December 2022 – Phase 1 Public Engagement: What we heard

Still Creek and its salmon-bearing sections, the connections to rapid transit, and neighbourhood parks that feature great views of the mountains are some of the things residents feel make the planning area unique. This spring we asked residents to tell us about their neighbourhood, what makes it special and what needs to be improved. We heard about the need for new housing options, more small-scale, neighbourhood retail and new spaces for arts and culture. More than 600 residents and organizations participated in engagement activities this spring including:

• Community Survey (~300 responses)
• Neighbourhood Asset Mapping (where participants were given a map and asked to point out places important to them, or places they think need to be improved) (~100 participants)
• Open Houses and Pop-Ups (170 participants)
• Meetings and workshops with equity-denied populations (80 participants)
• Stakeholder meetings and interviews (~50 participants)

We also asked the community for input on ideas raised during the Vancouver Plan engagement, including housing, economy, and transportation and public space. Responses were generally supportive, and we’ll be looking at some elements the community felt were missing, like the location of new housing options, and how to balance housing needs with the need for employment space in the next phase of public engagement.

For more details about our first phase of engagement in spring 2022 including detailed results of the survey, neighbourhood asset mapping and meetings and workshops see either the full public engagement report or the summary report.

Thanks to all who provided their time, energy, input and ideas during our first round of engagement on the Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan.