Cambie Corridor Planning ProgramPhase Two Draft Plan

Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets May 5, 2011

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Cambie Corridor Program

• Terms of Reference approved July 2009

Cambie Corridor Study Area

Canada Line

Land Use Transportation

Energy

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Transformation over time …

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Cambie Corridor: Evolution in Approach

Station by Station

Marine Drive

2009-2010

King Edward

2013-2014

Langara / 49th

2011-2012

Oakridge / 41th

2011-2012

Corridor

King Edward

Oakridge

Langara

Marine Drive

Cambie Corridor

Original Thinking: Station by Station• “One-at-a-time”• Small team approach

New Approach: Corridor• Linear / corridor focus• Coordinates land use, infrastructure, services

and amenities along entire corridor• Coordinated team approach – staffing

efficiencies

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Cambie Corridor Plan –Program Phasing

Phase One (Adopted Jan 2010)– Develop Principles – Develop Interim Rezoning Policy

Phase Two (2010/2011)– Develop policy for the Core Areas

(sites shown in black) - land use, density, layout, built form and design

– Develop Corridor-wide Strategies (Public Benefits, Utilities, Public Realm)

Phase Three (2011)– Explore housing opportunities for

surrounding neighbourhood areas

We are

here

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Sustainability Approach

Land Use

Transportation

Energy

• housing goals • social diversity• job space integration• cultural and

community amenities• landscape and public

realm design• economic analysis • servicing and

infrastructure

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Cambie Corridor and Council’s Priorities

• Building Strong, Safe and Inclusive Communities

• Environment and Sustainability

• Creative Capital and a Growing Economy

• Homelessness and Affordable Housing

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Cambie Corridor Principles

1. Provide land use that optimizes the investment in transit

2. Provide a complete community

3. Create a walkable and cycleablecorridor of neighbourhoods seamlessly linked to public transit

Phase 1

Approved

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Cambie Corridor Principles

Phase 1

Approved

4. Focus intensity and community activity at stations and other areas with strategic opportunities for sustainability, renewable energy and public amenity

5. Provide a range of housing choices and affordability

6. Balance city-wide and regional goals with the community and its context

7. Ensure job space and diversity

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Draft Cambie Corridor Plan – Summary

• Offers diverse opportunities to work, live, shop, play and learn

• Enhances the public realm• Ensures continued access to

public amenities• Focuses densities stratgically• Mid-rise buildings with taller

buildings at key locations• Strategic location of job space • Considers transitions

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An Evolving Plan

Key Elements:• Striving to achieve urban

design excellence • Seeking to optimize

sustainability performance

Draft Plan has changed based on:• Public consultation• Urban design studies

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Urban Systems and Public Realm Strategy

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Optimizing Energy Use

• District Energy (DE) – low carbon, cost effective and efficient

• Develop a corridor-wide DE Strategy • DE business case analysis required for

large sites • All new buildings required to be

connectable to a DE system

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Enhancing Movement

• Prioritize walking, cycling and transit on the Corridor and connecting streets

• Create routes and infrastructure that are safe, attractive, convenient, navigable, barrier-free and accessible

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Improving Connections

• Increase the accessibility of existing open space along the corridor

• Create a series of additional pedestrian links at key locations

• Break down the scale of blocks and create a network for people to move throughout the neighbourhood.

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Enhancing Streets and Lanes

• Create a pedestrian-friendly network through active and engaging street and lanes

• Residential and commercial lanes will become usable, safe, and beautiful public places

• Prioritize the movement and interaction of pedestrians on streets and lanes

• Facilitate movement of automobiles and service vehicles in a safe manner in lanes

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Creating Public Plazas and Mini-Parks

• Provide areas of respite, identification, and opportunity for social interaction.

• Mark key streets that connect Cambie Street to neighbourhood amenities

• Reflect the context within the corridor as either green or urban spaces

• Create plazas and mini-parks as new development occurs

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Improving Green Space

• Retain and enhance the Boulevard as a unique and highly valued community amenity

• Make best use of existing green space• Ensure enhanced biodiversity• Adhere to principles of sustainable

design and management

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Protecting Habitat

• Nature in the city can provide stress relief, improve health, purify air and water, sequester carbon, and create habitat for endangered/threatened species.

