• Vancity Lookout
  • Posts
  • Province requires new city-wide development plan, with some public hearings to be prohibited

Province requires new city-wide development plan, with some public hearings to be prohibited

We hear directly from the city's head planner about keeping plans current with legislative and market changes, and his perspective on public engagement.

Author

Nate Lewis
June 11, 2025

Good morning,

Nate with you today. I’ve always been envious of teachers. They get to be role models and take inspiration from the energy and clarity of young people. But, if I’m being honest, it’s their summer schedule I’m really enamoured by. 

As soon as the weather gets hot, I feel myself get slower – in body and mind – and all I can think to do is relax in the shade somewhere, ideally by a water source, and let my mind drift idly along. Alas, there are still jobs to be done, newsletters to write, and problems that, unlike jackets and long pants, haven’t disappeared with the rising temperatures. 

To all the teachers out there, I hope you enjoy your well-deserved months-long vacation. For the rest of us, we’ll have to make do with a week or two when we get the chance. 

Whether you’re in the dog days of your work world or entering the open pastures of summer, we’ve got something for everyone in today’s issue. 

Let’s get to it!

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

As always, you can send your tips, leads, and story ideas to Nate at [email protected].

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Wednesday: 19 🌡️ 12 | ☁️

Thursday: 14 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

Friday: 17 🌡️ 11 | 🌤️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

Neighbourhood winners: The Straight does a yearly ranking of the best restaurants in the city. They also have a neighbourhood list, which they just released here. I don’t agree with all of them, but there’s a nice cross-sections of good spots to check out depending where you live. 

Get to the block: Any time Vancouver can shut down streets for any time in the summer is good by me. This weekend, part of Strathcona, between the 600-900 blocks of E. Hastings, will be closed on Saturday for the Strathcona Block Party. It’s a great event for anyone looking to walk around and explore the area, but families will especially enjoy it, with a kids zone and more.

Nice rice lager: I visited DD Mau last week. I’m not a huge beer guy, but was in the mood for something light. East Van Brewing’s Jasmine Rice Lager really hit the spot. Light and fruity, with a sharp bite, it felt like the perfect beer to enjoy in the summer. I recommend picking some up next time you want to try a new beer.  

Do some good: If you’re looking to fill your do-some-good quota this week, Canadian Blood Services is in need of more people to give blood this week. You can book your appointment here. 

— Recommendations curated by Lookout managing editor Geoff Sharpe

INSIDER

Province requires new city-wide development plan, with some public hearings to be prohibited

This story is only accessible for Vancity Lookout members like yourself. Thank you for supporting our hyper-local journalism in Vancouver. Please enjoy this story.

Fair warning – today’s story is a technical one. It’s grounded in the provincial government’s concerted effort over the past year to establish a more prescriptive approach to municipal housing policy, and the city’s effort to find its footing during these seismic shifts. 

By digging into niche changes to city procedures, and the cascading impacts on city planning and public engagement, we’re hoping to shed light on the changing ways that Vancouver residents can make their voices heard and what it means for you and your family in the long run. 

What happened: Last week, city council passed a bylaw that will eventually change the city’s public hearing process for many rezoning applications, streamlining the process while restricting when public hearings can be held.   

Background: The change has been mandated by the province, which passed legislation last year requiring Vancouver to update its development approval process. It’s one of many provincial moves “intended to improve planning processes with the goal of supporting the timely delivery of housing,” according to the city. 

“We’re supportive of those measures,” Josh White, Vancouver’s general manager of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability, told Vancity Lookout in an extensive interview. White, who’s been in the city’s lead planning role for just over a year now, noted the significance of the changes and short timelines mean that the details of how to interpret and implement the provincial policies are sometimes unclear. 

This story is only available for members. Support neighbourhood news in Vancouver.

While most of our stories are free, some are available only to members. To unlock the rest of this exclusive story, you must become a Lookout member.

Right now, we’re in the midst of a critical Neighbourhood Journalism Crowdfunding campaign to fund our team as we cover more news in local neighbourhoods across the city, the issues and people ignored by bigger publications.

