Vancouver Infill & Lowrise Updates Discussion

[misher]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://twitter.com/JenStDen/status/1215320039286460417?s=20

The numbers show Vancouver seems to be doing far more than the suburbs when it comes to densifying.

Aren't we predicting above 2% annual population growth? So while 6800 isn't bad if you minus 20% for units demolished you 5440 which doesn't keep up with our rate of growth. We have about 320,000 units so that's just 1.7% growth annually.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://twitter.com/JenStDen/status/1215320039286460417?s=20

The numbers show Vancouver seems to be doing far more than the suburbs when it comes to densifying.

What numbers are you looking at. When you factor in the fact they are almost 3 times the size of Burnaby there numbers dont look as good. and 6 times the size of the township of Langley.

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

What numbers are you looking at. When you factor in the fact they are almost 3 times the size of Burnaby there numbers dont look as good. and 6 times the size of the township of Langley.

It's easier to add housing to areas where none exists. Adding a few towers onto a parking lot to preserve surrounding detached zones, and/or turning acres of empty land into suburbia is not what I would label as densifying. To be clear, I'm not praising Vancouver either.

[GenWhy?]

I think Cambie Corridor alone is supposed to be up to 30,000 extra people by 2040(ish).

[logan5]

I knew there was lots going on in Vancouver, but still a bit surprised at how much more is going on in the CoV. Surrey is 3 times the size (area wise) of Vancouver too.

The Broadway Plan will pave the way for even more development, along with the Cambie Corridor plan, and the (hopefully) upcoming city wide plan. That may widen the gulf even more as other municipalities have no city wide plans in the works.

[Migrant_Coconut]

There's the Whalley and Metrotown upzonings. Then again, anybody impressed by Whalley or Metrotown is probably also impressed by Regina.

[Marshal]

Originally Posted by Vin

Obviously I'm not boring you if you are inspired to write the above novel. Don't get me wrong, I love downtown, although I hate how various policies restrict its development and potential. As for anywhere outside downtown: to each his own. You may find the various low-rise infill developments interesting, but to me they are just dead boring and uninspiring, with minimal densification that is far below what we need to house people, as well as the provision of amenities and facilities. To me we are simply creating the next generation of "Vancouver specials" all over this city's residential neighbourhoods.

Tell you what I find interesting: anywhere around the boundaries of CoV, Metrotown, Brentwood, City of North Van, New Westminster, Surrey Central, Coquitlam Central, UBC area and Richmond are getting way more interesting developments in those places. Within Vancouver, Marine Gateway is very nice, but our "think small" City policies are again restricting its potential for growth. The new proposal for Commercial/Broadway area is also quite inspiring, but I have a nagging feeling that it would be watered down due to local protests.

You just said the same thing again. #5625. How can you live with just one repeating take? Is it a cognitive deficit thing? It's fine to hold opinions, but how many times can you repeat them without vomiting in the back of your own throat?

[cyclinginvancouver]

4185 Main Street

Matthew Cheng Architect Inc. has applied to the City of Vancouver for permission to:

develop a four-storey mixed-use building containing retail use (main floor) and residential (2nd floor – 4th floor), with:
a proposed FSR of 2.5 (11,880 sq.ft.);
a proposed height of 45.28 ft.
10 secured market rental dwelling units; and
a total of two parking spaces having vehicular access from lane.

Under the site’s existing C-2 zoning, the application is “conditional” so it may be permitted; however, it requires the decision of the Director of Planning.

We welcome your written comments (letter or e-mail) on this development application. Comments should be received on, or before January 24, 2020, to be considered in the staff review. However, comments will be considered up until the date of decision.

https://development.vancouver.ca/pc4185main/index.htm

[cyclinginvancouver]

1425 and 1451 East 12th Avenue

The City has received an application to rezone 1425 and 1451 East 12th Avenue from RM-11N (Multiple Dwelling) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) to allow for the development of a 6-storey residential building including:

157 social housing units (30% of units secured for households with incomes below housing income limits);
a floor space ratio (FSR) of 2.56;
a floor area of 9,084 sq. m (97,779 sq. ft.);
a building height of 20.7 m (68 ft.); and
33 underground vehicle parking spaces and 175 bicycle spaces.
The application is being considered under the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan.

