About Vancouver
Embraced by water, including the Salish Sea to the west, Burrard Inlet to the north, and the north arm of the Fraser River to the south, we have always been a coastal community defined by our proximity to the ocean, river, and mountains.
Vancouver is situated on the unceded traditional homelands of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh). The area currently known as False Creek is of significant meaning to the local First Nations who stewarded the land since time immemorial.
We recognize the need to plan for future sea level rise and help flood-vulnerable shoreline neighbourhoods, communities, and businesses to become more resilient to current and future coastal flooding.
The Sea2City Design Challenge (Sea2City) will help inform a framework and vision to guide urban development and ecological revitalization in the False Creek floodplain, a highly valued and constrained urban waterway in the heart of the city.
The design challenge will engage two multidisciplinary teams to work co-operatively with us and project partners to:
- Explore coastal adaptation approaches that respond to the social equity, economic, and ecological challenges posed by sea level rise and coastal flooding
- Investigate coastal adaptation approaches for sea level rise beyond one metre
- Expand our toolbox of coastal flood management approaches
- Increase public awareness of climate change and sea level rise
Between bridges site in 2100
By City of Vancouver
Between Bridges site in 2100 with a new form of seawall experience: floating walkways. The shoreline has been pulled back and restored. Shoreline buildings have been repurposed as public spaces.
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Coopers Park site in 2100
By City of Vancouver
Coopers Park site in 2100 with a softer shoreline that supports sea life and provides a buffer against waves. Floating structures provide recreation opportunities and buildings are retrofitted to endure occasional flooding until they are retired at the end of their life cycle.
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Olympic Village site in 2150
By City of Vancouver
Olympic Village site in 2150 with a series of islands and mudflats. People walk on an elevated walkway that is the new seawall. The Olympic Village has been transformed into park space as buildings have been moved to higher ground over time. A series of forested berm protect the area from major flooding.
Outcomes
Outcomes from the Sea2City Design Challenge will be:
- Used to inform the next phase of our overarching Coastal Adaptation Plan
- Further refined by us with project partners, Indigenous governments, stakeholders, the public, and coastal regulators
Conceptual designs, created as part of Sea2City, will:
- Not be built immediately
- Inform next steps (including more detailed design development and planning)
We will start to take those next steps after the completion of Sea2City and will likely continue for several years recognizing the additional research, planning, technical design, and engagement that will be required to move coastal adaption forward in a constrained urban waterway as False Creek.
Get involved
We have completed public engagement for the Sea2City Design Challenge
The purpose of these sessions was to raise awareness about sea level rise and review the refined design ideas. We have collected all of the feedback and have shared it with the design teams.
Missed a community conversation? Review the July 2022 presentation
We will be sharing the final results in October 2022.
Public events and design teams
Sea2City will include an interactive public engagement and communications program that will run from September 2021 to July 2022.
Selected design teams will participate in three rounds of:
- Workshops
- Public engagement
- Activities
Each round will include:
- Public learning
- Design events as well as advisory sessions and workshops with groups established for the project (Community Advisory Group, Technical Advisory Group, City Advisory Team)
There will also be a youth engagement stream.
Sea2City primer on values-based planning and evaluation PDF file (10 MB)
Design team tasks
Two participating design teams have been selected through a competitive application process to:
- Provide comprehensive design package for a preferred conceptual coastal flood management approach for two sites in False Creek (Each design team will be responsible for two sites.)
- Provide illustrative concepts showing where future coastal flood management approaches and/or structures could be developed along the currently unprotected portions of the False Creek shoreline
- Participate in a one-day, inter-team design charrette at the conclusion of the Sea2City to apply lessons learned through the challenge process to a fifth site
- Produce a final set of materials designed to inspire and inform the community and the city
The request for proposals is now closed.
Rise to the Challenge: Sea2City Design Challenge Roadmap PDF file (14 MB)
Learn more about sea level rise
Get more information on sea level rise in False Creek and what we have begun to prepare for it: Review Coastal Adaptation False Creek
Contact us
Email: sealevelrise@vancouver.ca