Norm Van Eeden Petersman, director of membership and development at Strong Towns, gave an “Escaping the Housing Trap” presentation in Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 3, 2024. Watch it here.

This event is hosted by Strong Towns Vancouver

LOCATION: Vancouver Public Library, Kitsilano Branch  |  DATE: September 3, 2024

TIME: 6:30 p.m. PDT

Talk of a "housing crisis" pervades North American cities, whether it’s about off-the-charts rents in coastal cities or hyper-vacancy in the Rust Belt. These problems are symptoms of a deeper dysfunction. Over nearly a century, through often well-intended top-down policy interventions, North America has turned a complex system that should be adaptive and self-correcting into one prone to a never-ending cycle of boom-and-bust crises and overcorrections.

Addressing the dysfunction at the root of these housing problems requires a shift in approach. North America must move away from its current model, which gives large developers and centralized financial institutions unprecedented sway over what is built and where. It must move toward an antifragile housing ecosystem in which the bar to entry is low and every neighborhood can undergo incremental change over time.

This free presentation will help you understand the root causes of the housing crises and identify some rational responses that your city (and every city) can take.

Events From Strong Towns Local Conversations

Strong Towns Vancouver has partnered with Strong Towns Langley to host two separate free public talks! At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, at Camp Beer in Langley, you can attend another Strong Towns talk, “Safe and Productive Streets” — click here to learn more!