Vancouver Regional Matters and Urban Planning and Real Estate Development News
Hello. Welcome to my weekly newsletter of curated headlines about city building, urban planning, real estate development, transportation, economy, and other eclectic matters in the Vancouver region and from the rest of the world.
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Eric Aderneck, rpp, mpl, bcom, dule / eric@aderneck.ca / 604.721.5528 / www.LearnPlanning.ca / www.IndustrialLands.ca / www.linkedin.com/in/ericaderneck
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ECONOMY / TAXES
C1 BC Economic Briefing https://www.central1.com/pdf_files/b-c-economic-briefing-for-june-20-mls-housing-starts-business-confidence-retail-trade/
Federal deficit estimated to hit $46 billion in 2024-25 https://financialpost.com/news/federal-deficit-estimated-46-billion-2024-25-pbo
Measure Everything That Matters, not Just GDP https://cdhowe.org/publication/measure-everything-that-matters-not-just-gdp/
Canada will hike U.S. steel tariffs if it can't make a trade deal next month, Carney says https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-steel-program-1.7565873
Urgency and Caution: Charting a Careful Path to the CUSMA Review https://cdhowe.org/publication/urgency-and-caution-charting-a-careful-path-to-the-cusma-review/
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BUSINESS / JOBS
We need a grand bargain to unlock Canadian prosperity https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/opinion-we-need-a-grand-bargain-to-unlock-canadian-prosperity-10818157
We need rules to ensure on-farm processing actually has a benefit to BC agriculture https://vancouversun.com/opinion/opinion-rules-ensure-farm-processing-benefits-bc-agriculture
Job vacancies slump as tariffs push some sectors below pre-pandemic levels https://financialpost.com/news/economy/job-vacancies-slump-tariffs-pre-pandemic
Canada's youth job market 'in dire straits,' economist says https://financialpost.com/news/economy/canadas-youth-job-market-in-dire-straits
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HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
Homebuilding must nearly double over next decade to restore affordability, says CMHC https://financialpost.com/real-estate/cmhc-says-homebuilding-must-double-affordability
Government needs to act, as BC developers can't build rental housing if the numbers don't work https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-rental-housing-bold-action-opinion
Vancouver’s ‘social housing initiative’ calls for 20-storey towers across city https://www.westerninvestor.com/real-estate/vancouvers-social-housing-initiative-calls-for-20-storey-towers-across-city-10829815
How the Government Built the American Dream House https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/how-the-government-built-the-american-dream-house
The Trouble With QUIMBY https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/135041-trouble-quimby
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RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
What Would A G7 of Housing Look Like? https://storeys.com/g7-summit-housing-crisis/
Not A Bubble, But A Bottleneck. How Boomers Still Control Canada’s Housing Market https://storeys.com/boomer-bottleneck-canadian-housing-market/
'Disappointing at best': Vancouver real estate prices falling, but sales slow https://vancouversun.com/news/disappointing-at-best-vancouver-real-estate-prices-falling-but-sales-slow
Bryan Yu: Metro Vancouver home sales tick up but market still stuck in slump https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/metro-vancouver-home-sales-tick-up-but-market-still-stuck-in-slump-10825118
Faith Wilson Vancouver Area Real Estate Market Analysis May 2025 https://faithwilson.com/may-2025-vancouver-area-real-estate-market-analysis/
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
How undervaluation of Vancouver sites could cost millions in property taxes https://www.westerninvestor.com/national-business/how-undervaluation-of-vancouver-sites-could-cost-millions-in-property-taxes-10798516
Buyers seek value in farmland as uncertainties persist https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-columbia/buyers-seek-value-in-farmland-as-uncertainties-persist-10751112
Bid To Take Over Thind's District Northwest Collapses As Presale Buyers Back Out https://storeys.com/thind-district-northwest-bm-group-presale-purchasers/
Major Vancouver-based real estate developer announces 'difficult' layoffs https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/wesgroup-properties-vancouver-layoffs
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BUILDING / DEVELOPMENT
Why Vancouver City Council Approved The Commercial-Broadway Safeway Project https://storeys.com/vancouver-approves-commercial-broadway-safeway-redevelopment/
'What are we building for?': Aiming to boost development, Vancouver may delay amenity, infrastructure upgrades https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/looking-boost-development-vancouver-considers-allowing-developers-delay-levies
Why good family homes aren't getting built in Vancouver https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/why-good-family-homes-arent-getting-built-in-vancouver
Prefab momentum grows in BC as federal housing push takes shape https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/prefab-momentum-grows-in-bc-as-federal-housing-push-takes-shape-10790774
