What were the biggest moments in urban planning in Vancouver in 2018?
The Vancouver City Planning Commission is preparing for our fourth annual “Year-in-Review” panel event to reflect on what happened over the past 12 months with reagrds to our city’s built form, economics, quality of life and sustainability.. We are looking to identify the innovative and transformative decisions and actions around land use, neighbourhood planning and development that could significant impact the future of Vancouver.
Based on a workshop held in November, the following potential 2018 planning and development milestones are identified for consideration:
Indigenous Reconciliation
- City returns land to Musqueam First Nation 158 years after pre-emption
- Indigenous values incorporated in planning and design of Heather Lands
- Northeast False Creek ODP and removal of viaducts to heal historic wounds
Urban Planning
- Measures adopted to slow development in Chinatown
- City Council approves Community Benefit Agreement Policy
- City imposes new levy to curb land value speculation
A City for All
- City approves Accessibility Strategy
- Targets set to make Vancouver safe and accessible for all women
- Vancouver opens eight low-cost childcare centres
Housing
- Concerns about affordability shape housing policy
- City adopts multi-faceted approach to retaining rental housing stock
- City designates portion of endowment fund to help finance non-market housing
- Townhouses and low-rise apartments allowed in single-family areas adjacent to Cambie Corridor
Other Emerging Milestones discussed in 2018
In addition to the above shortlist of emerging milestones, several other planning and development activities were discussed at the 2018 workshop. These activities were determined to be either covered in previous years, or still in process.
- Changes to single-family housing zoning (included in
Concerns about affordability shape housing policy) - False Creek South – building on a successful legacy (2017 milestone)
- Federal announcement of $200 M to fund good movements and infrastructure growth for Port of Vancouver (monitoring for future inclusion)
- Implementation of step code with vision for passive housing for all new builds by 2032. (The City of Vancouver is not subject to the BC Energy Step Code. It has its own zero emissions building plan that was passed in 2016).
- Initiation of City-wide planning process (monitoring for future inclusion)
- Initiation of Waterfront Study (monitoring for future inclusion)
- Low property taxes encouraging land value speculation (monitoring for future inclusion)
- Places for People Downtown consultations (too soon to be a contender, possibly in 2018)
- Planning for Millennium Line Broadway Extension (Creating the Broadway Subway is the top priority from the Transportation 2040 Plan (a 2012 milestone). Will consider recent activities for inclusion in future years)
- Small businesses threatened by increasing property rent and tax burden (monitoring for future inclusion)
- Vacant home tax, Community Land Trust, Temporary Modular Housing (identified as an emerging 2016 milestones)