British ColumbiaProvincial legislation requires the city to update its 2022 Vancouver plan to one city-wide development plan, which must include a prohibition on public hearings for projects where housing makes up at least half of the floor area.Provincial legislation requires city to update 2022 Vancouver planChad Pawson · CBC News · Posted: Oct 08, 2025 4:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoAn Aquabus is pictured in Vancouver’s False Creek on Aug. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/CBC News)The City of Vancouver wants to hear from residents this fall, as it pushes forward with an official development plan (ODP) to replace the 2022 Vancouver plan.That strategy — passed after two and half years of public engagement, technical analysis and stakeholder input — outlined how the city plans for the next 30 years for 11 policy areas, including housing, the economy and transportation.However, the 2022 plan, which is considered a framework, must now become an ODP — a single, city-wide document that must be adopted by June 2026, because of new provincial rules requiring it.The province’s Bill 18 was devised to improve planning and the process around public hearings to “support the timely delivery of housing for people in Vancouver,” said the government when it introduced the legislation in April, 2024.“This will phase out one-off public hearings for rezonings for housing projects that are consistent with the official development plan,” it said. “Instead, the emphasis will be on providing opportunities for people to be involved upfront in shaping their communities through the official development plan process.”That began in July 2024, with the city developing a draft ODP, which is now public and open for comment.“The draft ODP outlines land use policy for the whole city, mapping out space for housing, jobs, parks and schools as the city grows,” said the city on its public outreach website.It incorporates the 2022 plan, but also builds in new policies such as mapping parts of the city that could be at risk of extreme heat, floods and seismic events, along with new directions and policies for things like public schools, colleges, hospitals and community-serving institutions.Vancouver currently has 11 area-specific OPDs, along with three city‑wide and subject-related ODPs, “which will be unified under the new Vancouver ODP,” said the city.In June council passed a bylaw that would prohibit public hearings for certain rezoning applications, specifically ones that are consistent with the city’s current ODPs.LISTEN | Why one Vancouver city councillor abstained from the public hearing vote:The Early Edition8:53Vancouver bans public hearings for housing rezoning covered by official development plansVancouver City Council has passed a bylaw that would prohibit public hearings for certain rezoning applications. The ban would take effect for decisions related to projects that are consistent with Official Development Plans — and where most of the floor space is residential. This would include projects that fall under the Vancouver Plan, that was approved by council in 2022. This all began when the province mandated this change last year, when it passed a bill to amend the Vancouver Charter. Vancouver City Council passed its resultant bylaw on Monday. Councillor Pete Fry abstained from the vote, and joined us on Wednesday’s program to outline why he couldn’t support the bylaw. He spoke to our guest host Lyndsay Duncombe.Critics say that eschewing public hearings for mass rezonings under blanket development plans can harm liveability in parts of the city which have distinct needs or character.A series of public events hosted by the city to explain the new ODP and gather public feedback begin on Oct. 14 and run until Oct. 27.Once adopted, the new ODP will be reviewed every five years.ABOUT THE AUTHORChad Pawson is a CBC News reporter in Vancouver. Please contact him at chad.pawson@cbc.ca.
Vancouver launches public engagement for new official development plan
