Our City- Diverse, Informed, Together
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 →
Public Hearing – June 23rd, 2022Time can be a funny thing, as these last two years have felt like an eternity, which in hindsight have also flown by. Supposedly as you get older this feeling only gets worse; since you’ve experienced more years, minutes, and hours can seem far quicker. Maybe that sense of time... 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 →
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 →
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 →
Public Hearing – March 3rd, 2022As the civic election nears, it seems city hall is going to be getting considerably busier, as the Broadway Plan, Jericho Lands, and Vancouver Plan’s fates all remain undecided. The April public hearings will likely drag on for multiple nights alone, as the proposal to provide 244 rental homes at... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
City Duo 