Douglas Todd: The verdict on highrise clusters: Not bad, but lack character

Nice views. Handy transit. Intense street traffic. Convenient shopping and services. But bland character, at least so far.

All in all, not too bad.

That about sums up the verdict of people interviewed who live and work at the dense glass-and-steel highrise hub that has shot up in the past eight years at the congested intersection of Vancouver’s Cambie Street and SW Marine Drive.

The cluster of tall residential highrises and offices is an example of the way Metro Vancouver is at the leading edge of a trend of squeezing large populations into tight urban zones next to rapid-transit stations, often in neighbourhoods where detached homes predominate.