February 8, 2019

Diamond Schmitt Architects hosted a forum on sustainable cities, comparing Vancouver and London’s goals and challenges. The exchange, part of New London Architecture’s International Dialogue series, presented expert panelists in both cities with audiences contributing to the discussion.

Don Schmitt chaired the Vancouver presentation, which was held at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, a recent Diamond Schmitt project. Panelists included (pictured) Gil Kelley, general manager of planning, urban design and sustainability at the City of Vancouver, Concert Properties chief sustainability officer Dave Ramslie, author and journalist Hadani Ditmars, Don Schmitt, principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects, and Fast + Epp founder Paul Fast. 

Housing affordability, transportation infrastructure, and urban form are impacting sustainable design narratives in both centres. The two cities also expect rapid population growth with limited land on which to expand. Panelists spoke to current projects in development, the embrace of mass timber as a sustainable building material, and the need to retrofit existing building stock.

The Journal of Commerce reported on the event. You can read the story here.