VANCOUVER, B.C. -

Vancouver residents are gearing up for a municipal election campaign this November focused on two leading candidates who appear to be tackling the city's long-standing problems with creative ideas.

Vision Vancouver party mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson, 43, appears to be the fresh new face in municipal politics in the centre-left of the political spectrum.

An outgoing New Democrat Party MLA, Robertson resigned his seat on Thursday, saying he wanted to focus his energy on his campaign, after speculation swirled about whether he would campaign for mayor while retaining his seat in the legislature.

He was elected NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview in 2005, and as a small business critic, he lobbied for small businesses, the environment and protecting affordable housing in Vancouver.

Ambitious, eager and telegenic, Robertson appeals to many young people, environmentalists and voters who hope for change in municipal politics.

However, since he has never held a seat on council, critics argue he may be too young and inexperienced to successfully run the city.

His opponent Peter Ladner is an experienced city councillor who recently defeated Mayor Sam Sullivan to become the ruling Non-Partisan Association party nominee in the mayoralty elections.

At the age of 59, he occupies the centre right of the political spectrum and considers himself to be fiscally conservative. He is also an avid cyclist who co-founded Business in Vancouver Magazine.

Nominated to the NPA in 2002, many expected him to run against Sam Sullivan for the mayor's chair in 2005 but he declined. Known to be somewhat quiet and withdrawn, his critics say he lacks competitive edginess and doesn't have an outgoing personality that resonates with voters.

Many common qualities

In the weeks leading up to their respective mayoralty nomination votes, Ladner and Robertson expressed similar views in relation to how they would tackle Vancouver's chronic issues of homelessness and high drug and property crime rates.

Both called themselves environmentalists, saying the city needs more environmentally-friendly green initiatives. At the same time, they also said they want Vancouver to become more attractive to global businesses.

In addition to those similarities, Ladner and Robertson share backgrounds in the business, and, of all things, farming.

Robertson worked in organic farming, became an activist for sustainability and protection for the farming, forestry and fishing industries and created successful organic juice company Happy Planet.

Ladner worked as a journalist and activist after his student years at UBC, and lived and worked as a farmer on Vancouver Island before returning to Vancouver in the 1980s.

However, there are obvious differences between the two mayoralty candidates.

Different approaches

Although he's an avid cyclist, Ladner did an about-face by withdrawing his support for expanded bicycle lanes on the Burrard Street Bridge. Robertson says he is in favour of them.

Some were shocked when Ladner went up against Sullivan for the mayoral nomination, creating rumours about more division and ongoing back-stabbing within the NPA.

During his campaign to become the NPA's mayoralty nominee, Ladner repeatedly said he would work to reduce partisan politics within the party. But when asked about partisan politics after his nomination, he said everyone in the party is loyal to him.

"A lot of people rally around the leader, it's the loyal thing to do," he said. "Now I'm the new leader and the same people are loyal to me because they're more interested in good governance of the city than nursing political grudges."

Robertson calls himself part of a new generation of politicians, adopting a team-based approach and saying the partisan mudslinging at city hall needs to end.

While he campaigned for the mayoral nomination, the competition between Robertson, city councillor Raymond Louie and Park Commissioner Allan De Genova was amicable and even a little too jovial, some said.

But Robertson said Vision Vancouver wants to be united in its efforts to end the mudslinging at city hall rather than continue waging partisan battles.

Experience vs. brave new ideas

For his part, Ladner likes to play up his experience in dealing with governments at all levels and finding solutions to problems such as housing.

"At least I have a record," said Ladner. "He's never been involved in municipal politics at all. I think it's hugely presumptuous to think you can step into the mayor's chair and know how to make things happen."

Citing studies already completed on the disparity between property taxes for businesses and residents, Ladner says he would shift more of the property tax burden onto residents because they are skewed too heavily onto business owners.

Robertson says he would implement a 'speculation tax' on homeowners who do not use their vacant properties as a residence.

Ladner is championing a European-style bike co-operative system in downtown Vancouver and an initiative called Laneway housing, part of Sullivan's Eco Density plan, which proposes 450-square-foot units be built in backyards at a cost of $150,000.

He maintains that the city is already working toward increasing affordable housing through hotels that are being turned into apartments, and says to do more the city would need to work with the federal government.

"The key is to work with the federal government to change the federal tax laws so we can make it financially attractive for private investors to build apartment buildings again, they way they used to in the 60s and early 70s," he said.

While Ladner talks about working with the federal and provincial governments, other municipalities and the Metro Vancouver Board, Robertson talks about putting decision-making back in the hands of the people.

Robertson says he is a proponent of a city hall model called 'citizen involvement,' based on various U.S. examples, in which neighbourhood residents are given resources like planning staff, a facilitator and a mandate to make a decision for their neighbourhood.

"It's proven to reduce the friction and contentious decision-making that command and control politics generate," he said. "It facilitates better and quicker decisions ... because they've got to get it made locally. People generally, when given that mandate, will work through it."

Robertson says although he doesn't have experience at city hall, he will use lessons learned from his business background to change the direction.

"Right now no one is clear where we're headed as a city, people are disillusioned and disengaged from politics, so we're at the opposite end of the spectrum, and we have to turn it all around," he said. "If people understand their collective goals and are empowered to do something about them, council will be capable of huge progress."

"We're capable of so much more than the mediocrity we're muddled in."