Planning Vancouver Together

The Vancouver Plan survey was active from November 2019 until mid-March 2020. The survey was designed to capture a picture of the current challenges and hopes of those who live, work and play in Vancouver; as well as those who want to do so.

In total, there were nearly 9,800 responses with close to 50,000 open ended questions answered – this was an incredible response! Your contributions have greatly helped to inform our understanding of major priorities areas and concerns for the residents, businesses and community partners. We thank each of you for taking the time to share your voices and opinions with us.

The survey was made available online in five languages: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, and Tagalog. A diverse multi-lingual team made up of experienced community organizers used the survey to engage with communities around the City such as Chinatown, South Vancouver, Downtown Eastside, Strathcona and Kitsilano.

Key findings highlighted peoples hopes and fears for future generations and what they felt are the city's most urgent issues to address.

A full report of will be made available on this website soon – please stay tuned for updates! In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and a high level summary of the survey findings can be found here.

On March 13, 2020 the Vancouver Plan team reported back to Vancouver City Council with it's first update on their early listening phase, Phase 1: Listen & Learn of the engagement process.

The update provided an overview of major themes drawn from approximately 9,800 survey responses, 1,000 interviews, and over 80 community meetings. The initial survey was available in English, in addition to translations in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog.

The survey asked what were the hopes and fears for people living and working in Vancouver and what they felt are the city's most urgent issues to address are, as well as future priorities. Some of the major themes that emerged were:

• Over half of respondents felt their life in Vancouver was getting worse (this survey was pre-COVID-19).
• Some of the most urgent priorities for people were housing affordability, the visibility of people struggling, homelessness, climate change and transportation.
• The greatest fears for future generations emerged as climate change, housing affordability and cost of living.
• The things that brought the most joy were nature and beauty, accessible amenities, and social connections.

Staff also presented on the planned future engagement, including the host-your-own Conversation Kits (release currently postponed), the Future We Want May summit (currently postponed), and the reference documents: Vancouver Today: Reference Guide, and Vancouver Today: The City At A Glance.

The presentation can be found here, and is also listed under the Documents section on our homepage.

On November 28, 2019 the Vancouver Plan team and the Broadway Plan team hosted a Joint Council Advisory Session. All the Council Advisory Committees were invited to attend and many sent representatives. The intent of the session was to provide an update on the two projects and to seek input from the committees on the engagement process for both plans.

Participants worked together to discuss ideas and opportunities for inclusive and representative engagement across Vancouver’s diverse communities and the potential for continued involvement in these concurrent planning processes.

The following themes were developed based on the feedback provided, which largely applied to both projects:

• Local-based engagement - go to where people are
• Respect - compensation for time given
• Diverse engagement techniques and tactics
• Inclusive - ensure other voices included
• Transparency – show your work

On November 14 2019, we started our planning process by asking questions to understand the challenges and priorities of our residents. As part of the consultation, the Vancouver Plan team launched a website which provides updates on planning processes, insight on how to get involved, and the opportunity to stay connected to what we're doing by signing up for the Vancouver Plan newsletter.

During initial meetings that took place, Vancouver City Councillors were paired with different social and demographic groups, such as the youth environmental group Sustainabiliteens, business association presidents and other community leaders, and Chinese-Canadian elders and Indigenous youth in Strathcona.

Conversations with local First Nation governments Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh began in order to discuss how engagement and communication could move forward in a good way with respect to each communities' distinct protocols and ways of working.

At the international EcoCity Conference in Vancouver, youth climate activist Xiye Bastida from NYC spoke with Planning General Manager, Gil Kelley. Taking some time away from her classes, Ms. Bastida explained how the power of youth movement lies in its ability to tackle every sector and how t's both international and intersectional. The current movement is bringing forward youth, indigenous and female voices. Gil thanked her for her effort and assured here how we are going to work hard to do better for the future generations - which is the key priority for the Vancouver Plan.

For the first time in 20 years, the City of Vancouver will undertake a city-wide planning process. The plan will address the social, economic, environmental and cultural aspects of daily life, in addition to land-use and transportation planning while integrating key considerations of reconciliation, equity and resiliency. The goal is to enable people, communities, and future generations to thrive. You can view the Council report here.

The Vancouver Plan will be developed during a three-year period (2019 - 2022), and will guide future priorities for the City of Vancouver into 2050 and beyond.

The planning process will:

• Ask the fundamental question: 'What kind of city do we want to become over the coming decades, and why?'
• Acknowledge the colonial history of Vancouver, and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations care and stewardship of this land.
• Broadly engage residents, workers, employers, institutions, non-profits, civic and neighbourhood groups throughout the city.
• Highlight key choices, trade-offs and strategies that will allow us to realize a shared vision for the future.
• Align with, and inform, existing planning and policy efforts at the City and by other regional agencies.

On November 13, 2018 Vancouver City Council directed staff to expedite the development of a city-wide plan (view Council direction here). A long-term, city-wide plan would establish a clear framework to address rising issues in Vancouver such as housing affordability, environmental and social health. It would also address the need for long-term clarity around land-use, leveraging long-term capital investments and programs with senior levels of government, and encouraging a culture of innovation.

"Creating a long-term plan that takes into account the needs of all residents - current and future - is a positive and proactive way to collectively guide our future," said Mayor Kennedy Stewart.