TEAM for a Livable Vancouver Information

TEAM for a Livable Vancouver was formed in August 2021 by people of all political backgrounds who hoped to create a more neighbourhood-friendly City Hall that would honour electors’ decisive vote for change in the 2018 election. We chose the name TEAM because we were inspired by the insights and legacies of The Electors’ Action Movement (T.E.A.M.), the party that brought residents together in 1968 to save Strathcona, Chinatown, Gastown and Vancouver’s waterfront from a freeway system. Then, City Hall bureaucrats badly underestimated the desire of residents to have meaningful involvement in the face and future of their city. We are feeling a similar disconnect today. We believe Vancouver residents want thriving, livable neighbourhoods for ourselves and newcomers and that, if City Hall listens to us, there is still time to reverse many of the problems that have developed over the past decade. TEAM will be a voice for all neighbourhoods. We can: Start valuing the contributions of neighbourhood organizations and commit to genuine consultation with residents instead of surveys and workshops aimed at getting pre-determined results Start prioritizing the types of housing that residents say they want and need in order to manage the housing crunch, instead of promoting building to maximize developer profits Establish an evidence-driven City Hall that will make better decisions, both financially and in planning for the future Overhaul policies that make doing business more expensive and lead to closed shops and services Stop taking on senior governments’ responsibilities and focus on core municipal ones such as the streets, sidewalks and parks that make a comfortable, functioning city Reverse the downward trajectory of community safety with initiatives aimed at easing the fear and despair in our streets that are backed by research and funded appropriately Be realistic about Vancouver’s contribution to climate change and ensure mitigation measures.