Transit Vote Pivotal for Vancouver's Economic Health

At the recent Global Cities Summit in San Diego, Brookings Institution's Bruce Katz spoke about the driving force behind economic development in global cities. His conclusion was clear: a networked city with seamless transportation infrastructure is key to attracting and retaining talent, capital and business.

Hearing this reminded me of how fortunate we are to already have one of the most liveable, accessible downtown cores in North America. With voting on the transit referendum already underway, it also reminded me of how easy it is, whether strolling through Gastown or biking around Stanley Park, to forget about the decisions that were made to create it.

In a rarely referenced decision, an unlikely alliance of Vancouver residents joined together in the early 1970s to protest the construction of a freeway through the heart of downtown. That visionary decision, and many others, have led to the positive outcomes that I see through my work every day.

The decisions to preserve Stanley Park, host Expo '86 and the 2010 Olympic Games established Vancouver as a forward-thinking destination for significant investments from global giants such as Sony, Amazon, Twitter, SAP, Microsoft, Samsung, Nordstrom and many more. These companies have told me why they chose to locate in Vancouver: we're a smart, connected, 21st century city -- one that is a hotbed of creativity and talent, a city that has designed around its natural beauty and one that has chosen to invest wisely in its public infrastructure.

Investments of this scale lead to huge tax revenues, boost wage levels and provide outstanding job opportunities in today's knowledge economy. Other cities know this, and are rapidly trying to emulate Vancouver's advantages with staggering investments in municipal infrastructure. On transit alone, Seattle is spending $18 billion, London $25 billion, Singapore $25 billion, Paris $30 billion, New York City $33 billion and Toronto $50 billion to boost their connectivity, and with it, their economic appeal.

In this global competition for talent, investment and ideas, in which infrastructure investment is increasingly determining the winners, Vancouver has done incredibly well so far. With the proposed $7.5-billion infrastructure investment, the Mayors' Plan on transit is essential to simply keep us in the race.

A history of visionaries

Decisions about development are never easy. It's difficult to see long-term benefits over short-term costs. When the Canada Line was first proposed, many were apprehensive about its costs, and questioned the need for it. In 2014, the line celebrated its 200 millionth passenger, just five years after construction, and now 120,000 people ride it each weekday -- well exceeding forecasts. Could anyone in Vancouver now imagine our city without it?

Fortunately, Vancouver has a history of visionaries seeing the bigger picture. At the time of the eight-lane freeway proposal, residents of Gastown, Strathcona and other neighbourhoods stood up to proponents who also warned about lost economic revenue. Those residents knew what was proclaimed in San Diego last week: enhancing a city's liveability enhances its long-term economic health.

We face another decision right now with the transit referendum, and it's even more pivotal than the downtown freeway proposal. Unlike with that decision though, Metro Vancouverites this time have the chance to vote for, instead of simply against something. That's an enormous opportunity, and one that I hope we will seize.