Vancouver Bans Doorknobs

For the sake of the elderly

It is a ubiquitous piece of equipment found in virtually every building, a requirement for entry, a necessity for exit.

For some, the humble round doorknob is unremarkable and utilitarian, a simple tool, a means to an end. For others, it is a piece of art, an object of beauty, an architecturally significant adornment on the welcoming portal to a building. For others, it is so synonymous with ordinariness that a "knob" is a pejorative word for being dull or stupid.

In Vancouver, the doorknob is heading into a setting sun. Its future has been date-marked, legislated out of existence in all future construction, a tip to society's quest for universal design and the easier-to-use lever handle.

And as it goes in Vancouver, so will it go in B.C., Canada, and perhaps even the world.

(Hat tip to Nick Sibilla)