Time and again, Vancouver is recognized internationally as one of the best places to live. It achieved that reputation by breaking rules and forging its own brand of North American urbanism. This compelling book details the nine most important decisions made in the Greater Vancouver region since the 1940s. Authors Mike Harcourt and Ken Cameron, themselves key players in several of these developments, reveal the political machinations, the ideological struggles and the personal commitment that lay behind each one. By tracing today’s successes back to their roots, they illustrate their central theme; that cities are the result of the daily choices we make as leaders, activists and citizens.