How can cities attract families with children to live downtown?

 

At a time when cities are looking to remake their downtowns, many are redefining their city centers as distinct neighborhoods instead of just employment and entertainment centers. 

 

While cities have been losing families for years, a trend accelerated by the pandemic, it's critical to make room for those who would choose to live downtown, as a wide mix of residents works best in creating a true community.  

 

Vancouver has been at the forefront of working to attract families since the late 1970s. Thousands of kids now call downtown home. The city offers an enticing cocktail of walkable amenities – modern schools, community centers, parks, shopping and arts and culture offerings.

 

Meet Allison Wert, describing why after growing up in US suburbs, she and her family chose to live in downtown Vancouver after arriving from a stint in Hong Kong:

Our Episode 4, Family Ties, is all about how to attract families with children downtown.  We cover family housing, downtown schools and kid magnets, major attractions that draw families into city centers from around a metropolitan area and beyond.

 

The playground in downtown Vancouver's Emery Barnes Park is below:

 

An outdoor concert on the old locomotive turntable at the Roundhouse Community Centre in central Vancouver is below:

 

The new Seaside Elementary School is below several floors of social housing in downtown Vancouver's Coal Harbour.  It is one of three modern elementary schools in the city center – all oversubscribed – with a fourth in the works:

 

 

If you like the idea of sharing ways to help make our cities better places (such as attracting families to live downtown), join us to help complete the first four 60-minute episodes of the Saving the City series.  

 

. Why Cities Matter

. Living Downtown

. Parks & Recreation

. Family Ties

 

We're finalizing and clearing rights for hundreds of historic images and dozens of archival film clips that appear in our initial group of stories.

 

We are also working on an updated website to be released soon.

 

And, we are seeking a lead funder so we can start on our next six episodes, covering topics such as transportation, homelessness, urban universities and climate change.

 

 

Please share this newsletter with friends and family.  Our newsletter archive is here.

 

And check out our work and let us know what you think.  We're always eager to learn about new stories and be referred to people we should know about.

 

After watching Saving the City, you will never look at cities the same way again.

 

 

“Kids are the indicator species of a great neighborhood.”

 

Brent Toderian, former Chief Planner for Vancouver 

Northerly Vancouver is the birthplace of the California sushi roll, invented by Chef Hidekazu Tojo in the 1970s because local customers were hesitant to eat raw seaweed and fish.