A community open house will be held on February 4, 2020, 5:00 pm-8:00 pm at the Lakeview Multicultural United Church ( 2776 Semlin Drive) with City staff and the applicant team available to answer questions.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by cyclinginvancouver

4185 Main Street



https://development.vancouver.ca/pc4185main/index.htm

The City always talks about how fine grained urbanism is the desired form for our city, but a development like this actually transforms a section of Main Street from fine grained to a coarse grained urban fabric. It worries me to see this because if we get too many of these developments, Main Street becomes a much less interesting place to be as these buildings attract a short range of businesses. Ultimately, these generic mixed use projects have a detrimental effect on the vibrancy of the neighbourhood.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to upzone without gentrifying.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://twitter.com/JenStDen/status/1215320039286460417?s=20

The numbers show Vancouver seems to be doing far more than the suburbs when it comes to densifying.

I thought Vancouver would be higher than the others, but I'm surprised by how much, considering how Surrey and especially Langley Township have sprawled the last year.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Marshal

You just said the same thing again. #5625. How can you live with just one repeating take? Is it a cognitive deficit thing? It's fine to hold opinions, but how many times can you repeat them without vomiting in the back of your own throat?

That's because things haven't changed since I last talked about it. Need to vomit into your throat for greater effect. Looks like it's working.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://twitter.com/JenStDen/status/1215320039286460417?s=20

The numbers show Vancouver seems to be doing far more than the suburbs when it comes to densifying.

You should see DailyHive's chart:

Single Family Homes:
Vancouver was still building 1,090 SFH, while Burnaby only built 146 last year!

Apartments:
Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby and Surrey alone built almost 10,000 while Vancouver the main employment centre built only half of that: mostly lowrise lower-quality woodframe apartments too spread out all over the city rather than close to major transit stations. Seriously, if more apartments were to be built around any of the Canada Line or Expo/Millenium lines in Vancouver, we don't even need anything built outside this city. Talk about being extremely backward.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-2019-housing-starts-cmhc

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Vin

Cherries, freshly picked!

No, DailyHive is using the exact same source: CMHC. And Vancouver's ahead on both accounts, as per the table, when doing a direct comparison:

Vancouver: 6,823
- Single-family dwellings: 1,090
- Semi-detached dwellings: 190
- Rowhouses: 39
- Apartments: 5,504

Burnaby: 4,411
- Single-family dwellings: 146
- Semi-detached dwellings: 48
- Rowhouses: 22
- Apartments: 4,195

Exactly ZERO cities have 100% growth inside the core; Manhattan and the City of Toronto, for one, only take 29-33% of total housing starts. SimCity is not a reliable source of information.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

No, DailyHive is using the exact same source: CMHC. And Vancouver's ahead on both accounts, as per the table, when doing a direct comparison:

Vancouver: 6,823
- Single-family dwellings: 1,090
- Semi-detached dwellings: 190
- Rowhouses: 39
- Apartments: 5,504

Burnaby: 4,411
- Single-family dwellings: 146
- Semi-detached dwellings: 48
- Rowhouses: 22
- Apartments: 4,195

Exactly ZERO cities have 100% growth inside the core; Manhattan and the City of Toronto, for one, only take 29-33% of total housing starts. SimCity is not a reliable source of information.

i have a question about these single-family dwelling #'s?

- what do they consider single family? because many of these "single family" homes are built with both a laneway, and basement suite. that really makes them multi-family with 3 total units.

the last Stats Can report i saw showed there was more multi-family than single family units in Vancouver. it specifically stated the basement suites and laneways make the property multi-family.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

i have a question about these single-family dwelling #'s?

- what do they consider single family? because many of these "single family" homes are built with both a laneway, and basement suite. that really makes them multi-family with 3 total units.

the last Stats Can report i saw showed there was more multi-family than single family units in Vancouver. it specifically stated the basement suites and laneways make the property multi-family.

They consider a single family to be just that, no suite. You're correct that it's multi family if it has a suite. However, a laneway house counts as a single family detached dwelling. So over half those SFDs are likely to be laneway, some with a new house, which if it's being developed without a suite, will count as another SFD. There are almost no 'new' additional SFDs in Vancouver, they're almost always redevelopment of an existing lot, although sometimes they're a subdivision of a big lot into two lots, each of which might also add a laneway, provided there is a lane. (Not every block has a lane, but most do).

[Migrant_Coconut]

Only a matter of time before we start seeing these in the West Side:

• Video Link

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Only a matter of time before we start seeing these in the West Side:

• Video Link

that would be absolutely terrible.

[zahav]

I can't think of any areas of Vancouver that have new SFD developments (like Coquitlam's Burke Mountain, or so many parts of Surrey or Langley). You really need greenfield space for new subdivions, for the most part (or redvelopment of old massive lots or "rural" type housing like what Burke Mountain had before). All of those units in Vancouver were old houses that got torn down