Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
1075 Nelson St (DP-2021-00589)As I knew the Urban Design Panel was scheduled to review the world’s tallest passive house building, I was ready to be amazed when I walked into city hall’s Joe Wai Meeting Room. Sure enough, I was greeted by the most impressive scale model I’ve seen in months. It was only after... Continue Reading →
Public Hearing – December 9th, 2021With the budget set, normally this public hearing would help city council ease into a winter break that lasts until the middle of January. However this year is different, as there’s plenty of unfinished business left to settle, including the fate of the Secured Rental Policy. Ironically, that protocol was... Continue Reading →
1065 Harwood St & 1332 Thurlow St /and/ 1066- 1078 Harwood StWhen these twin towers were first revealed in 2017 (1, 2), we didn’t see much activity at their open house. Then last year, city council permitted them to switch from offering strata homes to market and non-market rental housing, and now Hannah and I... Continue Reading →
Public Hearing – October 12th, 2021With the ongoing pandemic, and the tragedy of the decades of abuse at the residential schools brought fresh to light, Hannah and I can understand why some may not feel like celebrating today. That said, the grief we’ve experienced over the last year has taught us the importance of taking... Continue Reading →
1616-1698 W Georgia St (DP-2021-00409)I imagine whoever forgot to let this applicant team know the previous item on this Urban Design Panel meeting’s agenda had been cancelled felt a little embarrassed during the 20-minute delay that followed. That this world-renowned architect was willing to drop what they were doing to log in well ahead of... Continue Reading →
Public Hearing – July 6th, 2021 I think Hannah would laugh at anyone that would call me an optimist, but I do believe that though the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends towards justice. Lately, there are many reasons to doubt that, as last month a small addition to a public school... Continue Reading →
Public Hearing – April 13th, 2021One has to feel a little bit bad for our city council, as this meeting comes not even a week after they finally finished the public hearing that started on March 11th. Granted, Hannah and I know to a certain extent this is self-inflicted, as they often engage in a... Continue Reading →
1116 Pendrell St (DP-2020-00054)While I may not have attended as many Urban Design Panel meetings as Darren, even I knew what the main sticking point was going to be for this project. It certainly was not the contextual fit, as city staff admitted this expression can be found in many areas of the West End.... Continue Reading →
1045 Haro StreetIt’s been hard to be excited about anything this year, but one of the few things that brought Hannah and I some joy was city council’s decision to simplify the rezoning process. Removing the requirement for applicants to submit an enquiry prior to an official application has not only saved them and city... Continue Reading →
1640-1650 Alberni StreetRecently I was asked whether my frequent attendance at the Urban Design Panel has given me any insight into how they think. While Hannah and I have learned a lot since our first open house, the opinions of the panel often fluctuate with the rotation of new volunteers. A year ago, sustainability was... Continue Reading →
City Duo 