Inspired by Cities Around the World, 9 Ideas to Change Vancouver for the Better

published on January 1, 2026 by Sara Harowitz in Vancouver Magazine

There are so many great aspects of our city. One might even say that the mission of this very magazine is to talk about them. But there is plenty that we can improve on, too.

The biggest issues facing Vancouver today all trace back to one central idea: community. From affordable housing to mental health support, what we need more of are holistic, progressive approaches to taking care of our people. To inspire ourselves (and hopefully you), we scoured the globe for innovative answers to some of our most pressing problems, and then asked local experts to weigh in on what we can learn from them. These aren’t silver-bullet solutions, of course—but they do illuminate some possible paths forward…