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Vancouver, the City of Glass, known for its tall condo towers and their walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, is being asked to reassess its namesake form of building.

It comes as more architects, energy analysts and even politicians criticize such buildings for being among the biggest producers of carbon emissions.

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In cities as diverse as London and New York, there is a discussion over whether all-glass buildings should be banned because they tend to trap heat and light. This makes them hard and expensive to cool in warm weather and the use of air conditioning is on the rise. But they are also terrible for “leaking” energy and warmth.

Photo by Delta Group and Perkins and Will

The International Energy Agency estimates that about 40 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in the world are tied to buildings and the construction of buildings.

“We have said before that ‘wood is good,'” said Andy Yan, director of The City Program at Simon Fraser University.