Mayor of Vancouver since 2008, Robertson said his social awareness came into play at his previous role as an organic farmer and founder of Happy Planet, a successful organic prepackaged juice and soup company based in the city.

Robertson said when he and his business partner made more juice than needed to fill the company's orders, Happy Planet would deliver the excess to Vancouver's impoverished downtown eastside, giving it away to the homeless. This was at a time in the '90s when the government was cracking down on welfare and cutting services to the poor, leaving many on the street, said Robertson.

After meeting area residents through this initiative, Robertson began asking himself questions about how to bring about social change. Eventually he started "asking questions out loud," as he put it. Friends urged him to find the answers through involvement in politics. Robertson decided to give it a go, feeling that he could "embrace the creativity of politics rather than seeing the blocks," he said.

Darryl Condon is a partner in Vancouver architecture firm Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA). Condon opened his talk by telling the audience that he is a "glass half full guy." But he had to admit that our efforts in North America can often be a drop in the bucket of global sustainability.
 

Darryl Condon/Photo by Mathew Smith

In North America, we've become very good at green architecture, with the certification bodies  (LEED, Green Globes, Energy Star, etc.) leading the way. However, Condon paired this optimistic statement with one that tempered it: all of the energy that has been saved by LEED certified buildings in Canada have been completely offset by the number of new cars being put on the road in India — and that's just one example.

Condon also wanted to make clear that "sustainability" is made up of three areas: environmental, social, and economic. The work done at HCMA focuses on social sustainability. Condon noted that over time, city dwellers have given up public space to the private sector. We've turned the town square into the shopping mall. Condon would like to see a shift towards inclusive, democratic spaces where people can gather — an example of social sustainability.

Condon said that we "need living, diverse, democratic, inclusive, healthy, and celebration spaces". These are the points that HCMA aims to achieve with each new community centre, recreation centre or library they design. And for a building to be truly sustainable, it must be accessible to all types of needs and abilities.

Condon wanted everyone in the audience to think about how they can go beyond simply meeting codes and requirements to make something "green" or "accessible," and strive towards the complete meaning of the word sustainability in all the work that we do.

For more photos from the session, click here.
 

Started in New York by Tina Roth Eisenberg,Creative Mornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series for creative types. Each event is free of charge, and includes a 20 minute talk, plus coffee! The program has experienced great succes and participation and has spread throughout the world including Zurich, Los Angeles, Berlin & London. As of September 2nd, thanks to the efforts of Mark Busse, Vancouver will be a part of the international program and the first Canadian city to participate.