This is the oldest big-city neighbourhood in British Columbia; construction of the tight pattern of residential towers began in 1957.  People said it was the most densely-populated patch of ground in the Commonwealth outside of Hong Kong.  More than 40,000 people live here now; more than half of these get by without a motor vehicle.

40,000 makes for a big urban village — maybe it’s two villages, or three, but the entire area feels like a single walkable piece to me, once you move away from Burrard or Georgia, which form the eastern and northern boundaries of the West End. Continue reading →