Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre Program - Q & A
Relationship to Community Vision
Q. Where did the idea to make a ‘neighbourhood centre’ in Norquay come from?
A. The Neighbourhood Centre Program evolved directly out of the Community Visions process and CityPlan, Vancouver’s comprehensive planning framework. The Neighbourhood Centre Program is intended to implement the long range goals of CityPlan and ideas generated through the Community Visions process.
- 1995: CityPlan, Vancouver’s plan for the future, was approved by City Council. The core of CityPlan is vision of a City of Neighbourhoods: Vancouverites want neighbourhoods that meet their needs as places to live, shop, play, and feel part of a community.
- CityPlan states that ‘neighbourhood centres’ should be developed, usually from existing shopping streets, to serve as the ‘heart’ of a community; that is to say, a place where people can find shops, jobs, services, public places that are safe and inviting, and an increased variety of housing types to meet the needs of residents at various age and stages of their lives.
- 1997-2007: the Community Visions Program was launched to bring CityPlan to the neighbourhood level. Working with planning staff over a two year period, communities worked to create their visions for the future, based on CityPlan directions and community needs and aspirations.
- Collectively, the ten Community Visions developed over the past decade have identified 18 ‘Neighbourhood Centres’ throughout the City.
- 2002-2004: The Renfrew-Collingwood Community Vision provides a more detailed vision for this part of the City. It calls for the creation of a Neighbourhood Centre around Norquay Park which should include a greater variety of retail stores along Kingsway and a mix of housing types, complemented with additional community amenities and facilities. This Neighbourhood Centre is to be called ‘Norquay Village’.
- 2002: The Neighbourhood Centre Program was initiated in order to implement the CityPlan and Vision directions to create Neighbourhood Centres. The first Neighbourhood Centre Program begins in Kingsway and Knight.
- 2004: Council approves and adopts the housing area and public realm plans for Kingsway and Knight after a two year public consultation program.
- 2005: Council approved the staff and resources for the Neighbourhood Centre Program to begin work in the Norquay Village area.
- March 25, 2006: ‘Kick-Off’ Open House launches Neighbourhood Centre Program in Norquay Village.
For more information:
- CityPlan
- Community Visions
- Renfrew Collingwood Community Vision
- Neighbourhood Centre Program
- Kingsway + Knight Neighbourhood Centre
- Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre
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