Vancouver
"The Greenest City"
Bordered by the Coast Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is a coastal harbour city in British Columbia, Canada, and recognized as one of the world's most liveable cities with one of the smallest carbon footprints of any major city in North America. Greater Vancouver is the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada and most populous in Western Canada with over 2.37 million residents. Tourism is the second-largest industry thanks to the nature surrounding the urban centre of Vancouver. Tourists visit famous parks (e.g.: Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, VanDusen), the mountains, ocean and forest. Over a million people pass through Vancouver on cruise ship vacations to go to Alaska. Vancouver has a temperate climate and is one of the warmest Canadian cities. The city hosted many international conferences and events, such as Expo 86, or lately the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Games. The legacies of hosting this world event are important in terms of sport facilities, public transit, green building and arts and culture
In terms of economy and business, Vancouver has Canada’s largest and most diversified port trading $75 billion in goods with over 130 different economies annually. Its activities generate $10.5 billion in gross domestic product and $22 billion in economic output. The Port of Vancouver generates 30,100 direct jobs through its activities, and is also the world hub for Canadian shipping company, Asia Pacific Marine Container Lines. Vancouver has an important film industry, centre for software development, biotechnology, forest products and mining companies.
The City of Vancouver was one of the first cities in Canada to enter into an international sister cities arrangement. Special arrangements for cultural, social and economic benefits have been created. Vancouver is already sister city with two cities in Ecuador: Quito (in 1956) and Latacunga (2005).
In 2007, the City of Vancouver received an award for being the greenest city among cities with a population of at least 100,000 inhabitants in the province of British Columbia. In addition, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Vancouver as the second greenest city in North America, and the greenest city in Canada. In February 2009 Gregor Robertson launched the "Greenest City Initiative," with the goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020.
The City of Vancouver was one of the first cities in Canada to enter into an international sister cities arrangement. Special arrangements for cultural, social and economic benefits have been created. Vancouver is already sister city with two cities in Ecuador: Quito (in 1956) and Latacunga (2005).
In 2007, the City of Vancouver received an award for being the greenest city among cities with a population of at least 100,000 inhabitants in the province of British Columbia. In addition, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Vancouver as the second greenest city in North America, and the greenest city in Canada. In February 2009 Gregor Robertson launched the "Greenest City Initiative," with the goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020.
