The Death and Life of the Single-Family House

Speaker: Nathanael Lauster, Professor of Sociology at UBC

In his 2016 book, The Death and Life of the Single-Family House, UBC sociologist Nathanael Lauster explains how residents in Vancouver – recognized as one of the most “livable” cities in the world – have attempted to make themselves at home without a house.

Building on historical and interview data, Lauster has painstakingly studied the city’s dramatic transformation to curb sprawl. He tracks the history of housing and interviews residents about the cultural importance of the house as well as the urban problems it once appeared to solve.

Although Vancouver’s built environment is unique, Lauster argues that it was never predestined by geography or demography. Instead, regulatory transformations enabled the city to renovate, build over, and build around the house.