Share Your Thoughts on 17 Future Villages

As the City of Vancouver works to meet urgent housing needs and create more livable and sustainable neighbourhoods, we're inviting the public to share their thoughts on 17 areas identified as future Villages. 
 
Villages, as outlined in the Vancouver Plan, are areas with existing small retail clusters that, over time, will grow into vibrant neighbourhoods that better meet residents’ daily needs. The current project focuses on 17 of 25 identified Villages, with work on the remaining eight folded into other current or future planning work. Area planning for Villages is a key component of realizing one of the Vancouver Plan’s Three Big Ideas: Equitable Housing and Complete Neighbourhoods.  
 
Villages will change over time into more complete neighbourhoods with small clusters of retail and services to support people who live nearby. By enabling much-needed housing and bringing shops, services and amenities closer to people, Villages will be vibrant and lively places for residents and visitors to enjoy.  
 
Benefits of Villages include: 

• Adding ‘missing middle’ housing: Increase housing supply by enabling multiplexes, townhomes and low-rise apartments up to six storeys, including rental and below-market rental housing. This will bring people of different income levels and family sizes to these areas, making Villages more diverse and inclusive.  
• Growing commercial opportunities: Add more retail spaces and draw more people to neighbourhoods to support local businesses. Together with public spaces where people can meet and connect, this will add to the vibrancy and liveliness of these areas.  
• Shaping complete, connected neighbourhoods: Offer residents the ability to live or work within a short walk, roll or bike ride from shops and services that meet many of their daily needs, reducing reliance on cars and making our communities more sustainable. 

Ways to get involved

The City is seeking feedback on what residents love about the 17 proposed Village areas, and what changes would help these neighbourhoods thrive in the future. This feedback will contribute to shaping the early directions of a draft plan.  

• Take the survey by January 3, 2025, at shapeyourcity.ca/Villages 
  • The survey is available in available in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Spanish. 
• Attend an in-person open house or online information session 
  • Events begin November 20, 2024 
  • More dates and locations available on the website 
• Stay up to date by signing up for the project mailing list through the website 

Background 

The Vancouver Plan, adopted by City Council in July 2022, is the City’s long-term land use strategy that guides growth and development aimed at creating a more livable, affordable, and sustainable urban environment for all residents.  
 
The Plan’s focus is on three Big Ideas identified through a multi-year public engagement process: 1) Creating more equitable housing and complete neighbourhoods; 2) An economy that works for all; and 3) Climate protection and restored ecosystems. 
 
Informed by the three core principles of Reconciliation, Equity and Resilience, implementation of the city-wide plan is currently underway.