Vancouver Would Be Cooler If is a column that advocates for things that exist in other cities that could serve to improve or otherwise celebrate life in our own.

(via) Smart (or grandfathered) zoning can be a silver bullet in creating and sustaining vibrant neighbourhoods that aren’t boxed in by heavily-trafficked commercial high streets. This is why so many European cities (and a handful of notably awesome urban enclaves in North America) are the envy of the world when it comes to true liveability. Not Just Bikes explains in this short video:

“The pockets of retail & restaurants dotted throughout residential neighbourhoods in the Netherlands bring a liveliness and utility to the neighbourhood – and even help solve traffic congestion. Learn how this kind of urban design has been illegal in most of the US and Canada for a century, and why it should be brought back.”