Walkable Communities

The main objective of this project is to help the City of Vancouver gain an understanding of what a “walkable community” means from the perspective of Millennials ages 20-34, and identify key aspects of such communities that the City of Vancouver should incorporate into its 30-year ‘Vancouver Plan’. By 2030, the City of Vancouver hopes 90% of people are living within an easy walk and roll of their daily needs.

In the research process, we conducted in-depth interviews with industry professionals (such as planning technicians, developers, and personal realtors) and members of the Millennial target market. Furthermore, an online survey of 887 Millennials was conducted.

This research determined and measured what a walkable community means to Millennials, what they value in the neighbourhoods they live in, and what they define as key aspects, features and amenities of a walkable community. Key insights from the survey found that a majority of Millennials are willing to reduce their impact on the environment. Additionally, Millennials were most concerned about the safety and high living costs in walkable communities and would choose to not live in one because of high density and crime near transit hubs. For a majority of respondents, having sports clubs, public parks, plazas, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, drug stores, walking paths and public transit are key amenities when choosing a neighbourhood to live in.

After analyzing the concerns about the environment, neighbourhood choices, walkable communities and its important facilities, we recommend that the City of Vancouver continues moving forward with the development of walkable communities as there is strong support among Millennials. The City of Vancouver must establish lines of communication with Millennials and overcome the key barriers to living in a walkable community comfortably (such as safety, costs and high density).