By Madelaine Prince
On January 22–23, the Best Practices in Building Systems (BPiBS) project hosted Bringing Together Voices and Perspectives on Housing Futures, a two-day, in-person gathering in Vancouver that convened voices from across the housing ecosystem.
Participants from community organizations, government, industry, research, design, construction, and education sectors came together to explore shared challenges and opportunities shaping housing systems today, and into the future. The gathering created space not only for knowledge exchange, but for relationship-building and cross-sector dialogue grounded in lived experience and practice.
Systems-Level Conversations
Alongside technical discussions, conversations expanded to examine housing as a broader system, shaped by policy, operations, climate risk, design decisions, and the lived realities of residents and communities. Conversations emphasized housing as foundational to dignity, wellbeing, and long-term resilience.
Participants explored how factors such as affordability pressures, climate impacts, and infrastructure performance intersect to influence housing security and quality of life.
Futures & Foresight in Housing
Friday featured a dedicated strategic foresight session where attendees were invited to reflect on emerging trends and consider their potential implications over a 30-year time horizon. Participants then mapped these implications across an impact–uncertainty matrix, using the exercise to explore which forces may most significantly shape housing systems in the future.
Through this collective sensemaking process, participants examined how climate change, social shifts, technological change, and systemic barriers could influence housing outcomes in the decades ahead. Insights generated through this session will help inform the BPiBS team’s strategic thinking, shaping research priorities, and identifying areas where sector collaboration, innovation, and policy alignment may be most needed moving forward.
These conversations encouraged participants to look beyond immediate constraints and short-term pressures, opening space to consider more transformative, people- and ecosystem-centred futures for housing.
Contributing to the Living Compendium
A central focus of the gathering was shaping contributions to BC Housing’s Living Compendium – a collaborative, living digital resource that brings together research, practice, and lived experience to support better housing and building systems across British Columbia and Canada.
Contributions explored a range of formats, including:
- Lived-experience reflections
- Visual and creative submissions
- Case studies
- Design proposals
- Policy critiques
- Research insights
The Compendium aims to serve as an evolving knowledge resource to support learning, innovation, and systems change across the housing sector, and ultimately to support the rapid adoption of best practices for building systems.
Reflections from the Gathering
Attendees highlighted the depth and diversity of perspectives in the room, from technical experts to community advocates, and the value of intentional facilitation that created space for reflection, discomfort, and meaningful dialogue.
While critical challenges across the housing system were openly discussed, many participants shared that they left the event with a renewed sense of hope, shared purpose, and momentum to continue advancing housing systems that are resilient, equitable, and life-centred.
Continuing the Conversation: Virtual Gatherings
Building on the energy and insights from the in-person event, we are hosting a series of virtual sessions to deepen dialogue, share emerging work, and continue connecting participants across regions. These sessions provide space to revisit key themes, surface new collaborations, and engage those who were unable to attend in person.
Interested in contributing to the Compendium? Click here for more information.
