Courtney McLaughlin
Courtney McLaughlin holds an undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. An avid traveler, her interests are public space modification in Canadian cities and sustainable urban planning. As an aspiring landscape architect, Courtney is particularly fascinated by the interplay of landscape architecture, public space, and urban power structures. During her time writing for The Grid, Courtney reported on urban developments in Vancouver, a city frequently named one of the world’s “most liveable” urban locations. Her blog posts explored how this title has been maintained through sustainable and accessible urban design decisions that pride themselves on community engagement.
Courtney McLaughlin: A Farewell to Global Site Plans and The Grid
by Courtney McLaughlin
They say that when something is meant to be, you begin to see signs of it everywhere; life begins to push you in the direction you are supposed to go. I can certainly attest to this phenomenon in my experience with ur... Read article
Unleashing Economic Potential with Public Transit: The Future of Vancouver, British Columbia’s Broadway Corridor
by Courtney McLaughlin
Is rapid transit a key factor to unleashing a city’s economic potential? A new report from accounting giant KPMG indicates that this is certainly the case for Vancouver, British Columbia’s Broadway Corridor. The Corridor... Read article
Will Evergreen Mean Forever Green for Metro Vancouver? Transit Accessibility in British Columbia’s Largest Urban Centre
by Courtney McLaughlin
Vancouver, British Columbia consistently ranks as one of the "most livable" cities in the world. However, what is frequently ignored about Canada’s most livable city are the multiple suburb municipalities that surround i... Read article
Democratizing Urban Design: A Public Square for Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia
by Courtney McLaughlin
Vancouver, British Columbia can only be described as picturesque; mountain framed and seaside, the city begs to be photographed and experienced by tourists and locals alike. Along with the gorgeous scenery and temperate ... Read article
Taking to the Street: Redefining Public Space in Vancouver, British Columbia
by Courtney McLaughlin
How can city streets be better used to create a sense of community and engage locals in conversations about public space? That’s the question that The Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN), a grassroots organization ... Read article
Riding Towards Sustainability: Vancouver, British Columbia’s Canada Line and the Growing Pains of the Cambie Corridor
by Courtney McLaughlin
Just months prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver authorities proudly announced the opening of "The Canada Line," Canada’s only fixed link between a major city and its international airport. The rapid transit trai... Read article
Floating Cities and CO2 Glass: Landscape Futures of The BLDGBLOG Book
by Courtney McLaughlin
Ultimately, the real strength of The BLDGBLOG Book is Geoff Manaugh’s skills as a compelling storyteller. As Manaugh delves into the world of Landscape Futures in the fifth and final chapter of his book, the reader is si... Read article
Where Past Meets Future: Revitalizing Vancouver, British Columbia’s Chinatown Neighborhood
by Courtney McLaughlin
Chinatown is one of Vancouver, British Columbia’s original four neighborhoods. Located at the neck of the downtown peninsula, the district holds particular historical and cultural importance. In the past several decades ... Read article
Compassionate Design for Social Change: Vancouver’s Oppenheimer Park
by Courtney McLaughlin
Although frequently ignored in mainstream discourse, the City of Vancouver, British Columbia sits on unceded First Nations’ land. Years of systematic neglect have transformed Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, now called ... Read article
Daylighting an Urban Stream: The Still Creek Enhancement Project in Vancouver, Canada
by Courtney McLaughlin
Often nicknamed the “City of Glass” for its towering downtown condominiums, it is hard to imagine that Vancouver, British Columbia used to be a dense cedar and hemlock forest hosting one of the most active above-ground w... Read article
Making Changes at the Core: Transforming Vancouver, Canada’s Viaduct System
by Courtney McLaughlin
At the eastern edge of downtown Vancouver, Canada remains the elevated viaducts of a freeway system that never came to be. In the 1960s, after a display of public engagement that has become legend in Vancouver, a propose... Read article
Playing for Greener Streets in Vancouver, Canada
by Courtney McLaughlin
By 2020 all residents of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada will live within a five-minute walk of a park, greenway, or other green space. This goal may seem far-fetched but the creators of Vancouver’s Greenest City ... Read article
Ten Steps for Developing the World’s Greenest City
by Courtney McLaughlin
What does it take to become the world’s greenest city? Officials in Canada’s west coast city of Vancouver, British Columbia think they have the answer and plan to achieve this status by 2020. Using a variety of trans... Read article