Politics
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The Singapore Chronicles: The Politics of Preservation
Singapore’s skyline is constantly in motion. Construction cranes and hoardings are as much part of the visual identity of the city as its heritage...
By Erick Villagomez -
The Singapore Chronicles: City of Intentions
To understand contemporary Singapore, we have to understand key aspects of its history—divided here into “Four Acts.” This will be our starting point...
By Erick Villagomez -
The Singapore Chronicles: Introduction
Singapore often appears as a paradox—both widely admired and deeply critiqued. It is a city-state that epitomizes precision and planning, where efficiency...
By Erick Villagomez -
On Taxes, Exemptions, Loopholes, and Reversals: A System Built for Speculation
In British Columbia, ordinary homeowners pay annual property taxes—and when they buy a home, they pay Property Transfer Tax. In recent years, the Province...
By Erick Villagomez -
UCS #62: Vancouver Plans for High Density #4: The Broadway Plan Park
See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings: Following...
By Urban Cartoon Syndicate -
Rip the bandage off rapidly, please
There’s a glaring irony about the city’s messily disintegrating priority bus lane plan, which landed at executive committee yesterday...
By John Lorinc -
What, me worry? Yes you should, mayor
In a sit-down Q&A with The Globe and Mail‘s editorial board published over the weekend, Mayor Olivia Chow swatted aside concerns about whether...
By John Lorinc -
The Slow Emergency
The crisis in Vancouver’s housing system isn’t explosive—it’s quiet, procedural, and often disguised as progress. Recently made public, the Broadway...
By Erick Villagomez -
UCS #59: What’s a Waste of Money?
See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings: Hosting...
By Urban Cartoon Syndicate -
LORINC: What’s so scary about six-plexes?
When I look out my office window, trying to think up a lede, I find myself staring at the grey-stuccoed side-wall of a house kitty corner to mine, which...
By John Lorinc -
Understanding the elusiveness of Smart Cities
As Canadian cities strive to navigate rapid urbanization, climate change, and digital disruption, “smart city” strategies have emerged as a popular, and...
By Zachary Spicer -
Entitled to Flip
In Vancouver today, rezoning doesn’t necessarily mean building. Increasingly, it means something else: securing entitlements — legal permissions that...
By Erick Villagomez