Lola: Re narrow streets...alot of progressive urban planners and architects are starting to in some cities here in Canada (still not many), of NOT making residential streets so wide or at least create traffic calming road desings. Otherwise it just creates more car traffic, no one wants to walk around, too dangerous for children and creates wide sprawly neighbourhoods like what one finds in suburban North America which leads to lengthy 1-2 story strip malls and yet more huge parking lots. It's a horrible feeling as a tourist when visiting such areas ..and when one is in desperate need of a quality restaurant meal. Faceless.

The unique situation of Vancouver is that its biggest Olympic venues are located in heart of downtown, whereas to my understanding London 2012 alot of venues will be out on the edge of London and in suburbs/smaller towns like your area? So this is why urban planners at this point in history, are quite interested in seeing how Vancouver handles mass events during this time and legacy, new buildings after Olympics.

Actually what is happening now, is that some of the major streets in heart of downtown have been closed off. They have installed some public art and outdoor seating where people are hanging out and having conversation. Includes people with families. It looks and feels far more human than yet another yawning strip of concret asphalt and cars.

The city is also using 2 test streetcars during the Olympics that they are providing free rides to get to a busy popular market area where there's produce, restaurants, galleries, marina, etc. At this time, the streetcars (which we haven't had them since late 1950's) are full (seats up to 180 per streetcar per ride). So you can imagine that well over 30,000 people are pouring into this market area daily during the Olympics.