Vancouver

People, especially newcomers, say that Vancouver is unwelcoming. Cold. Unfriendly. You can tell the problem is real when the local newspaper writes a five-part series about it.

So now that we've identified the problem, how do we fix it? What works in making a city with such a reputation lose that reputation? These are just ideas and questions, trying to find what works, especially if it doesn't cost much or the changes are small enough that everybody can make them.

• • are welcome wagons a real thing? And if they're real, do they work?

  • can individuals decide to be more friendly towards their immediate neighbours? Maybe all it takes is someone in a building (if it's an apartment/condo building or a house subdivided into suites) to organize a twice-yearly something-or-other?

  • what role does making places walkable play? That's usually on the expensive side if they're not already walkable.

  • What role does parks and gardens play? Making parks is expensive, but converting unused space into greener spaces and getting a community to maintain those spaces might help in getting us to talk to each other.

  • Stuff like in the book Social Acupuncture by Darren O'Donnell?