My response to Andrea Reimer, who I respect.
This is not met to be an attack, but educational through mutual sharing.
Andrea Reimer: Thanks for the thoughtful reflections. On the rezoning issue, neighbourhoods routinely choose the site specific rezoning policy model precisely because it allows for community benefits. In the absence of that the only redevelopment possible is through a blanket rezoning which only creates value for the private land owners, not the public. The other alternative is no new supply, but as we've seen in some west side areas that is a very fast route to extremely high housing prices
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We were just forced out of our rental home by redevelopment with few good rentals available we made the choice to become first time home buyers at practically the worst time in this speculation inflated market.
People need to be able to buy a home without taking huge financial risks joining the speculative home / property market.
A major part of the solution is all levels of government is requiring a significant number of coop shared ownership developments. Given that 30% of Vancouver are renters, about 20% of new developments should be coop shared ownership.
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But back to the issues of rezoning. We fought the tear down of our rental unit because we are loosing lower price rental units and coops are not being built. We just want a place to live we do NOT want to be property speculators.
There is a few reasons why this adhock individual redevelopment does not work. First there is NO code for building separation, green space or community services. A few years back I took my professional exams. One of the questions I will never forget was providing water services for a community. The correct answer was measure the community demographics, residential, services, industrial and this is how much water needs to be provided. It didn't mater that community was a northern community accustom to less water services. It was full coverage, reduced coverage or restricted coverage.
You see redevelopment has the same challenges, when it comes to building separation, transportation and social services.
As an other personal example downtown Vancouver has building separation comparable to the higher density areas of Hong Kong. But instead of classifying building density across Vancouver as ultra high density, high density and medium, low density and defining what that is in practical terms of building separation, street level green space and building complex green space. Each development is consider in isolation!!! As example in isolation Central Presbyterian redevelopment was restricted to 22 floors. But when Saint Paul's Hospital Vancouver is redeveloped you and I both know there will NOT be a 22 floor restriction.
So why did the 22 floor restriction exist in the first place. In my opinion because the city does NOT understand what ultra high density, high density and medium, low density means in real terms of building separation, green space, transportation and services.
And if an area is going to be redeveloped at higher density it MUST provide for the requirements of the higher density. If it does NOT the development is a drain on the community.
You are correct changing city redevelopment regulations alone is NOT enough. But the city and its people needs to define ultra high density, high density and medium, low density means in real terms. And publish these so that everyone KNOWS what it means to stay in one density level or transition to another.
The current adhock approach is NOT planning and of course every community you try to do this to should jump up and down to stop it. And there is multiple parts to the solution. I see 3 major ones.
I tried to stop redevelopment of our rental, because of the complete lack of non-speculative housing. Land owners in Vancouver are speculators, both individual and land holding companies. We have NO choice. And you know that I am very pro-development.
"blanket rezoning which only creates value for the private land owners". With the current state, I agree it only creates value for land speculators, but it should NOT be.
This is a problem that feeds back on itself.
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