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Episode Summary
Andmar is shaping a new way to live through smarter transportation and better connections.
Episode Description
Smart transportation planning is a cornerstone of Andmar's vision for building a vibrant, connected community. In this episode of Behind the Design: From Yaletown to Andmar, host Jennifer-Lee sits down with Lon LaClaire, General Manager of Engineering Services for the City of Vancouver, to dive into how modern infrastructure—from bike lanes and walkable neighborhoods to expanded transit options—will power Andmar's future. They explore why giving residents real choices in how they move not only supports sustainability but creates a richer, more flexible lifestyle. At Andmar, it's about blending innovation, accessibility, and urban energy into a community designed for the way people truly want to live.
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[00:00:00] Jennifer-Lee: Welcome to Behind the Design from Yaletown to Andmar. This new podcast is gonna follow the journey of the new development Andmar inspired by Vancouver's Yaletown's history, Andmar blends sustainability, innovation, and luxury. We have so many conversations about how a development like Andmar gets built, what is lease land and what is it gonna be like to live in this thriving community? So let's get started.
[00:00:27] Welcome back to Behind the Design, Andmar to Yaletown. I am Jennifer-Lee. Uh, today we're talking about transportation in a city. It's so important for any city to have any type of transportation, but we never really think about how it really shapes the places that we live in.
[00:01:09] Lon LaClaire: I'm good. I'm good.
[00:02:04] Lon LaClaire: Well, it's probably one of the most important pieces, uh, of, of a successful city. Um, what's it mean to a city with, without it, you actually don't gain the benefit of a city.
[00:03:30] Jennifer-Lee: Yeah, and well and small town does have their merit and I think a lot of them want to expand.
[00:05:45] Jennifer-Lee: So I was like, oh, finally I get to nerd out with somebody about transportation because it's so important.
[00:05:45] Lon LaClaire: And, and absolutely. And in the influence of a, of a large city too, the smaller cities start to have a lot of the same benefits of the big city.
[00:07:11] Lon LaClaire: For sure. Uh, I mean, I grew up in the Valley, so, I like, uh, I was kinda did my high school in Mission, so I'm really familiar with the Valley. But I think that the reason that the, uh, transit future for the Fraser Valley is so bright is because it's linear.
[00:10:05] Lon LaClaire: Yeah. No, the only way that in, uh, a growing city and region like ours where you have a chance of not having chronic congestion is actually to invest in transit. It's a, it's so fundamental.
[00:15:13] Lon LaClaire: I'd likely say actually, that growing population of those that chose not to, chose not to own a car or even choose not to give a driver's license, uh, they do wanna go to these places.
[00:17:27] Jennifer-Lee: There's something else that's kind of coming into play more and I see them more and, and, you know, they're a little bit controversial, but I see a lot of people in Vancouver use them. And, uh, even in New York, I saw them hauling like little trailers for businesses. But electric bikes are becoming a more popular thing.
[00:18:14] Lon LaClaire: Yeah, no, I think that that's like a, a, a new consideration that's really affected cycling design because it's, it's probably even with the eCargo bikes, um, the right place for them is the, the separated bike light.
[00:21:03] Jennifer-Lee: Well, I just love the fact that I'm seeing, like I said, in the States, even here at home, more companies using electric bikes opposed to just, you know, I think people thought, oh, this is great for people that maybe need to get somewhere faster.
[00:23:03] Jennifer-Lee: And, and touching on your background, how did you ever get into transportation?
[00:23:10] Lon LaClaire: Uh, you know, I never did, uh, I never did think that I wanted to get into transportation when I was, uh, was young. I wanted to be an architect.
[00:24:22] Jennifer-Lee: Yeah, I, I find just city planning fascinating, especially after, like flying above the city for like four years, because you get to see a lot.
[00:24:58] Lon LaClaire: Well, the, the, the foundation of a really good city, well, it's kind of one of those things, there's a, if you do an exercise, you ask your friends to kind of like, I don't know, close their eyes and imagine the best city.
[00:26:24] Jennifer-Lee: But I also have to say, like, everyone loves to compare. Like, and they're like, oh, Vancouver's. And, and they're not just mean Vancouver, like lower mainland. They're like, our transit system sucks.
[00:26:56] Lon LaClaire: They do. In fact, Vancouver does extremely well on transit if you just look at the, at the facts, you know, at the statistics in terms of North America.
[00:28:51] Jennifer-Lee: Yeah, and I think a lot of things are changing too. Like I know a lot of younger people that, um, are like in their teens and they're not getting their driver's licenses and they're not wanting to own a car.
[00:31:08] Lon LaClaire: Yeah, it is. Well, thanks for having me.
[00:31:11] Jennifer-Lee: Awesome. Well, thank you so much.
[00:31:13] Jennifer-Lee: Thank you for joining us on Behind the Design, from Yaletown to Andmar. We've explored the history, innovation, and sustainability that makes Andmar more than just a community. It's a place where life, business, and connection thrive. If you've been inspired by this podcast, we'd love your support, follow the podcast, rate it, and leave a review to help others discover what makes Andmar so special. Till next time.