Boozy strip clubs, late bars and cannabis dens came seemingly out of nowhere in this article. Converting offices to housing would ALSO create more consumption and drive crime down, feet and eyes on the street are key. The red light district envisioned here doesn’t seem like anywhere anyone but the 15-30 yo set would frequent, and Seattle desperately needs housing for seniors, families and workers to thrive.

Vancouver doesn't have a giant freeway running through its downtown, which is very helpful.

Was this meant to be taken seriously?

Hilarious! But by no means wholly ridiculous. This is why I read The Stranger.

I used to live in downtown Vancouver, and it was indeed pleasant. In 2020, I moved to a suburb, because it seemed silly to continue paying a premium (being relatively poor, I rent) for proximity to amenities - restaurants, theaters, etc. - that were no longer usable, thanks to COVID-19. However, I plan to move back.

And yes, per commenter DOUG, not having a freeway running through it is a plus for downtown Vancouver. Of course, driving there is painful, but that's just one of the many reasons to avoid driving anywhere. Downtown Vancouver is compact enough that one can easily walk its perimeter in an afternoon - I've done it. And there are plenty of buses.

Seems that Charles may have dipped a little too heavily into the cannabis himself when he was trying to cobble together a point.

There's an app for that.

So the key to saving downtown is the exploitation of women? Am I reading The Onion?

This all makes perfect sense to writers at the Stranger, whose entire participation in the local economy takes place in strip clubs, dive bars, cannabis shops, and comic-book stores. (Their admissions to theatres, galleries, etc. are all via tickets comped to media outlets.) Any other use of the city is lost on them.