Not only are you building the future of local journalism in Vancouver, but a membership gets you

  • Risk-free access: Cancel anytime and get a 100% refund

  • Long-form journalism of members-only stories you can’t find anywhere else

  • Access all paywalled stories

  • Discounts to events (coming soon)

  • Support high-quality journalism in Vancouver

The details: It’s a fairly complex and technical issue, but essentially the changes to public hearing requirements relate to rezonings that are within Official Development Plan (ODP) areas. 

  • ODPs are extensive policy documents that outline priorities for land use and development. Currently, Vancouver has 12 ODP’s, most of which are concentrated in smaller areas around False Creek and Downtown. 

The provincial legislation requires Vancouver to adopt an interim ODP that applies to the entire city by next summer. Since 2018, the city has already been working on a city-wide plan, which was approved in 2022. While the content will remain mostly the same, they’re now doing technical work to update it to align with the province’s requirements. The stated priorities for the Vancouver Plan are more housing, more business space, and climate resilience. 

The Vancouver Plan’s vision for housing, with descriptions of land use guidelines and goals in three primary area types. This map will be updated in the forthcoming ODP, based on area plan changes, city initiatives, and provincial requirements, among other considerations, and likely include greater detail / City of Vancouver

The new city-wide development plan will give the city “a bit wider berth in terms of opportunity for development, housing, and employment,” across more of the city, White said.

“ODPs are the norm across the country. We're actually a bit [of an] exception,” White said. In the past, Vancouver has favoured a community-by-community planning approach, and the lack of a city-wide plan in the past was reflective of that philosophy, White explained.

  • Former Vancouver city planner Sandy James points out Vancouver did create a city-wide plan in the mid ‘90s, which highlighted how Vancouver is a “city of neighbourhoods.” 

Public hearing prohibition: The province has also outlined new rules for when the city can or can’t hold public hearings.  

The legislation says the city cannot hold a public hearing for any rezoning applications — like turning multiple single-family homes into a rental building — that are consistent with an ODP, and are at least 50 per cent residential. The intent is to promote faster approvals and a more straightforward development process, according to the city.

There are still cases when public hearings can or must be held. For rezonings that are less than half residential, city council has the choice to hold a public hearing, but it’s not required. A public hearing is still required when no ODP applies to the location of the rezoning, or an application is not consistent with the ODP.  

The implication: There won’t be a big impact right away in the number of public hearings.

However, the moment the interim city-wide ODP is approved next June, every development in the city with a significant residential component, and which aligns with the new ODP, must go straight to council for decision without a public hearing.  

“Currently, few rezoning applications fall within an existing ODP,” according to a staff report, meaning that for the next year there aren’t many possibilities for projects to fall under this expedited approval process. However, it bears noting that there could be some local impacts over the next year in neighbourhoods poised for development like the Downtown Eastside and South False Creek, which have existing ODPs. 

Plans on plans: This is a slight digression, but a relevant and interesting one, so bear with us. 

As we mentioned earlier, there are official development plans for certain areas of the city. Those will need to be absorbed into the city-wide ODP when the final version is approved by 2030.

But there are also 17 area plans which apply to specific communities or neighbourhoods and provide direction for council around land use, development, and rezoning. Most of the city’s current area plans were created in the 2010s under Vision Vancouver. 

Those area plans will largely be included and reflected in the new city-wide plan, White said, and the city plans to continue planning projects for specific neighbourhoods, like around Rupert and Renfrew on either side of Broadway.  

How the Vancouver Plan fits with other plans and regulations / City of Vancouver

However, White emphasized that his philosophy is that these area plans shouldn’t be static. 

“Plans are living documents… things change very quickly [now],” White said, pointing to the shift from strata to rental housing over the past 10 years as an example of how plans need to shift with current trends. “We want to keep updating them… and make sure they don’t become stale or difficult to implement,” White said. 

To that end, in 2023, the city replaced another set of neighbourhood plans – Community Vision areas – by extracting some of their rezoning policies to allow for social housing, and institutional, cultural, and recreational uses, while otherwise replacing them with more recent city-wide policies.

  • All of these different assorted plans underscore the need for a harmonized planning document, hence the Vancouver Plan.

Earlier public engagement: According to Josh White, public feedback is more effective when residents engage earlier in planning processes, rather than waiting for individual public hearings. 

