How Cities Work: Module 5
The Vancouver Plan
City Planning for the Long Term
Sometimes city planners work on addressing the immediate needs of a city (ie. Should we build this building here?). Other times, city planners are tasked by Council to look at the big picture to create a plan for the future of the city (ie. How do we plan for the future needs of the city? How do we make sure we have enough homes? How do we make our city more climate-friendly? How will residents move around in our future city?).
The Vancouver Plan is how the City of Vancouver is planning for the long term — to ensure that this city is one where future generations thrive. The Vancouver Plan is a three year long project (Fall 2019 – May 2022) to hear from local residents and create a plan that will be acted on for many years to come. It is focused on Planning Vancouver Together, to make sure that people from all walks of life and all ages have their voices heard.
Given that the Vancouver Plan will guide the City well into the future, it’s going to shape the City you will inherit and the place that might influence some of your important life decisions. Things like where you might go to college or university, what your first job might be, or the neighbourhood where get your first place of your own. This is one reason why it’s so important to hear from you during this process, for both future you and the youth of the future!
Here’s what we’ve heard so far
There are a lot of different things that affect the way Vancouver will have to grow and change in the coming years. Some factors that city planners are already thinking about include the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, population growth, and technological changes. During the first phase of the project (2019-2020), city planners heard from thousands of people who live in Vancouver. From their input, they have created ten provisional goals for the Vancouver Plan:
- Advance a City of Reconciliation through Decolonization
- Create an Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive City
- Become a Sustainable and Carbon-Neutral City
- Ensure we are a Prepared, Safe and Resilient City
- Develop an Affordable City with Diverse and Secure Housing for every resident that they can afford with 30% or less of their household income.
- Support a Diverse and Healthy Economy
- Create Complete, Connected and Culturally Vibrant Neighbourhoods
- Re-Establish Thriving Urban Natural Systems.
- Intentionally Manage our Growth and Align our Efforts Regionally
- Demonstrate Transparency in Decision-Making and Collaborate with Partners
