City of Swiss-style hill villages envisioned here

Soaring food and fuel prices will make current planning model obsolete, architect says

METRO VANCOUVER – Sky-high fuel and food prices will eventually make Metro Vancouver’s current planning model of suburban communities linked by gas-guzzling highways economically obsolete.

So says Vancouver architect Richard Balfour who believes the region’s future should resemble Switzerland rather than Los Angeles.


Balfour argues that Metro Vancouver should begin creating Swiss-style hill villages linked by rail rather than towns on flood plains and valleys connected by pavement.

This is what regional sustainability will require in the coming era of escalating oil prices, climate change and mass migration, says Balfour, a member of the Metro Vancouver Planning Coalition, an ad-hoc group of people concerned about urban issues.

Vancouver Sun