“I think for a long time, we've sort of relied heavily on backloading the public engagement process [to public hearings], which is really the last stage,” White said. 

White said he sees a huge amount of value in engaging and consulting with the public when the city is creating policy, like the Vancouver Plan, which underwent four phases of public engagement. That gives city staff and councillors a better idea of how an individual building proposal fits into the larger community vision, White said.

Josh White, Vancouver’s GM of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability / X

Getting residents to participate in consultations around the city-wide ODP and other area plans is “a very productive time to have your say and shape every application or every project that ends up coming through,” White said, particularly for residents who want to be more deeply engaged in establishing the vision for their city and communities. 

The interim ODP will be available for public review later this year, and will also include a public hearing when it comes before council next summer.

White emphasized that existing forms of public notification and engagement will still apply for specific rezoning and development applications, including online Q&As, feedback directly to city staff and councillors, as well as open houses for more complex proposals. 

  • “We definitely want public participation in those application processes,” whether a public hearing can be held or not, White said.

However, it sounds like the city will continue to lean on its existing forms and frequency of public engagement, rather than scaling them up to account for the eventual reduction in public hearings that’s being mandated by the province. 

In last week’s vote, Green Coun. Pete Fry expressed his concern with the change. “I think fundamentally [the new provincial requirement] prohibiting public hearings does a disservice to what our role as local government could be, or should be,” by restricting councillors’ ability to consider the proposal through a public hearing process, Fry said.

What it means: It may well be the case that public hearings, occurring near the end of lengthy planning and application processes, are not the most effective venue for the public to meaningfully shape how the city is changing. Only three rezonings have not been approved by city councils dating back to 2011, according to city records and staff. Another rezoning was recently quashed after city council agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against their public hearing process. 

Public hearings also may not be the most efficient process, with staff pointing out that there’s limited time, budget, and staff capacity to take public feedback on a case-by-case basis. They can be silly, or take the form of an echo chamber, where the same speakers show up again and again to share their concerns with councillors who may become desensitized to certain arguments or grievances. 

Public engagement could certainly use a rethink, and there may be wisdom in encouraging people to engage in planning processes at earlier stages to shape city policies. If public energy could be effectively redirected from the more reactionary forum of public hearings on specific projects to providing input at the earlier stage of planning processes – and crucially seeing that feedback integrated into plans – that could help residents feel heard and involved, while making things more efficient. 

However, while all the other forms of public consultation and notification will remain in place, it’s notable that the city isn’t looking to expand them to fill in the potential gaps created by fewer public hearings. To give the city the benefit of the doubt, there’s still time before the prohibition on some public hearings will meaningfully come into force, but they’ll need a better engagement plan than just staying the course.  

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

110

The number of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra members who will serenade video game lovers tonight (!) with renditions of music from Skyrim, World of Warcraft, Bioshock, Assassin’s Creed, and many other famous titles. Tickets ($50+) for the one-night event at the Orpheum are still available. [Global, VSO]

THE AGENDA

🏢 Last night, after 10 years of planning, multiple applications, and public engagement, city council approved the controversial three-tower development at the Safeway site next to the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain Station. The three buildings will include 1,044 purpose-built rental homes, commercial space, a new grocery store, a childcare facility, and a public courtyard and breezeway. Public speakers, the majority of whom were opposed, pointed to 10% of units being at below-market rates (20% is typical for this type of redevelopment) and building heights as primary concerns. Coun. Pete Fry, who abstained from the vote, noted the benefit of the significant new market rental housing but wasn’t confident the project was providing enough affordability. However, there’s a need to get on with things, he said. [Urbanized]

🏚️ Granville Island is one of the most popular and, dare we say, iconic, places in the city. It’s also a shining success story of publicly-owned, centrally-planned, urban renewal. But the beloved peninsula – which uses the rental revenues from bumping restaurant and business to subsidize its many arts spaces – is in financial trouble. That’s because nearly all of the Island’s aging buildings, like the Public Market and the former Emily Carr campus, need extensive renovations, which the Island’s until-now successful business model can’t sustain. A few ways to bridge the funding gap would be to increase development and visitors, or solicit charitable donations. Check out Uytae Lee’s excellent video essay on the Island’s uncertain future. [About Here]  

