Citizen City focuses on the latent potential of cross-sector
partnerships among private developers, non-profits and various levels of
government in attempting to harness a portion of the wealth created in
the real estate development process to achieve socially valuable urban
planning goals: meeting the needs of the community's most vulnerable
members, providing affordable housing and creating community amenities
to promote a vibrant urban culture.
The book highlights the success and failures of such partnerships with
case studies of ten Vancouver, BC, building projects. The projects
combine the strengths of Henriquez Partners Architects and Collaborators
from all sectors, and are in varying stages of development from concept
to completion. It is hoped that the lessons of these cross-sector
partnerships will aid the creation of a more vibrant, just,
community-oriented city--a Citizen City--and continue to improve
Vancouver. Additionally, these important projects may help guide other
North American cities towards a more just existence.
Citizen City will also touch on the role of the design community as
thought leaders and relationship builders, and contains a provocative
interview with Gregory Henriquez challenging a new generation of
architects towards greater civic engagement.