october 26, 2012

Friday, October 26, 2012 Richmond Review · Page W1Page W4 · Richmond Review Friday, October 26, 2012

The future is yours—take a look . . .

First place winner artwork by Anthia Chen, Grade 12 student

2041 Official Community Plan www.richmond.ca

2041 OCP Cover Artwork Winners, Richmond High School Students Anthia Chen and Anna Toth

The future is yours

Visit letsTALKrichmond.ca

The future is yoursVisit Richmond’s new online community often to connect to major strategies and projects that the City is working on.

Currently, learn about and make comments on Richmond’s new 2041 Official Community Plan.

Richmond City Council wanted to include Richmond high school students in preparing the 2041 OCP.

So we invited all Richmond High School Grade 11 and 12 students to create artwork for the 2041 OCP. The students

release, the City’s web site and local newspaper coverage. Eight submissions were received from Richmond Grade 11 and 12 students, from seven public and independent schools. A selection jury of City and School Board staff reviewed the submissions and chose the fol-lowing two contest winners, based on their creative interpretations of the OCP sustainability theme:

• The 1st Place Winner was Anthia Chen, a Grade 12 Steveston-London Secondary student. Her artwork is used in the 2041 OCP cover design and she received a $1,000 educational scholarship.

• The 2nd Place Winner was Anna Toth, a Grade 11 J.N. Burnett Secondary School student. Her artwork is inside the 2041 OCP and she received a $500 educational scholarship.

On Monday June 27, 2011, Council in full public session presented the awards and acknowledged all participants for their creativity, community awareness and citizenship.

Did you know these growth projections from 2012 to 2041? � Population growth: from 200,000 to 280,000

� Employment growth: from 140,000 to 180,000 jobs

� Housing growth: an additional 42,000 dwelling units

Second place winner artwork by Anna Toth, Grade 11 studentwere advised that the theme of the 2041 OCP was “Towards A Sustainable Community” and were given a dead-line of April 18, 2011. City and School Board staff distributed contest informa-tion to the students and also provided it to the general public through a news

A little background — What exactly is an Official Community Plan? � An OCP is a City’s statement of its long-term future land use planning vision.

� It describes the kind of community into which the City wishes to evolve.

� It is also a legal document and is a powerful tool for bringing the vision into reality.

What is Richmond’s OCP Vision? � The Vision is that by the year 2041, Richmond will be a sustainable and healthy city that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs — a place of great spaces and experiences.

� The City’s leading assets will include a thriving downtown, diversified economy, distinct and connected neighbourhoods, accessible island shore-lines, open spaces, and agricultural lands.

What are the OCP Goals?The OCP Goals are that Richmond will be a city that is:

� Welcoming and diverse

� Connected and accessible

� Valued for its special places

� Adaptable - can respond creatively to change - can respond to challenges such as changing demographics, culture, technology and climate change.

Here’s what you told us is important to youThrough three years of public engagement — 28 open houses, 45 stakeholder meetings and more — here’s what Richmondites have told us is important to them:

1. Provide more housing choices: affordable housing, age in place options and give singles and young families more choices

2. Improve streets and connectivity in neighbourhoods

3. Retain agricultural lands and improve their viability

4. Make our neighbourhoods more walkable and attractive

5. Make accessibility a priority

6. Provide more parks, green spaces, and community gardens

7. Improve opportunities to access the Fraser River shoreline

As well, residents told us they are willing to consume and waste less, use their cars less and make energy and other environmental improvements in their homes and offices.

www.letsTALKrichmond.ca and the October 20, 2012 open houseHere’s what you told us at the October 20, 2012 open house:

Likes include: � The sustainability vision and focus on reducing green house gases and energy

� Efforts and focus to improve walking, cycling and rolling (wheelchair/stroller) paths

� Improvements to public transit

� Densifying shopping malls

� That we are working closely with the school board

Concerns include: � The careful planning of townhouses and their interface with adjacent single family areas

� Ensure that police, fire and library services support population growth

After almost three years in the making, the new 2041 Official Community Plan (OCP) is undergoing final public and stake-holder review before it goes to Council for final approval.

With the title Moving Towards Sustainability, this new plan sets the framework for Richmond’s future.

Knowing where Richmond is going will help you steer your own future.

Highlights of the 2041 OCPThe 2041 OCP is over 400 pages and its priorities and objectives are logically presented in chapters. Just have a look at these examples:

1. Sustainability

2. Climate change response

3. Connected neighbourhoods with special places

4. Vibrant city (arts, culture, heritage, recreation and community wellness)

5. Safe city

6. Resilient economy

7. Agriculture and food

8. Mobility and access

9. Island natural environment

10. Open space and public realm

11. Social inclusion and accessibility

12. Sustainable infrastructure and resources

To see the OCP online, please visit www.letsTALKrichmond.ca

The top 3 items that are important to youHere is a bit more information on the top 3 items of importance to the public. Many objectives fall under them, and we’ve highlighted just a few:

1. Improved transportation and roadsOur objectives include:

� Improving transportation alternatives, transit service and roads

� Making streets more attractive and conducive to pleasant walking

� Expanding the cycling and rolling (wheelchair and scooter) network to improve city-wide connections

� Encouraging the reduction of automobile use from 83% to 49% by 2041

� Shifting to walking, transit and cycling by improving transit, densifying neighbourhood centres and providing more compact neighbourhoods that are easy to get around by walking, rolling and cycling.

2. HousingWe’ll be:

� Creating more complete and inclusive neighbourhoods (people can live, work and play all in the same community)

� Creating a diverse range of housing types, tenure and affordability for the full spectrum of housing needs for residents (including row housing)

� Densifying around shopping centres to increase multi-family housing, ser-vices and employment to make life more convenient and sustainable

� Protecting single family neighbourhoods and character

� Enabling in certain places along arterial roads, townhouses and compact single family houses with a coach house

� In Edgemere, enabling coach house and granny flats with single family houses

� Mitigating potential noise (e.g., from Canada Line and between certain land uses)

3. More parks, green space and community gardens

Our objectives are to:

� Ensure equitable access to parks and open spaces across the city

� Increase park space

� Provide more opportunities for people to experience nature (e.g., bird watching, nature walks)

� Protect, enhance and sustain ecosystems in parks and open spaces.

� Deliver educational and interpretive programs that increase the commu-nity’s connection to nature

� Work with land owners/developers to secure publicly accessible open spaces to increase connectivity

� Further develop outdoor sports and recreation programs and facilities, that are inclusive and barrier-free

Public involvement, collaboration and partnerships will be vital to the achieve-ment of these goals to the year 2041.

Ways to be involved � Visit www.letsTALKrichmond.ca

� Attend or make a written submission to the Public Hearing, anticipated to be Monday, November 19, 2012 (Correspondence may be sent any time prior to the hearing, to the City Clerk’s Department.)