Krishna Pendakur is Professor of Economics at SFU. He studies the measurement of well-being, poverty, discrimination, and economic inequality. He recently won the John Rae Prize, awarded to the Canadian economist with the best research record for the last five years.
I support Russil Wvong because he is smart, efficient and energetic, and because he understands that attaining affordable housing for everyone requires both publicly funded housing and very substantial private sector building.
Gordon Price served on Vancouver city council for six terms, from 1986 to 2002. He frequently writes and speaks on urban issues, transportation, and regional politics. He served as Director of SFU’s City Program until 2016. His blog is Viewpoint Vancouver (formerly Price Tags).
Every time a civic election comes around, I look to see if there are any candidates like me. Or at least the Gordon Price I was in 1986 when I first ran for Council. Ambitious enough, just naïve enough, with roots in the community and ideas in the rhetoric.
I look for someone who really does love the Vancouver they grew up in, and wants to preserve the best of what we are by accommodating the best kind of change we can plan for.
Okay, no one lives up to that. But some come close.
Russil Wvong does. The man has studied this town and its political roots. He was raised here, married here, has kids here, works here. He’s what I call ‘West Pacific’ – the Vancouver that emerged, half and half from east and west, in the post-Expo city. He’s that kind of Vancouverite.
He bikes comfortably around Vancouver. And you know what a good indicator that is.
In dialogue, he both listens and can respond with respectful argument. (Most of us are good at just one or the other.)
In my judgment he’s authentically ready for public service.
I don’t have to always agree with him to know I’d still vote for him.
On Twitter, Michael Mortensen:
Gordon Price offers a nice shout out for some incumbent City Councillors I really like, and support for @russilwvong (my old neighbour) who I think is one of THE MOST THOUGHTFUL minds in the Metro housing debate. Russil gets my vote.
Other than Christine Boyle, Kennedy Stewart was the most reliable housing vote on council. And he's assembled a great team. I particularly recommend @russilwvong and @DulcyAnderson.
Russil is able to communicate the severity of the city's housing shortage with patience and empathy.
Dulcy has a track record of working closely with people to solve their issues and make a difference.
All of Forward's candidates are strong, but I am confident Russil and Dulcy will act boldly to set Vancouver on a positive direction.
A reading list for new members of Vancouver city council.
Joseph Heath, The Machinery of Government: Public Administration and the Liberal State (2021). Describes the interaction between elected officials and the permanent civil service.
Alain Bertaud, Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities (2018). Bertaud is an urban planner. He describes the basics of urban land economics, and how they’re often neglected in urban planning.
William Fischel, Zoning Rules!: The Economics of Land Use Regulation (2015). Fischel is an economist who’s been studying local government and land use for decades.
Larry Beasley, Vancouverism (2019). Beasley and Ann McAfee served as co-directors of planning for the city of Vancouver from 1994 to 2006. Beasley describes the urbanist principles which guided the transformation of Vancouver’s downtown core during this period, as well as the origins of today’s planning and approval practices.