Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
3701-3743 West Broadway A lot has happened since this Urban Design Panel review, but I still remember my surprise when city staff revealed a petition against these homes had already received 1,250 signatures. As Hannah recently noted, that number has grown to over 2,000, partially spurred by a mistaken belief that this is a strata... Continue Reading →
3701 - 3743 West Broadway It seems like whenever St. James Community Square hosts an open house, it is either packed with people, filled with angry voices, or often both. Still, Darren and I tried to keep an open mind, but before we left this event history had repeated itself, as over 220 individuals had... Continue Reading →
8 East Broadway (24 East Broadway and 2520 Ontario Street) Though they can be a little quirky, Darren and I really appreciate the members of the SkyScraperPage Forum. These individuals have taught us a lot, and we continue to benefit from their insight, humour, and the occasional rumour they share about an upcoming open house.... Continue Reading →
1465 - 1489 W Broadway - DP-2019-00704 Perhaps the most interesting secret in our city is the identity of the civic employee who's leaking information about projects in the Moderate Income Rental Hosing Pilot Program. Once may be a coincidence, but it's hard to explain how confidential details from three applications (1, 2) could fall... Continue Reading →
2538 Birch Street (formerly 1296 West Broadway) It was hardly a secret that this open house was going to be contentious, and not only because of what Darren and I witnessed at the pre-application open house. Even when it was proposed under the existing, decades old, C-3A zoning, some felt a 16 floor building was... Continue Reading →
2538 Birch Street (formerly 1296 West Broadway) Like the City of Vancouver, Hannah and I try to recap our experiences at a project's open house before we cover its Urban Design Panel review. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to write up that episode yet. So, you'll have to take my word that, while many Fairview residents... Continue Reading →
2538 Birch Street (Formerly 1296 West Broadway) Adding Rental Housing to Central Broadway, home to Vancouver General Hospital and our province's second largest business centre, may not seem that controversial. The neighbourhood is well served by transit, and the Downtown core is easily reached, no matter how you travel. So, even before it was confirmed the Broadway... Continue Reading →
2538 Birch Street (Formerly 1296 West Broadway) It doesn't seem that long ago, but almost a year has passed since a rezoning proposal, which allowed for a 16 floor rental building, was approved for the former Denny's at West Broadway and Birch. Eight months before that, Hannah and I attended the proposal's open house and... Continue Reading →
878-898 West Broadway Though I would never claim to be an expert in planning or architecture, there's occasions when I feel the time I've spent at the UDP has given me an insight into that world. As a result, sometimes I'm even able to correctly guess what the panel may recommend. Perhaps it was due... Continue Reading →
878-898 West Broadway A few months ago, when I attended the pre-application open house for this proposal to increase the amount of hotel space at Broadway and Laurel, I noticed that, while many supported the beautiful design, their biggest complaint was that it was replacing one of the last live music venues in the area.... Continue Reading →
City Duo 