Building a Vancouver that works for everyone
Mayor Kennedy Stewart
Cities can either be "globalized" or "globalist." Globalized cities are often unable to cope with the international forces that put stress on residents and local institutions – weakening their social, economic, and cultural fabric. Globalist cities, on the other hand, assert international leadership by using local ingenuity and creativity to strengthen our sense of place and export those ideas to others around the world.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart was elected on October 20, 2018, with a commitment to see Vancouver become a truly globalist city and the way he intends to get there is by championing policies and projects that let all residents know they have a place in our city. In essence – building a Vancouver that works for everyone.
Mayor Stewart will outline his plan for our city, his accomplishments to date, and the challenges that we still need to overcome if we are to succeed in being a city the world looks to for hope in challenging times.
Moderator:
Frances Bula
Urban Issues Writer
About the Speaker
Kennedy Stewart was elected the 40th Mayor of Vancouver on October 20, 2018, and is the City's first independent Mayor in three decades. Born in Nova Scotia, Stewart moved to Vancouver in 1989 with only $100 in his pocket and worked odd jobs like delivering beer, running a printing press, and playing in rock bands before joining the City of Vancouver's planning department where he fell in love with how cities worked.
This newfound passion led Stewart to study urban politics and policy as part of his Masters degree at Simon Fraser University before moving on to complete a Ph.D. on world cities at the London School of Economics in the UK.
Stewart moved back to Vancouver in 2002 to take a position at SFU's School of Public Policy where, as a tenured professor, he wrote, taught, and provided advice to governments and the United Nations about cities and housing. During this time he also met, fell in love, and married his wife Dr. Jeanette Ashe, Chair of the Douglas College Department of Political Science.
After seeing the crisis of affordable housing and homelessness build, Stewart decided to take a break from his work at SFU and run for office under the leadership of Jack Layton. Elected as a Member of Parliament in 2011, he served in Ottawa for seven years working to fight climate change and increase federal investment in affordable housing.
Today, as Mayor, Stewart remains committed to building a sustainable, carbon-free economy while making sure we keep housing costs low and the quality of public services high. As a long-time renter in downtown Vancouver, where he lives with his wife Jeanette, Kennedy is focused on delivering affordable rental housing and first-time home-buying opportunities that keep our city welcoming and vibrant - a Vancouver that works for everyone.
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