The Change Charter is the culmination of an extensive process of engagement discussion about adaptability as the key tenet of sustainability. It states that “an adaptable city is one that can grow and change in response to social, environmental and economic factors, while minimizing the disruption of these systems.”

The Change Charter articulates 5 principles of urban sustainability:

1. A flexible public realm
2. Adaptable building
3. Responsive public policy
4. Open public discussion
5. The economy of adaptability

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According to recent Census figures, more than half of all Vancouverites rent their homes. Fifty two percent of our city is an extraordinary number – over a quarter million of us. Projections for population growth within city boundaries range from 15-30% within a generation. Today, however, there is no purpose-built rental accommodation being built in Vancouver.

Why?

To put it simply, the economics in favour of building rental housing do not exist. You will have a hard time persuading any investor to forgo profits simply to build a rental building instead of a condominium. The recent decline in demand for condo housing makes the mathematics of building rental apartments more appealing, but this is a temporary downturn in the economy.

Vancouver is and shall remain an expensive place to buy land and build.

Relying upon senior levels of government for financing or other solutions has proven to be a dead end. The Province has heavily invested in supportive housing for those below the poverty line, and the Feds so far have not found ways to reinstate tax breaks for those who invest in rental buildings.

It was tax incentives in the 1960s & 1970s that led to the last rental building boom, leaving Vancouver dotted with 40-year old apartments and nothing much newer than that.

Evolving out of this scenario is a perfect storm – a rental housing crisis where apartment-by-apartment families and individuals will lose their place in our city. Our supply of workers will dwindle, and local businesses will struggle with employment challenges.

Whether you are a renter or a home owner in Vancouver, you will be affected.

As an advisory body appointed by City Council, it is the mandate of Vancouver City Planning Commission to raise the alarm on long-term planning issues facing the city. The VCPC created a rental housing proposal that we consider to be an important first step in the urgent debate we all must have about this topic.

We are challenging Vancouver’s business-as-usual approach by inviting everyone running for City Council, as well as our community leaders to read our proposal and become a part of this debate.

The Planning Commission chose to release our proposal to the public, in order to begin this debate immediately.

First, we ask what are we as citizens prepared to give in return for secure, purpose-built rental properties flourishing in our city:

• Are we prepared to bargain with density to persuade developers to build rental accommodation?
• Should we consider shortening covenants on rental-to-strata conversions from 40 years to as low as 10 years?
• Are we prepared to add density around transportation nodes and our neighbourhood centres, and reduce building parking requirements?
• Would we be willing to go as far as to consider rental housing as a ‘public benefit’?

Will you join the debate?

Read the VCPC’s Market Rental Proposal

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The workshops formed part of the Urban Adaptability Ideas Forum, the third major event in the Commission’s A City Built for Change initiative to examine how our city responds to shifts in societal, economic and environmental patterns and trends.

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How our city responds to shifts in societal, economic and environmental issues is the basis of A City Built for Change, the central focus of the Vancouver City Planning Commission’s 2008 program.

An Adaptability Ideas Forum is the third and final event of the Vancouver City Planning series of events developed to engage a broad group of citizens in a discusion about sustainable change in the city. Highlighting this two-day forum is a presentation by Professor Robert Kronenburg, author of Flexible: Architecture That Responds to Change, on flexible architecture and city building.

According to VCPC Chair Alan Boniface, Kronenburg is a perfect choice to stimulate deeper discussion on these important themes. “Vancouver is already leading edge in the sustainable development field, advocating for walkable, transit-oriented communities and environmental technologies as a few examples. But we would like to see the boundaries pushed for new ideas, ensuring that future policy in this area is truly progressive and as informed as possible.”

The input received during the series of City Built for Change events will be incorporated into the Commission’s Change Charter, which will be presented to City Council.

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The Summit on Change will involve presentations by Steven Sheppard, Professor of UBC Forest Resources Management, and Michael Geller, President and CEO of SFU Community Trust, followed by roundtable discussions. Participants include leaders from the arts, culture, philanthropy, high tech, business, social services, neighbourhood groups, media and academia. The outcomes from the events will contribute to the Change Charter to be developed by the Commission.

“In creating a plan for the City to become more responsive to change over time, the VCPC is engaging with citizens to investigate the drivers of change in Vancouver,” said Alan Boniface, Chair of the VCPC. “The intent is to assist the Planning Commission in creating a methodology and toolkit for responding to change in its built form and public realm. This is a rare opportunity for a City to create a forward-looking mandate for truly sustainable responses to changing urban forces.”

The event takes place on Thursday, March 20th, 2008.

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Growth in Metro Vancouver is at a crossroads. We welcome newcomers and are planning for a predicted increase in population. But citizens and developers are skeptical about the planning process and are debating the outcomes. What does it mean to implement smart growth? And what kind of leadership is needed to make it happen?

The Vancouver City Planning Commission is presenting an evening with Councillor Robert Liberty from Metro Portland, Oregon – an early and leading smart growth advocate. Like Vancouver, Portland has weighed into the debate over urban sprawl and Councillor Liberty has been at the heart of the debate. He has strongly promoted walkable districts through the redevelopment of neighbourhood centres and along main streets, as well as increasing local transportation and housing choices, as key components to healthy communities. He also advocates giving citizens a stronger role in the regional planning decisions affecting their future. Councillor Liberty will speak about the political challenges and triumphs of smarter growth in cities and regions.

When: Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 6:45 – 8:00 pm

Where: SFU Harbour Centre, Labatt Theatre, 515 West Hastings St.

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