Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
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 →
1075 Nelson St (DP-2021-00589)To say this proposal has drawn plenty of interest would be an understatement, as it played a significant role in Vancouver landing the International Passive House Conference in 2023. Even city staff acknowledged a project of this scale would further enrich local knowledge, and help build a supply chain for future projects... Continue Reading →
343 W Pender St (DP-2021-00952) - 470 Homer StreetWhen the Hartney Chambers, and World Buildings were first constructed during Vancouver’s pre-war boom, I wonder if anyone thought they would be standing over a century later. Granted, their insides had been gutted to accommodate some rather interesting things, including a provocatively named waxing studio, an adult... Continue Reading →
625-777 Pacific StHopefully the Urban Design Panel’s volunteers enjoyed their winter break, because their first review of 2022 lasted for nearly three hours. The Omnicron-forced return to a virtual format was partially to blame for this, but as Hannah jokingly pointed out, some people like torturing themselves, and I willingly attend these sessions. Her words... Continue Reading →
8029-8225 Oak St and 1012 W 64th AveAfter spending so much time at city hall over the years, attending these Urban Design Panel meetings oddly began to feel sort of like coming home. Despite what she says, I’m sure Hannah didn’t mind having our actual house to herself for a few hours every second Wednesday... Continue Reading →
1477 W BroadwayFrom the moment its development plans were found in a dumpster, the future South Granville SkyTrain station has polarized opinions. In fact, Councillors Bligh, Hardwick and Kirby-Yung, even voted against (pg 8) the Issues Report that let the average person speak their mind on this mix of market and moderate income rental homes,... Continue Reading →
456-496 Prior StAs our regular readers know, Hannah and I do our best to research the projects we write about, and on this occasion we may have gone overboard. Granted, it was a fluke that, as we sorted through my family’s home videos, we found John Daly’s 1989 report on the St. James Social Services... Continue Reading →
2086-2098 W 7th Ave and 2091 W 8th AveAs yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of our first City Duo post, I think Hannah and I have proven we’re among the most dedicated individuals when it comes to following Vancouver’s urban growth. Yet neither of us would ever force our children to attend an Urban Design... Continue Reading →
855-865 W 10th AveWhat’s an appropriate amount of time for city staff to spend reviewing a 12 floor office building, less than a block from a future Skytrain station? Apparently, in Vancouver the answer is over four years, since it’s taken this modest proposal that long to reach the Urban Design Panel. Granted, Hannah and... Continue Reading →
1406-1410 East King Edward AveIt was fitting this Urban Design Panel meeting was being broadcast live, with every chair in the room filled, as city staff announced it would mark the end of an era. Over the decades, they admitted city policy had grown complacent, focused only on providing a smooth transition between condos and... Continue Reading →
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