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URBAN PLANNING
The world’s most liveable cities in 2025 https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/06/16/the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-in-2025
'At a reckoning point': City of Vancouver to defer fees paid by developers to prevent new housing slowdown https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-development-cac-fees-deferral-housing-supply-slowdown-josh-white
Vancouver could see 'real impacts on service levels' with budget-tightening: Internal memo https://vancouversun.com/news/real-impacts-on-service-levels-city-of-vancouver-budget
What frequent and costly natural disasters mean for Canada’s economy https://www.rbc.com/en/thought-leadership/economics/featured-insights/what-frequent-and-costly-natural-disasters-mean-for-canadas-economy
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TRANSPORTATION
The Mobility-Productivity Paradox https://www.vtpi.org/ITED_paradox.pdf
A new trade paradigm: How shifts in trade corridors could affect business https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/geopolitics/our-insights/a-new-trade-paradigm-how-shifts-in-trade-corridors-could-affect-business
Hops on the line: TransLink launches its own craft beer https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-beer-patina-brewing
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RESOURCES / ENVIRONMENT
How Planners Can Help Cut Corporate Carbon https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/135026-how-planners-can-help-cut-corporate-carbon
Construction of BC Hydro's North Coast Transmission Line set to begin next year https://www.terracestandard.com/news/construction-of-bc-hydros-north-coast-transmission-line-set-to-begin-next-year-8054909
Alberta premier says province is looking to entice private-sector pipeline builder https://www.biv.com/news/alberta-premier-says-province-is-looking-to-entice-private-sector-pipeline-builder-10794948
We don’t need climate-change NGOs telling us where to live https://financialpost.com/opinion/dont-need-climate-change-ngos-telling-where-live?tbref=hp
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INDUSTRIAL / MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing is Crucial to BC economy but policy is falling short https://www.theorca.ca/business/opinion-manufacturing-is-crucial-to-bc-economy-but-policy-is-falling-short-10831430
Industrial REITs Positioned for Growth Once Uncertainty Clears https://www.reit.com/news/articles/industrial-reits-positioned-for-growth-once-uncertainty-clears
Coquitlam’s new industrial strata to fuel Tri-Cities business growth https://www.biv.com/sponsored/coquitlam-industrial-strata-to-fuel-tri-cities-business-growth-10809695
Why Canada’s largest battery project is an energy gamechanger https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/article-why-canadas-largest-battery-project-is-an-energy-gamechanger/
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SHOPPING / HOSPITALITY
BC retail remains resilient despite ongoing disruption https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/bc-retail-remains-resilient-despite-ongoing-disruption-10824875
Retailers are in trouble and there's more to come: insolvency, restructuring experts https://www.biv.com/news/retail-manufacturing/retailers-are-in-trouble-and-theres-more-to-come-insolvency-restructuring-experts-10826379
BC alters tourism strategy to attract off-peak visitors https://www.biv.com/news/hospitality-marketing-tourism/bc-rebrands-its-provincial-tourism-strategy-10830918
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OFFICE WORK
Vacancy gap between AAA, lower office classes a record 890 BPS https://renx.ca/gap-between-aaa-office-assets-and-others-is-widening
Banks, if you want staff back in offices, give them proper offices to go back to https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-banks-offices-working-from-home-wfh-big-six/
Hybrid still isn’t working https://hbr.org/2025/07/hybrid-still-isnt-working
Is Your Flexible Schedule Burning You Out? https://hbr.org/2025/06/is-your-flexible-schedule-burning-you-out
Are business leaders doing enough to hire and promote young talent? https://financialpost.com/fp-work/business-leaders-doing-enough-hire-promote-young-talent
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POLITICS / PEOPLE
The allure of autarky https://aeon.co/essays/isolationism-isnt-new-and-is-fuelled-by-deep-human-desires
Canada’s worst terrorist attack: Air India families still feel anguish and frustration 40 years later https://vancouversun.com/feature/air-india-bombing-40th-anniversary-canada-terrorist-attack
Vancouver's Trutch Street is now šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. Not everyone is happy https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vancouver-trutch-street-not-everyone-is-happy
Canada’s on track to meet lower immigration targets https://www.rbc.com/en/thought-leadership/economics/featured-insights/canadas-on-track-to-meet-lower-immigration-targets
Justin Trudeau Lost the Plot. Now He’s Looking for a New One https://thewalrus.ca/justin-trudeau-lost-the-plot-now-hes-looking-for-a-new-one/
Why police forces serving multiple towns are breaking up in BC https://vancouversun.com/news/why-police-forces-serving-multiple-towns-breaking-up-bc
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