By Erick Villagomez
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UCS #124 – Past & Future?
The © Urban Cartoon Syndicate was launched in May 2024, jointly with Spacing Vancouver. Published roughly weekly by a group of cartoonists and...
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Winning Is Not Governing
Four years ago, ABC Vancouver won a commanding majority at City Hall. This October, voters elected a very different government, leaving ABC with just one...
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When Is Power Enough?
David Eby already had what most politicians spend their careers trying to acquire. He was premier of British Columbia. His party held a majority in the...
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When Zero Doesn’t Mean Zero
Recently, a family member told me about a survey they participated in concerning municipal taxation. The questions gradually worked toward a familiar...
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City Primer — Part 6: Why Civic Literacy Matters
Most people do not spend much time thinking about municipal government. They think about finding housing, getting to work, walking their children to...
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City Primer — Part 5: Why Municipal Politics Feels So Broken
A public hearing runs late into the evening. Dozens of residents take turns speaking. Some support the proposal. Others oppose it. City staff present...
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City Primer — Part 4: Why Cities Are Always Short of Money
Many residents assume cities operate financially in roughly the same way as provincial or federal governments. They don’t. Municipal governments are...
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City Primer — Part 3: Why Housing Dominates Municipal Politics
It’s possible to attend a Vancouver City Council meeting and come away with the impression that municipal government exists almost entirely to debate...
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City Primer — Part 2 – How Cities Actually Make Decisions
Many residents encounter municipal government for the first time when a controversial proposal appears in their neighbourhood. A rezoning sign goes up on...
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City Primer — Part 1 – What Is Municipal Government?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Vancouver is in the midst of profound urban change. Housing costs, population growth, transportation investments, climate adaptation...
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Minority Rules, Revisited: Who Actually Votes with Whom?
Last April, shortly after Vancouver’s by-election, I turned the result into a game. It was admittedly a geeky one. Going into the by-election, ABC...
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What Makes a Village?
I recently found myself wandering Commercial Drive, reading between its pulsing cafés and restaurants. An empty storefront. Another. A familiar music...