ABSTRACT
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a complex, multicultural and growing metropolis that has been shaped by multiple indigenous and immigrant cultures. Its recent history presents a microcosm of the many opportunities and challenges faced by cities around the world: colonialism and indigenous marginalisation, multiple waves of immigration, mainstream green city discourses, population growth and densification and recent efforts to engage in the process of reconciliation between settlers and indigenous peoples. Vancouver’s urban forest and biocultural discourses have likewise been influenced by these multiple factors as the city has changed and grown.
Drawing on media and document analysis, and interviews with Vancouver residents and key urban forestry players, this chapter tells the story of biocultural diversity in North America’s Pacific Northwest through an examination of Vancouver’s urban forest and the development of its biocultural discourses. It opens with a brief history of local indigenous cultures and colonisation, a discussion of immigration patterns and the recent development of green city discourses. It then describes current examples of biocultural diversity, intercultural exchange and sites of conflict, and presents a way forward based on recognitional equity, mosaic governance and an acknowledgement of the fluid nature of biocultural diversity. This analysis provides guidance to cities around the world as they seek to understand, support and celebrate local biocultural diversity.
