The Planning Department has posted its proposed revisions to the EcoDensity Charter, based on the feedback it received from the public hearings and City Council.
You can read the new report to Council here. The revised Charter is here. And the revised actions are here.
The changes reflect the key themes heard:
– EcoDensity must address affordability in a stronger and clearer way.
– Growth needs to be accompanied by amenities
– Existing policies, especially Community Visions, should be respected, not overridden.
– Each community’s individual character should be enhanced and our city of neighbourhoods reinforced.
– Ongoing consultation with communties is needed; the community voice is essential.
– Climate change is happening even faster than expected, and there is urgent need to be working toward a more sustainable future.
Hi Gordon,
It’s been a while since I last visited your site, I should do it more often! Hope you’re doing well.
Good post!
I like most of the changes, would prefer to see Gastown/Chinatown left off any height increases, the density there is already great, besides density can be added w/o height. I’m happy the green standards will be mandatory and that they will be every increasing with passing time. Also like the upzoning to 6-8stories on arterials, still on the human scale but a vast imporvement over the current 4 stories.
The problem is this is all coming in at the end of the boom cycle, I imagine we will not see any measurable results for close to 10yrs.
I’m wondering how you can simultaneously respect a “community vision” that is anti-increased-density *and* have an eco density charter?
At a certain point one is going to have to over-ride the other.
What the eco-density plan needs is an approach that will “sell” the benefits of increased density. More people = more amenities from the private sector, for example. More people should = more and better public services like community centres, transit, etc. Make people want the amenities for their neighborhoods and “eco-density” will be welcomed.
I grew up in a single family area on the west side. Very few amenities were nearby — a long 20+ minute walk to anything. Now I live a block from Commercial Drive. All the people support myriad restaurants, pubs, cafes, small grocers, big grocers, specialty shops, etc. I wouldn’t trade this for my old neighborhood ever.
The new eco-density documents are really good. They made some great improvements. I don’t see how anyone on Council, especially Vision/COPE members could vote against it now. My only concern is the same as Joe’s – that by the time the changes are implemented, the construction boom will be over and we’ll have missed the biggest opportunities.