Let's build a city that's ours - TIM LOUIS

city plan vancouver 1 Did you know that the City of Vancouver has no comprehensive city plan?

Virtually every other major city in Canada has one — a city-wide plan that stipulates what can be built where throughout the city.

To their credit, our city councillors elected in 2018 have initiated steps to create Vancouver’s comprehensive new city plan, and they’re doing so democratically. This will give Vancouver a clear, overall vision for the next 30 years, and correct many past mistakes — including years of reckless rezoning like we had when Vision Vancouver dominated city council.

This will be a three-year process. As one of the first steps, the city is inviting people to provide input through the Vancouver Plan Survey. It’s been designed to capture the hopes and challenges facing people who currently live in Vancouver and those who want to do so.

The input will guide planners about where the biggest opportunities are, and which issues need study. So let’s make sure this city-wide plan really is citizen-driven and inclusive. If a comprehensive city plan is created for Vancouver with real and substantive citizen input, it democratizes development. No more surprises in your neighbourhood, like spot rezoning for more density at the behest of developers!

It’s really important that people of all ages and from all walks of life answer the survey. So far, most responses have been from English speakers and people over the age of 40 with no young children. The survey is also available in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog. It’s critical to have input from these communities, too.

Deadline for our responses is February 29. You can access this important survey here on the city’s website in all five languages. (Scroll down for the surveys in all the languages.) It only takes a few minutes to fill it out. I’ve already done it — it’s easy!

A city’s liveability really comes down to how it’s planned and built. Do we want to see more parks and playgrounds in our neighbourhoods? Do we want residential streets designed to slow down traffic and encourage walking? Where do we want to see density added? If it’s all done right, we end up with what Robin Mazumder would call a “happy city.”

So take a few minutes now to answer the survey and have your voice heard. Share it with your networks too; the more participants the better! That’s how we make the city ours!

Daily atmospheric CO₂ [Courtesy of CO2.Earth]

Latest daily total (Feb. 19, 2020): 413.53 ppm

One year ago (Feb. 19, 2019): 410.46 ppm