On Site Report

Singapore: A State Controlled Real Estate Market w/Erick Villagomez

Did you know that 80% of Singapore residents live in public housing? The city-state of Singapore is arguably the most business-friendly and economically open society in the world. But when it comes to housing, their approach has been described as a kind of “municipal socialism.” Singapore is a city like no other: a place where free market capitalism meets socialist housing policy, and where drug trafficking is punishable by death. In this episode of On Site Report, we are joined by Erick Villagomez, who—having recently travelled to Singapore for an urban planning field school—helps us unpack this bizarre and complicated place, describing for us the good, the bad and the ugly. The Good: As a result of its progressive approach to housing, Singapore has roughly 9 homeless people per 100,000 residents. In comparison, Vancouver has about 430 homeless people per 100,000. If you’d like to know more about what Singapore does well, and what it doesn’t do so well, then please enjoy this episode of On Site Report! Want to support our podcast? Leave a donation using the link here: https://ko-fi.com/theodoreabbott [https://ko-fi.com/theodoreabbott]. If you don’t have a PayPal account simply select ‘try another way’. Reading List: Housing Booms in Gateway Cities by David Ley. On Site Report is hosted by Theodore Abbott and produced by Charlie D. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoreabbott.substack.com [https://theodoreabbott.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Wanted: Systemic Overhaul w/Erick Villagomez

In this episode of On Site Report we sit down with esteemed researcher and educator Erick Villagomez. Erick is a lecturer at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning and the Editor-in-Chief of Spacing Magazine Vancouver. Our conversation takes many twists and turns as we assess the direction of urban development in Vancouver, debrief on the city’s recent by-election, and discuss the importance of strong neighbourhoods in the face of a declining capitalist system.  Enjoyed the episode? Help support our podcast by making a donation using this link: https://ko-fi.com/theodoreabbott [https://ko-fi.com/theodoreabbott] (if you don’t have a PayPal account simply select ‘try another way’). Various films and books are discussed in this episode, the links to which are provided below:  * David Harvey Rebel Cities: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/2236-rebel-cities?srsltid=AfmBOooX83HQoQnW3CsuWkhAzx_UF63FdNSULXJ_TMwE9s7DB05ufYXT [https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/2236-rebel-cities?srsltid=AfmBOooX83HQoQnW3CsuWkhAzx_UF63FdNSULXJ_TMwE9s7DB05ufYXT]  * Ada for Mayor Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzqaj54_A-g [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzqaj54_A-g]     * Douglas Todd for the Vancouver Sun: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/despite-voters-rebuke-vancouvers-abc-party-new-towers-higher-increase-density [https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/despite-voters-rebuke-vancouvers-abc-party-new-towers-higher-increase-density] * Hospicing Modernity: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675703/hospicing-modernity-by-vanessa-machado-de-oliveira/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675703/hospicing-modernity-by-vanessa-machado-de-oliveira/] * A House Deconstructed: https://actar.com/product/a-house-deconstructed/ [https://actar.com/product/a-house-deconstructed/] * Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: https://royscranton.net/books/learning-to-die-in-the-anthropocene/ [https://royscranton.net/books/learning-to-die-in-the-anthropocene/] * Feminist City: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/2626-feminist-city?srsltid=AfmBOopZLBtWfKqWaqcR_Tkaeluqa45Rs0vD3m9HSm7F6S18I4-4-nZd [https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/2626-feminist-city?srsltid=AfmBOopZLBtWfKqWaqcR_Tkaeluqa45Rs0vD3m9HSm7F6S18I4-4-nZd] * Resilience, Reciprocity, and Ecological Economics: Northwest Coast Sustainability: https://www.routledge.com/Resilience-Reciprocity-and-Ecological-Economics-Northwest-Coast-Sustainability/Trosper/p/book/9780415782524?srsltid=AfmBOopMv1S4FtSWRhm7TlCEQX_yf6k7WsNiP29bP5DpVxxfR-yEk7Yn [https://www.routledge.com/Resilience-Reciprocity-and-Ecological-Economics-Northwest-Coast-Sustainability/Trosper/p/book/9780415782524?srsltid=AfmBOopMv1S4FtSWRhm7TlCEQX_yf6k7WsNiP29bP5DpVxxfR-yEk7Yn] On Site Report is hosted by Theodore Abbott and produced by Charlie D. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoreabbott.substack.com [https://theodoreabbott.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

2025 Update: Theodore Is Running for City Council

Voting day is April 5th; advance voting is March 26th & April 1st https://vancouver.ca/your-government/2025-by-election.aspx [https://vancouver.ca/your-government/2025-by-election.aspx] Learn more about TEAM & Theodore here: voteteam.ca [http://voteteam.ca] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoreabbott.substack.com [https://theodoreabbott.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

PAUSE THE PLAN! w/ Michael Fergusson

“Pause the Plan!” This is the call to action declared by thousands of residents across the City of Vancouver. In this special episode of On Site Report we take a moment to review the Broadway Plan and its growing opposition. Follow us on Instagram: @onsitereportpod [https://www.instagram.com/onsitereportpod/] Follow Michael: linkedin.com/in/fergusson [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/fergusson] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoreabbott.substack.com [https://theodoreabbott.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Is There No Alternative? w/ Ward Stirrat

False Creek South is an area of Vancouver that exists adjacent to one of North America’s most up-scale neighbourhoods. In stark juxtaposition to the affluent and largely unaffordable district of Yaletown, False Creek South represents a model of livability that has been widely celebrated amongst urban planners and academics since its inception. Episode #4 of On Site Report marks our second dedication to exploring the area of False Creek South, and in this episode we highlight how this unique enclave provides us with an important alternative to thinking about how our cities should be built. Are unaffordable high rises and market-rate condominiums the only way forward? To answer this question I sat down with long-time area resident and social commentator Ward Stirrat. We hope you enjoy! Subscribe to our Patreon: patreon.com/onsitereport [https://patreon.com/onsitereport] Follow us on Instagram: @onsitereportpod Further reading: * Andy Yan on Building The Kind of Housing We Actually Need: https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1en8wl2/our_tax_dollars_funded_a_developer_to_create/?share_id=ifNtiw6t9MhAyAzl_Dtfp&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=3 [https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1en8wl2/our_tax_dollars_funded_a_developer_to_create/] * City Hall Watch: https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/ [https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/] * There is No Alternative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_is_no_alternative [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_is_no_alternative] * Hugh Segal: https://www.ubcpress.ca/bootstraps-need-boots [https://www.ubcpress.ca/bootstraps-need-boots] * Cameron Murray: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=P5s-_d0AAAAJ&hl=en [https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=P5s-_d0AAAAJ&hl=en] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoreabbott.substack.com [https://theodoreabbott.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]