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North Vancouver City is one of the municipalities that has truly embraced this policy, but it has come with growing pains.

The rapid pace of change is applauded by those looking for more affordable options to the single-family home and by the development industry. It is despised by those residents who say roads, transit and other amenities are not keeping pace.

North Vancouver City, according to both its supporters and its critics, has built so fast it is now ahead of Metro’s suggested targets for new “dwelling units” — mainly condominiums and townhouses because of limited buildable land and escalating real estate prices.

“Some people have called me Density Darrell. I take that as a compliment. We have to find new ways of allowing people to live here, to be housed here — people who were born and raised here to stay here,” said Mussatto, who announced this week he will not seek re-election.

Although he doesn’t blame conflict over density for his decision to leave politics, he does say he fought the last election on the rezoning of the Moodyville neighbourhood — 250 detached homes are being replaced by 1,890 multi-family units — which created warring factions among neighbours.

“I’ve got scars on my back from that one. There was a lot of opposition to change and I understand that,” he said. “You get into politics because you want to do good for people and make the world a better place, and then you end up making decisions that people don’t like. And that’s hard.”