VURBS: Village Urban Renewal Builds
Bold initiative to restore the economic, cultural, and social vitality of Canada’s communities by rebuilding the missing layers of the traditional village model.
“VURBS bridges back from today’s two-dimensional living to an empowered symphony of sovereigns.”
Why Renewal is Needed.
Modern life has become fragmented. Subdivisions have replaced true communities, and people feel increasingly disconnected from each other, from purpose, and from the natural world.
Transforming Land into Living Villages
Through a public-private partnership (P3) model, VURBS will transform underutilized land into vibrant villages adjacent to existing neighborhoods.
These villages will integrate the physical, economic, and cultural assets that make a community whole — from farms and workshops to schools, gathering spaces, and natural sanctuaries.
Restoring Balance and Belonging
VURBS turns disconnected subdivisions into thriving, self-reliant villages — giving people the tools, spaces, and opportunities to help themselves and flourish together.
Reuniting families through intergenerational spaces.
Restoring bonds between neighbors and nature.
Empowering youth with mentorship and purpose.
Honoring elders by giving them dignity and roles.
From Condo Subdivisions to Condo Villages
Across Canada, hundreds of thousands of high-rise condo units remain unsold or underutilized — modern towers filled with isolated residents, vacant commercial space, and unrealized potential. These buildings represent a powerful opportunity to redefine what urban living can be.
Instead of towers that separate people, Urban VURBS aims to transform these developments into vertical villages — complete ecosystems where residents can live, work, create, and connect.
5 Core Principles of VURBS
From Lifestyle Sale to Everyday Lifestyle — Move beyond transactional living toward purpose, community, and sustainability.
Rebuilding the Layers of the Village — Restore the 15–20 essential assets: local food, education, meeting places, maker hubs, trading posts.
Flow-State Living — Create environments where citizens thrive materially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Partnership Model — Governments, developers, farmers, and residents collaborate to build and manage assets.
Fortifying the Commons — Invest in shared infrastructure so communities can shape their own future.
Each VURBS village becomes a model of self-reliance, sustainability, and purpose — where innovation meets tradition and modern design meets ancestral wisdom.
Origin Story
From MURBs to VURBS — Rethinking How We Build Communities
In the late 1970s, the federal government introduced a building concept known as MURBs — Multi-Unit Residential Buildings — as part of an effort to modernize urban housing. MURBs were defined as low-rise, multi-family buildings (2 to 100 units) designed to increase housing density and energy efficiency under Canada’s building and energy codes.
The Future We Can Build Together
By bringing back the essential layers of the village, VURBS offers a path to stronger families, resilient local economies, and healthier, happier citizens.
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