A Summer of Hope and Questions
CC #135: Perhaps political change and its potential may yet brighten our futures. But we must ask the hard questions of our leaders—ALL who aspire to office.
An example of block busting that’s already happening. This the Broadway Plan in Vancouver (illustration by Stephen Bohus, BLA)
The post below is 805 words, takes 4-1/2 minutes to read—1-1/2 minutes more than citizens are now allowed for presentations at Vancouver Council meetings.
As I reflected during my annual month in a rented cabin on Hornby Island, hope almost always bests despair. Regardless of its controversies, this summer’s Paris Olympics served up enough courage to lift our spirits. For me, the sheer heart of the Canadian women’s soccer team overcoming a crippling and unfair penalty for coaching errors was a highlight—they did not win a medal, but they taught us greatness. And again the women, the Rugby 7s silver medal was so uplifting, showing how teamwork can take us to new heights.
Politically, the US election has been front and centre for much of the year, including for those of us who are not Americans. We know the vital importance of the USA to the free world. For me, the rejuvenated Democratic ticket offers a hopeful alternative to, well, you know who. Fingers and toes crossed.
More locally, my province of British Columbia votes for a provincial government in October. The very recent announcement of a de facto integration of the two centre right parties makes of our election a clearer choice…maybe. It’s now the BC Conservatives versus the incumbent New Democratic Party (NDP).
But is the choice clear? Maybe not. Which is where we voters come in.
I have generally limited City Conversations to my wheelhouse of planning, urban design and architecture. Amongst all the issues facing our province, the NDP government has conveniently coalesced most of this type of issue around three Bills passed last November with virtually no public consultation. The upcoming election provides an opportunity to get clarity from those seeking election.
For convenience I have proposed some simple yes/no questions around these Bills, which I encourage you to put to all of those seeking office—to be clear, please question all parties because it is by no means clear yet whether the BC Conservatives or BC Greens would change what the NDP has wrought:
Bill 44
Eliminates single-family zoning and enables fourplex housing province wide as of right. Vancouver enables up to six units. Question: Are you in favour of eliminating single-family zoning throughout the province, in favour of 4-6 homes per lot?
Setting aside important neighbourhood urban design issues such as shadowing and overlook, no allowance is made for the costs of providing basic sewer and water services to haphazardly increased density. The Mayor of Burnaby has estimated these costs at $1 million per block, with funding source unclear—property taxes?
Eliminates public hearings if a development proposal complies with an Official Community Plan (OCP). Question: Are you in favour of eliminating public hearings for proposals compliant with an OCP, which OCP may have been developed with little or no public input because the public thought they could voice their views at a later Public Hearing and depending upon the merits of what was proposed?
Many OCPs were developed with limited public input based on the expectation of future consultation, which option has now been removed.
The public will no longer have input to any aspect of a proposed design—aesthetics, services, parking, etc., will all be determined between municipal staff and the developer proponent.
Bill 46
Changes the formula for calculating and collecting development charges that historically supported infrastructure such as community facilities, police and fire services. Question: Do you support changing the formulae for development charges that support needed infrastructure improvement?
This has already caused some municipalities to suspend work on community facilities they are no longer sure they can afford.
There has been little or no financial or land provision anywhere for added community facilities, parks and schools.
Bill 47
Requires higher density around transit hubs including SkyTrain stations, bus exchanges and any other transit deemed by subsequent government regulation or TransLink decision—up to 20 storeys within a 200m radius, 12 storeys within a 400m radius, 8 storeys within a 800m radius. These reduce from 20 to 12 storeys and from 12 storeys to 8 in more suburban communities such as Maple Ridge. Question: Do you support higher density around transit simply based on distance from a station, regardless of any other community plans or zones?
This has already given rise to dozens of high density project proposals in the middle of existing low and medium density areas—what are affectionately called “block busters.” See the illustration at the top of this post—recent municipal moves further increase what we illustrated more than a year ago.
Several architects and planners have demonstrated that medium density (three to six storeys) can achieve similar density to high-rise with reduced capital, energy and operating costs and greater respect for neighbourhood and community.
The provincial election is seven weeks away. Please attend candidate meetings and ask these questions. Answers that are not clear, that are not throughtful, are suspect, as are those who have not thought about the future of our province.
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Brian Palmquist is a Vancouver-based architect, building envelope and building code consultant and LEED Accredited Professional (the first green building system). He is semi-retired, still teaching, writing and consulting a bit, but not beholden to any client or city hall. These conversations mix real discussion with research and observations based on a 50-year career including the planning, design and construction of almost every type and scale of project. He is the author of the Amazon best seller and AIBC Construction Administration course text, “An Architect’s Guide to Construction.” He recently started a book about how we can Embrace, Enhance and Evolve the places we love.