VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood is expected to grow but the question is, will it grow “up” or “out”?

With the public hearing for the controversial 19-storey RIZE development expected to resume next week, the Residents Association of Mount Pleasant is hosting a forum tonight to look at alternatives to towers.

RAMP is opposed to the proposed housing complex on Kingsway and Broadway and that’s why they are bringing in a panel of experts specializing in dense developments that are smaller in stature.

Urban Design Expert Lewis Villegas will make a presentation called “The Density Fallacy.”

He argues you don’t need to build towers to get density. “There is this idea that has been growing at City Hall really for 20 years or more that density requires a certain amount of height. Actually that’s only true if you measure density by a building by building basis.”

“If we look at some of the most popular and long lasting neighbourhoods across North America we find out that just using four storey and build throughout the neighbourhoods, they achieve the same overall density as tower neighbourhoods that we have built here in Vancouver,” adds Villegas.

He believes highrises are fine as long as they are contained to the downtown core and not spread out and four storey housing developments promote a more neighbourhood friendly environment.   

Villegas adds row townhouse developments work in places like Halifax, Quebec City, and Cabbagetown in Toronto.

The”Can we build high density neighbourhoods without building towers?” forum is happening at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall on Main Street near 13th Street at 6:45 p.m.