History of the Vancouver City Planning Commission
The Vancouver City Planning Commission was established in 1926 by the
Vancouver City Council and the Point Grey Municipal Council. The Town
Planning Commission, as it was then known, played a key role in planning
the City of Vancouver since the Planning Department was not created until
1951.
The Commission retained the services of Harland Bartholomew and Associates
to prepare a Plan for the City of Vancouver. This visionary plan was completed
in 1929, and it became the "blueprint" for the design of the
contemporary city, with its landscaped boulevards and grid layout. During
the 1940s and 1950s, the Commission was active in the development of the
planning process and with assistance from various consultants, worked
with the civic administration to monitor Vancouver development.
In the late 1960s, the Commission also reviewed rezoning applications.
By the 1970s, there were three major changes which changed the function
of the Commission: Council created the Development Permit Review Board;
established citizens advisory planning committees; and, advocated a policy
of open government. By 1977, it was no longer necessary for the Commission
to continue to review rezoning applications.
In 1977, the Commission received a new mandate to engage in long-range
planning issues and to prepare a set of goals for the city. The result
was "The Goals for Vancouver", published in 1980 and updated
in 1987, and a report, "Vancouver's Future: Toward the Next Million",
completed in 1989. In addition to advising Council on issues of concern
to the citizens of Vancouver, the Commission organizes seminars, hosts
speakers, and prepares submissions to Council on a wide variety of urban
issues.
Citizens from many disciplines - including architecture, law, finance,
landscape, architecture, education, social work, community planning, and
real estate development - are appointed to serve on the Commission for
two-year terms. Meetings, which are open to the public, are held at City
Hall the first and third Wednesdays of every month.
According to the 1977 By-law, the main duties of the Commission are to
advise City Council on issues related to planning and development of the
city, including:
- to obtain ideas and opinions of the citizens of the
City of Vancouver;
- to prepare and keep up-to-date a set of goals of Vancouver
to be used to guide action for change;
- to prepare and keep up-to-date a program of policies
or a plan for the future of Vancouver; and
- to consider and report to Council on any proposal
likely to have a significant effect on the future of the city.
On November 5, 1997, the City Manager recommended changes to By-law No.
5064, which created the Commission, intended to increase the effectiveness
of the operation of the commission and to more realistically reflect its
activities. One change recommends ceasing updating "Goals for Vancouver"
reflecting City Council's approval of CityPlan as the overall planning
document for the City. "Goals for Vancouver" was a ground-breaking
effort of the Commission to encapsulate the values of Vancouverites with
respect to planning issues in the City. It has now been superseded by
CityPlan.
Another change removes a responsibility which the Commission of 1993
requested be added but did not implement. The notion of "audit"
implies a regulatory or confrontational role which the Planning Commission
is ill-equipped to fulfill. The resources of the Commission are much better
used in a proactive was as with the South East False Creek seminar and
workshop in April 1997. A report will be forwarded to City Council recommending
enhancing this proactive role.
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