhood of the city.

Homelessness There are more than 1,000 people who do not have homes in Vancouver; half of them do not have access to emergency shelters. The number of homelessness is growing; the solution is prioritizing resources to build more shelters and provide more services so that these people can participate in our community in a healthy, fulfilling and self-respectful way.

Transportation Although a few streets and neighbourhoods have good transit access and facilities, there remain many where transit is inadequate. Many bus routes are at capacity. Greater investment in buses and infrastructure that supports street activity and local businesses rather than expensive rail lines that are better suited for commuting can help meet multiple goals of moving people and getting them out of their cars.

With higher fuel prices and a growing public awareness of climate change, an immediate review of parking requirements needs to be implemented. Significant opportunities for creating alternative housing options can arise with relaxations in parking bylaws.

Energy and green buildings The EcoDensity Initiative will soon mandate aggressive green building requirements in rezonings. The challenge is to start implementing accompanying regulations for energy conservation in existing buildings, in particular commercial and retail, as well as for new buildings not requiring re-zonings.

Candidate profile
Vancouver needs a progressive, visionary, and charismatic leader who can transcend and unite political divergences, inspire hope and passion in all residents, and has the political will and diplomacy to drive change in addressing the city’s tough issues. The future mayor cannot be tempted to revel in the awards already received that are really due to the city’s downtown and a few neighbourhoods, and instead seek to make the entire city worthy of such accolades.

The future mayor will have a particularly high profile as the focal point for sustainability during the 2010 Games while positioning Vancouver as a global leader. This affords the future mayor an opportunity to make an important impact in Vancouver as well as on an international scale.

Qualifications
Ӣ Experience in political leadership, respect and responsiveness to constituents
Ӣ Widely respected for integrity and commitment to sustainability and smart growth
Ӣ Will to create complete, mixed-use neighbourhoods throughout the city
Ӣ Visionary leader who has seen many successes in turning vision into reality
Ӣ Ability to recognize problems and deal with them creatively
”¢ Ability to inspire passion in the city’s citizens

Skills and knowledge
Ӣ Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
Ӣ Ability to bring people together and achieve respect and consensus
Ӣ Effective and proven team leader
Ӣ Exemplary communicator and orator

Personal characteristics
Ӣ Entrepreneurial, creative, innovative
Ӣ Committed to participatory decision-making but knows when and how to exert leadership
Ӣ Desire to build pride and community spirit
Ӣ Charismatic, engaging, dynamic, fun

Interested candidates should submit a CV and cover letter explaining why you’d be the best mayor for Vancouver to: Vancouvermayorapplicants@smartgrowth.bc.ca.

Cheeying Ho is the executive director for SmartGrowth BC, a Vancouver-based nongovernmental organization that describes itself as devoted to fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible land use and development.