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CityPlan and Community Visions

In 1995, City Council adopted CityPlan, a city-wide plan that provides a framework for deciding City programs, priorities, and actions over the next 20 years. CityPlan includes directions on a range of topics, from transportation to arts, housing to community services. CityPlan Overview.

In 1997, the Community Visions Program was launched to bring CityPlan to the neighbourhood level. This program entails communities working with City staff over a two year period to create their visions for the future, based on CityPlan directions and community needs and aspirations. For more information on program details, see the CityPlan Community Visions Terms of Reference.

Dunbar and Kensington-Cedar Cottage were the first two communities to try this new approach to local planning, beginning in 1997. The Dunbar and Kensington-Cedar Cottage Community Visions were approved by City Council in 1998. Victoria-Fraserview/Killarney and Sunset were the third and fourth communities to participate in the Community Visions Program. Their Visions were approved by Council in 2002. Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood were the next two communities and their Community Visions were approved by Council on March 23, 2004. Recently, the Arbutus Ridge/Kerrisdale/Shaughnessy (ARKS) and Riley Park/South Cambie (RPSC) Community Visions were approved on November 1, 2005.

West Point Grey is the last community to go through the Community Visions program and started the process with a kick off event on January 28, 2006.

In neighbourhoods with approved Community Visions, City Staff and the community are working on making their visions a reality through two programs: the Vision Implementation Program and the Neighbourhood Centres Program.

Through the Vision Implementation Program, City Staff and the local community are working together to address a broad range of Vision Directions: dealing with traffic issues around schools and on major roads; community clean-ups; reviewing zoning in shopping areas, improving parks and open spaces; and developing better ways for residents to communicate with each other and with City Hall. These Vision Directions are implemented through single projects, new City programs, existing City programs, informing development activity, and community initiatives. At the community level, a Vision Implementation Committee is created to identify priorities and help develop implementation strategies for local improvement projects.

Through the Neighbourhood Centres Program, City staff are working with community residents and business owners to strengthen neighbourhood centres in approved Community Vision areas by implementing public realm improvements in key shopping areas and identifying locations in the surrounding areas for new low-scale, ground-oriented housing.

In Mount Pleasant, a new planning process is starting. The new Community Plan will update the 20-year-old plan and produce plans for the shopping areas and neighborhoods, action plans for pressing social concerns, and longer-term policies to address community-wide issues.

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Questions or Comments? E-mail: cityplan@vancouver.ca

© 2007 City of Vancouver