For those not following me on Twitter, where I re-tweeted this, here’s the latest from the mayor’s trip to New York, which he posted at 1 a.m. NY time as far as I can tell.
“toured brooklyn navy yard. leading edge industrial zone creating green jobs. false creek flats? south van? http://bit.ly/9968Gl”
Robertson’s late-night tweet from Brooklyn revealed Vision Vancouver’s evolving economic development strategy, suggesting the mayor was actively seeking models for transforming Vancouver’s underutilized industrial lands into green economy hubs. The Brooklyn Navy Yard represented precisely the kind of adaptive reuse that could address Vancouver’s dual challenges of creating sustainable employment while protecting industrial land from residential conversion.
The Navy Yard’s transformation from defunct military facility to thriving green manufacturing center offered compelling precedent for Vancouver’s industrial areas. Brooklyn’s success in attracting renewable energy companies, sustainable manufacturing, and clean technology firms demonstrated how strategic public investment could revitalize industrial zones while creating well-paying jobs in emerging sectors.
Robertson’s mention of False Creek Flats and South Vancouver suggested specific sites under consideration for similar development. False Creek Flats, with its proximity to downtown and existing industrial infrastructure, could accommodate green manufacturers seeking urban locations with transportation access. South Vancouver’s larger industrial areas offered space for more extensive green industrial campuses requiring significant land areas.
The timing reflected growing recognition that Vancouver’s transition to a sustainable economy required more than office jobs and knowledge work. Green industrial zones could provide manufacturing employment for workers without university degrees while supporting Vancouver’s environmental technology sector with local production capabilities.
The 1 a.m. timestamp captured Robertson’s apparent excitement about discovering potentially transformative urban development models. His immediate social media sharing suggested genuine enthusiasm for adapting innovative approaches to Vancouver’s economic development challenges, demonstrating the kind of policy entrepreneurship that characterized Vision’s approach to municipal governance.
The concept also aligned with Vancouver’s broader climate action goals by creating local capacity for green technology manufacturing.
