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Urban Design Panel

The Urban Design Panel (UDP) advises City Council and staff about development proposals or policies, including major development applications, rezoning applications, and other projects of public interest.

As well, the panel helps the Planning Department and City Council create urban design policy, including the design and interrelationship of all physical components of the City.

The panel reviews all civic building projects, including bridges, roads, parks, beautification projects, transit systems, civic buildings, and design competitions.

The UDP does not approve or refuse projects or make policy decisions.

COVID-19 update: online meetings

We're transitioning to virtual UDP meetings as an interim response to the health emergency.

Meeting on Wednesday, August 5, 4pm 

Item to be heard: 

  • 888 W Broadway
    Time: 4pm
    Contact: Carl Stanford, Development Planner, 604-829-9624

The Urban Design Panel provides expert advice to staff and Council and is not a forum for direct public input. The procedure will remain the same for virtual meetings as in-person meetings. The public may observe meetings in progress but may not address the panel. Members of the public who wish to comment on the application may do so at any time by contacting the rezoning planner for the relevant application as indicated above.

The virtual UDP meeting will be held using Cisco Webex. No software download is required. Use the link below to view the meeting live through your web browser. 

Online meeting password: UDP

Join the meeting

Join by phone (audio only)

1-604-646-8916
1-855-699-3239 (Canada - toll free)

Access code: 146 756 5091

Consent - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

To view or participate in Urban Design Panel meetings virtually, I consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of my personal information outside Canada as described below. The City of Vancouver collects your personal information in accordance with section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for purposes of organizing and administering Urban Design Panel meetings. For virtual Urban Design Panel, your contact information will be shared with the City’s web conferencing provider, Cisco WebEx. Information submitted to WebEx will be stored on servers in the United States and may be accessed in the United States or internationally for technical support purposes. If you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact the director of access to information and privacy by emailing privacy@vancouver.ca, by phoning 3-1-1, or mailing a letter to 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4.

Questions

If you have any questions, contact Kathy Cermeno at 604-873-7770 or udp.info@vancouver.ca. Following the meeting, minutes will be posted online under the Meetings tab below.

UDP meetings are being convened by electronic means as authorized by Ministerial Order No. M139, Local Government Meetings and Bylaw Process (COVID-19) Order No. 2.

Terms of reference

The Urban Design Panel Bylaw establishes the Panel, and describes its membership and duties.

Function and Authority

Panel meetings are open to public attendance but the meetings are not a forum for public comment. Depending on the type of project process, there are always opportunities for public input. Please note that recording and filming of the panel by the public is not generally allowed. To obtain a copy of the audio recording for a meeting please contact the Meeting Coordinator.

Meeting schedule

In response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) health emergency, we have transitioned to weekly virtual panel meetings until further notice. Special meetings will be convened when necessary. The meetings will be held every Wednesday at 4pm via Webex. Links to the online meetings will be posted on our website every week. Public attendance is permitted, however, the public may not address the panel.

Meeting procedure

The panel meetings are conducted by the elected chairperson in the following manner:

  • The Development Planner introduces the project to the panel (referring to its location, context, background, scope and response to established bylaws and design guidelines)
  • The applicant is given the opportunity to clarify any aspects of the plan to the panel (no presentation is required of the applicant)
  • The panel members review the project material and provide comments and observations
  • The Chairperson summarizes the comments of the panel
  • The Chairperson presents a motion to either support the project, support the project with recommendations, or recommend resubmission
  • The Chairperson asks city staff if they have any final comments before the vote
  • The Chairperson asks the panel for a mover and a seconder for the motion, calls the vote and announces the result
  • If the motion does not pass, then the chairperson asks a panel member to move another motion, call the vote, and announce the result.

Attendance requirement

Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining leave of absence from the panel. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.

Membership

The panel consists of at least 13 members, representing the following groups:

  • Six members, Architectural Institute of British Columbia
  • Two members, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia
  • Two members, The BC Society of Landscape Architects
  • One member, the development industry, from the Urban Development Institute, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, or the Building Owners' and Managers’ Association
  • One member, Vancouver City Planning Commission
  • One member, practicing professional artist

All members are appointed by Council, and may be reappointed. There is no limit on the number of terms a member may serve.

Members of the 2020 Urban Design Panel

6 members from the Architectural Institute of British Columbia

  • Angela Enman, Architect, Mcfarlane Bigger Architects + Designers Inc.
  • Walter Francl, Architect, Francl Architecture Inc.
  • Michael Henderson, Architect, HCMA Architecture + Design
  • Alan Davies, Architect, Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
  • Marie-Odile Marceau, Architect, McFarland Marceau Architects
  • Sydney Schwartz, Architect, MCMP Architects

2 members from the Association of Professional Engineers

  • Brittany Coughlin, Engineer, RDH Building Science Inc.
  • Matt Younger, Engineer, AME Consulting Mechanical Engineers

1 member from the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects

  • Margot Long, PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc.
  • Jennifer Stamp, Groundswell

1 representative from the Vancouver Planning Commission

  • Karenn Krangle, Urban Arts Architecture

1 member representing the development industry

  • Muneesh Sharma, Building Owners' and Managers’ Association

1 member representing art professionals

  • Adrien Rahbar, Associate Director, Real Estate at Graham

Meetings, agendas, and details

Previous minutes

Resources for advisory committee members

Contact the Urban Design Panel

Kathy Cermeno
604-873-7770
udp.info@vancouver.ca