After a speedboat collision in Burrard Inlet killed a child and critically injured another over the weekend, Tsleil-Waututh First Nation is calling for increased enforcement around boat speed and permitting. Chief Jen Thomas said the Nation should be able to enforce some of that themselves, especially since their members are on the water every day. [Global]

⚽ After an ugly cup final loss, the Whitecaps got back to their winning ways with a 3-0 victory over their Cascadian rivals from Seattle. The game was highlighted by 19-year-old Jeevan Badwal, who grew up in Surrey, scoring the first goal of his MLS career, while the Sounders took not one but two red cards in the second half. [Peace Arch News]

Outside Vancouver 

🔥 A wildfire has prompted the District of Squamish to declare a state of local emergency. The fire is north of downtown Squamish near Highway 99. No one has been ordered to evacuate yet, but residents at about 100 properties have been alerted they may need to leave on short notice. [CBC]

🥵 Portable classrooms in New Westminster are “dangerously hot” and overcrowded, according to two school board trustees. The trustees, who are speaking for themselves rather than the school board, are urging the province to improve the situation in the short term, and invest in permanent classroom spaces. [CityNews]

🛑 Freedom of information requests to public bodies in B.C. are increasingly being delayed or not answered at all. In one recent case, it led the province’s information and privacy watchdog to take the “unprecedented step” of obtaining a court order to force a response. The office is concerned this perceived lack of transparency could erode the public’s trust in government. [The Tyee]

HOME OF THE WEEK

Fraserhood has become a popular neighbourhood for good reason. This two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment just came on the market, and it’s an example of how you can live there in style. I

It has a great layout, maximizing the ~850 square feet – plus the strata fees are somewhat affordable.

ARTS GUIDE

Performance

Rock music? The apocalypse? If those strike a chord, then Back From the Dead at the Shop Theatre may be for you. The show is a bit hard to explain, so best to check it out (and purchase tickets) here.

Who’s Line is it Anyway? How about Who’s Live Anyway, a 90-minute improv show with the cast of the current season of the famous show. It’s on June 20 out at Abbotsford Centre. 

Art

It’s a while off, but mark down in your calendar the Vancouver Art Book Fair, on July 4-6 at the Roundhouse, with over 100 local and national publishers, including performances and other art pieces. If you love books and writing, this event is for you. 

The Ian Tan Art Gallery at 2655 Granville is hosting a new exhibition by Krista Johnson called Field and Meadows, which features cultivated and wild landscapes, flowers, and plants. 

Music

If you’re a movie fan, then Blue Horse Opera may be up your alley. The two-night show is inspired by Italian spaghetti western filmmakers, exploring the juxtaposition of the climate emergency with the desert landscape. [Stir]

Blues fans will want to check out Corey Harris, a singer and guitar player who has performed with the likes of BB King, Tracy Chapman and the Dave Matthews Band. He’ll be playing at the Blueshore at Capilano University on June 26. 

Movies

Movie buffs will enjoy the next few movies in VIFF’s series Getting Real: The Arc of American Screen Acting, 1945-1980, including Sydney Lumet’s masterpiece 12 Angry Men. There’s also The Ballad of Wallis Island, a comedy and music movie that’s getting solid reviews. 

Families may be interested in Rio’s showing of the original Lion King on Sunday. Non-parents will enjoy the Gladiator, while both will find something to enjoy with Wes Anderson’s masterpiece The Royal Tenenbaums. 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Nate Lewis

Sunday was a perfect day for a street festival on the Drive! 🇮🇹

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Interested in co-op and non-market housing? Then you’ll want to take the city’s survey on their Social Housing Initiative. [COV]

  • Those interested in mountain biking will want to check out Grouse Mountain’s new bike park with lift access. [Straight]

  • Lego and space? You can get both at Science World’s new exhibit, Artemis Space Adventure, starting on June 26. Tickets 

  • Here’s why a new cocktail bar in Cambie is turning heads. [Vancity Lookout]

  • BC Ferries is running a one-day discount – $65 for a vehicle and $15 for a traveller on June 15 to celebrate their 65th birthday.

GAME TIME

May we all get one of these in the near future.

What did you think of today's newsletter?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.