I flew in and out of YVR several times during Expo '86 and quite a few times since then, so I have a basis of comparison for YVR at peak times.

When I walk past I think it was 8 newsstands offering the exact same merchandise and there are no customers making purchases in any of them, I see a planning issue. You say Starbucks has long waits in the morning - how many Starbucks are there in that concourse? A well planned facility would balance the number of coffee stands and their wait times at peak capacity versus the number of newsstands.

When there are overhead signs estimating the walk time to the gates and a concourse where there are very few long, unobstructed straight stretches that could accommodate people movers, I see a failure to think about the needs of travelers rather than aesthetics or retail. That ties in with an article I read while I was in Vancouver. The writer uses a wheelchair and was commenting on how Vancouver has gone too far PC with pushing transit options and making it harder to drive and park in downtown, resulting in significant hardship for those who don't fit the healthy and athletic profile that the city is trying promote (her words) - she says she often is unable to complete her business in the city because of a lack of wheelchair accessible parking. The airport struck me the same way: people have very long walks to do what is critical at an airport: get to their gate, and are forced past duplicate shops, art, and wasted space in the form of openings to the floor below. For those with mobility problems, or those who are just plain tired after an international flight (have transited there returning from the UK), dealing with YVR is not pleasant.

Back to the capacity issue: at peak departure and arrival times, I'd like to know what %age of the gates are in use. I suspect it is underutilized.