Frequently asked questions
What is an area plan?
Area plans are policy documents that guide and direct areas ranging from land use and urban design, to housing, transportation, and community facilities.
The City of Vancouver uses area plans to provide clear but flexible frameworks to shape positive change and growth in neighbourhoods over a period of approximately 20 – 30 years.
An area plan considers long-range and shorter-term goals, and works within broader objectives established for the entire city and at regional and provincial levels. It also recognizes the parts of the community valued by its citizens, and addresses the specific issues and initiatives of each area.
Why did the city create an area plan for Broadway now?
Broadway is an area that’s important to our city and the region. It’s the second largest job centre in British Columbia and home to the largest hospital in western Canada. It’s an important transit route that takes people to the many offices, medical centres, schools, businesses and homes along the corridor.
It’s an ideal time for an area plan now that the Broadway Subway project is happening. Broadway will have greatly improved transit access and this is an important opportunity to look at the future of the area.
How did the Vancouver Plan and other planning programs and policies affect the Broadway Plan?
The Vancouver Plan is a big picture, public conversation about the future, exploring ideas about how Vancouver could change and what we as a city want to become in the future.
The Broadway Plan informs and aligns with the Vancouver Plan's citywide planning process. It looks at challenges and opportunities in the unique neighbourhoods in the Broadway Plan area, along with principles, values and objectives for the neighbourhoods and Vancouver as a whole.
The Broadway Plan took an approach that considered the larger context of the city and region but also engaged people on a neighbourhood level and considered the diversity of the neighbourhoods and interests in the Broadway Plan area.