Could it be true? Could Vancouver really be … cool? Might the erstwhile “Vantucky” really be hip and creative and energetic, crackling with youthful exuberance?
That was the premise of a recent article by Columbian reporter Scott Hewitt, who examined Vancouver’s changing ethos and changing culture as the city has transformed from one that not that long ago had a downtown dominated by a large brewery. That, as much as anything, reflects the metamorphosis of Vancouver over the past couple decades: Large breweries are not cool; microbreweries define cool.
So, is Vancouver cool? Webster’s says that “cool” can mean many different things, including “moderately cold.” While that might be applicable most days of the year in Vancouver’s case, for the purposes of this discussion we’ll stick with “very good; excellent; all right; fashionable; hip.”
“Companies want to locate here, families want to move here, artists want to create here, entrepreneurs want to invest here, and bicyclers can bike here,” Mayor Tim Leavitt said. “Ambition, arts and culture, community spirit and inclusiveness make Vancouver cooler now than ever before.”
But you needn’t rely upon the mayor’s opinion to gauge Vancouver’s cool factor. Consider: Esther Short Park was named one of 2013’s Ten Great Public Spaces by the American Planning Association; Vancouver was ranked No. 96 on Livability.com’s list of best places to live — out of 1,700 small and midsized cities; Livability.com also ranked the downtown library second among best libraries for children; and Vancouver ranked 14th on Amazon’s 2013 list of America’s best-read cities.
Yes, Vancouver has more than its share of cool, driven in the past 15 years by the rebuilding of downtown, with Esther Short Park as the centerpiece and new construction on all sides of the public square. There’s a new library; there’s a vibrant farmers market; the Vancouver City Council has declared a portion of downtown to be an “arts district.” As Portlander Keith Picone told Hewitt, “I have really changed my mind about Vancouver. It has impressed me more than I would have expected. Downtown is kind of cool, in a limited sort of way.”
Which brings up the overriding questions: Why should we care? And is Vancouver in danger of becoming obsessed with cool to the detriment of accomplishment, like its neighbor to the south? As Joel Kotkin wrote last year for Forbes, “Looking across the country, it is clear that industrial expansion has been a key element in boosting some of our most successful local economies. The large metro areas with the most momentum in expanding their manufacturing sectors also rank highly on our list of the cities that are generating the most jobs overall.”
As with anything, this will require balance and moderation on the part of local leaders. Creativity and “cool” can coexist with manufacturing and industry, and a broadbased economy is crucial for sustainability. But the growth of any sector — such as the proposal for an oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver — must be weighed against the potential costs.
For now, Vancouver is enjoying a renaissance period. The city has worked to develop a reputation for being friendly to artists and entrepreneurs, and that has created an energy that permeates the downtown core. “What we have going on over here is equally as exciting as anything on the other side of the river,” said Mel Sanders of Cover to Cover Books.
All of that has transformed Vancouver from “Vantucky” to “the Couv” — and we think that’s pretty cool.