• Protect and restore the Fraser River and aquatic habitat

• Increase biodiversity through high quality ecological landscapes in the public realm –protect and restore terrestrial habitat

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Social Diversity and Resilience & Housing Diversity

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Ensuring Continued Access to Public Amenities

• Use interim public benefits strategy to evaluate public benefits contributions from rezoning applications:– Affordable and rental housing– Childcare– Parks, plazas and other public realm improvements – Civic Facilities– Non-profit and Cultural space

• Develop a comprehensive public benefits strategy

• Explore the use of density bonus zoning tool

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Housing Strategy

• 20% affordable market rental housing* units in target rental areas as a requirement of rezoning

– Requirement capped at 50% of the CAC– Cash in lieu option at City’s discretion

• Sites adjacent to stations will provide affordable market rental housing as part of a negotiated approach

• Achieve a target of 20% of total dwelling units as affordable housing on all large sites

• Preserve rental housing between 19th and 24th

• Replace rental housing on RT sites south of Marine Drive

• Family housing targets (25% of market / 50% of non-market)

* Rent levels will reflect market rates and affordability will be achieved through modest size, finishing and other design considerations.

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A City of Neighbourhoods

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Neighbourhood Approach

“A City of Neighbourhoods” Identified:• Description of neighbourhood

character• Street level & bird’s-eye views• Specific heights, densities and land

uses• Section drawings showing massing,

height, & the interface to adjacent properties

CAMBIE VILLAGE

QUEEN ELIZABETH

OAKRIDGE TOWN CENTRE

LANGARA

MARINE LANDING

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Cambie Village

• Walkable mixed-use urban village

• King Edward (4 - 6 storeys)• Cambie Street (6 – 8 storeys)

– retain rental housing (19th – 24th)

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Queen Elizabeth

• Green, park-like residential area

• Cambie Street (6 storeys)

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Oakridge Town Centre

• Lively, mixed-use, high density urban centre

• Cambie Street (6 – 12 storeys)

• 41st Avenue (4 - 8 storeys)

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Langara

• Walkable mixed-use area surrounding Langara College

• Cambie Street (6 – 10 storeys)

• 49th Avenue (4 storeys)

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Marine Landing

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Marine Landing:Mixed Employment Zone

• Employment uses framing Cambie St will provide visual interest to passing pedestrians.

• Building heights could be up to 100ft and are intended to be of significant density/intensity.

• Buildings may include space for a variety of employment uses and large floor plates are expected.

• Residential land use is not permitted.• Industrial lands protected east and west

of mixed employment area.

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Broad and Robust Involvement

• Cards sent out to households & businesses

• Program website• Media Coverage • Vancouver Matters Ads • Program list serve (over 850

members)• Facebook & Twitter• Posters at local facilities• Special events• Flyered at stations

13,000 households and businesses

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Community Group and Stakeholder Consultation

• Riley Park/South Cambie Vision Implementation Committee

• Marpole Area Network • Marpole Area Residents Alliance• Vancouver Economic Development Commission • Metro Vancouver• NAIOP• Port of Vancouver • TransLink • Urban Development Institute • Vancouver Airport Authority • Vancouver Board of Trade • Cambie BIA

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Research and Learning

• Roundtable – leading practitioners

– UBC Planning / Architecture and Landscape Architecture– SFU City Program– Consultants – i.e. IBI– TransLink– Sustainability practitioners

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Consultation Highlights: What We Heard

• Increasing density around transit stations is a positive change that will allow more people to live and work without the need for a car

• Density and land use mix around rapid transit can help achieve sustainability goals

• Affordable housing and social resilience are key values

• Broad support for increased density on the corridor

• Localized concern that proposed buildings are too high and too dense

• Concern for overshadowing, parking issues, loss of privacy, loss of views

• Concerns with “phased” approach – want the bigger picture

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Consultation Highlights: What We Heard

• Proposed changes will impact character

• Sustainability goals can be achieved through a diversity of building forms (not necessarily towers)

• Increased density and growth should be accompanied by an increase in amenities

• Canada Line capacity is a concern

• Unique neighbourhood character is important

• Even higher densities are needed, particularly around current and future transit stations

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Implementation / Future Work

• Create a Detailed Public Realm Plan

• Develop a Comprehensive Public Benefits Strategy

• Develop a Corridor-wide District Energy Strategy

• Develop a Corridor-wide Utilities Strategy

• Phase 3 – new housing opportunities in surrounding neighbourhoods

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In Conclusion….

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Recommendations

• Approve the plan

• Proceed with future work including:– Detailed public realm plan– District energy strategy– Utility serving strategy– Comprehensive public

benefits strategy– Phase 3 planning

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Thank you