Downtown Vancouver faces crunch for work space

Vancouver has been so successful at luring people to live downtown that it may run out of room for new jobs.

City policies have helped push the downtown population to about 80,000. New data show that the city may run out of space for jobs downtown in as soon as five years. Planners are considering allowing higher towers -- which have been limited to protect views -- and may offer incentives for office developers.

Seattle, which often seems to lust after Vancouver's vibrant downtown, recently okayed zoning rules to allow more residential growth in the city core. But there's little chance of a space crunch there, thanks to its large area and abundant freeways stretching to the suburbs.