On a rainy Tuesday in late February 2025, thought leaders gathered for a (very) full day of debate and discussion about activating gentle density. The 2025 Summit theme was “Thinking Big, Building Small” and focused on activating gentle density housing with topics including: Connecting gentle density to the electrical grid, Development Cost Charges, Offsite construction, Designing HVAC systems for GDH, and financing gentle density. More than 110 industry champions attended the event, representing over 70 different organizations. At least half of the attendees were local to Metro Vancouver; however, guests joined from all over BC (and beyond), including First Nations communities such as Tl’esqox, Laxgalts’ap, Lí’lwat, and Xaxli’p.
Across sessions and conversations, a few clear themes stood out:
- Financing gentle density remains a major hurdle. Traditional lending products aren’t designed for small-scale, homeowner-led projects, leaving many stuck at the starting line.
- Offsite construction could be a game-changer — but general awareness and sentiment needs to be improved, while the supply chain and permitting processes need to catch up.
- Building high-performance gentle density homes is possible, but cost and technical know-how are holding many back.
- From utility providers to mechanical systems designers… engage as many parties as possible early in the development process