Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
601 Beach Crescent (DP-2021-00162)To say following this mix of 303 strata, and 152 non-market homes has been a torturous process would be an understatement. The hurricane of anger Hannah and I witnessed at its open house pales when compared to the tediousness of the three Urban Design Panel reviews it’s been subjected to, and I... Continue Reading →
950 W 41st Ave (DP-2022-00208) - Jewish Community Centre Phase OneOne might imagine securing commitments for tens of millions of dollars in federal, and provincial funding would be the biggest challenge the Jewish Community Centre's expansion and renewal would face. Of course, If there’s anything Hannah and I have learned since we attended its open... Continue Reading →
5812-5844 Cambie St (DP-2022-00210)Five years ago, when Hannah and I first attended an open house for a proposal at this site across from the Oakridge Centre, what we saw looked very different from today. Since then, the anger some felt about these changes has dissipated once the Cambie Corridor Plan’s Third Phase was approved in... Continue Reading →
1210 Seymour St (DP-2022-00227)To say I was shocked to learn this non-market housing co-op has been in the works since city council created the Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency eight years ago would be an understatement. Hannah suggested my actual reaction might be too colourful for print, yet she wasn’t thrilled to find out the Planning... Continue Reading →
2062-2092 E Broadway - MidnightWhen this Urban Design Panel review took place earlier this year, most present were feeling the effects of the vaccine, and probably would have preferred to be resting instead. I imagine it didn’t help that this proposal is for a simple six-floor strata building, which several didn’t even feel needed to... Continue Reading →
750 Pacific Boulevard (DP-2021-00830) - Block A (Phase 1), Expo Gardens (Plaza Of Nations)I imagine spending seven years locked in a legal battle with your neighbour might make anyone feel colourful, especially if it involved a 10.2-acre waterfront property worth $800 million. Yet, I never expected the Urban Design Panel’s latest review of the Plaza... Continue Reading →
791 W Georgia St (DP-2021-01096)When I noticed the Urban Design Panel’s agenda included the renovation of the former Four Seasons Hotel, I was puzzled to say the least. What benefit could this in-depth review possibly serve for a structure that has been part of our city’s urban fabric for 45 years? I better understood city... Continue Reading →
2 E Broadway (DP-2022-00184)Like an Urban Design Panel member, Hannah and I were shocked by the “radical” changes this 12 floor office building has undergone since we last saw it. After all, once city council approves an application’s general shape, it’s rare for it to switch architect firms, and go through a total overhaul. Mercifully,... Continue Reading →
688 Cambie St (DP-2021-00171) - (Vancouver Art Gallery)Even reaching this Urban Design Panel review could be seen as a win for the plans to build a new Vancouver Art Gallery, as it’s been six years since its pre-application open house. That doesn’t account for the time spent searching through 12 locations before this site was... Continue Reading →
1025 Dunsmuir St (DP-2021-00824)There’s been a lot going on at the Bentall Centre since its new owners took over in 2019, including the addition of murals, lighting features, and the conversion of its large water feature into usable public space. The biggest change has been the loss of its above-ground parking garages with new office... Continue Reading →
City Duo 