Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
Public Hearing – January 25th, 2022If we hadn’t included it in a title years ago, this public hearing would have been a great setup for a “Grand Slam” pun. In fact, if it wasn’t for a significant amount of public support, city council would never have considered the policy updates that allow for Item #1.... Continue Reading →
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 – January 18th, 2022Anyone who grew up in a small town in the Canadian Prairies can vouch there’s not a lot to do, especially at this time of year. So it may sound hard to believe, but one of my loving wife’s favourite activities was heading to her hometown’s only 7-Eleven for Slurpees... Continue Reading →
4408-4488 Fraser St and 707-709 E 29th AveAs Hannah and I enter our fifth year of recapping our region’s urban growth review process, Vancouver city council’s vote to streamline the secured rental policy seemed like an early Christmas present. We’re hopeful this means the Urban Design Panel multi-hour reviews of these standard six floor rental... Continue Reading →
601 Beach Crescent (DP-2021-00162)As another year draws to an end, this proposal under the Higher Buildings Policy was a stark reminder that almost four have passed since Hannah and I started City Duo. It was first revealed only a couple months after we began to recap our experiences at Vancouver’s civic meetings, and it’s hard... Continue Reading →
3084 W 4th Ave and 2010 Balaclava St (DP-2021-00652)If the Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program managed to demonstrate anything in its short life, it was that our city holds new housing to very different standards based primarily on one factor. It wasn’t height or affordability that was the dividing line, but rather Ontario Street.... 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 →
Public Hearing – December 7th, 2021While Hannah and I put our tree up this weekend, it’s too soon for this night’s items to go under the tree, as they first must be wrapped up by city council. Like good little children, they’ll start with their chores, in this case Item #1, which is essentially a... Continue Reading →
906-982 W 18th Ave and 907-969 W 19th Ave (Balfour Block) - (revised concept)With how poorly this project’s last Urban Design Panel review went, I imagine this applicant team was looking for every advantage they could find in preparation for its requested return. So the sight of Terra Breads' bagged sandwiches in this townhall room... Continue Reading →
277-291 W 42nd AveAs city council grapples with whether to raise property taxes to fund a pandemic-hit budget, this rezoning application feels particularly senseless. After all, what public benefit is achieved by spending tax payer resources on such a lengthy in-depth examination when this project’s nearly identical sibling was approved only a few months ago... Continue Reading →
City Duo 