District of North Vancouver residents will have their last chance Monday to reshape the municipality's social, economic and cultural identity for decades to come.

Town centres, neighbourhoods and transportation systems across the district could look dramatically different by 2030, courtesy of the district's new official community plan.

Planning staff hope the plan will help attract the North Shore's missing generation -- those aged 25 to 40 who have left the region en masse due to lack of economic opportunity, community vibrancy and affordable housing.

District officials said the 166-page OCP document, now in its third draft, is the result of two years of research and consultation with more than 5,000 residents, businesses and community associations. It covers every aspect of growth for the municipality, including residential densification, employment, expansion of green spaces, and more efficient transportation networks.

With the local population expected to rise by 20,000 within the next two decades, officials hope to tailor the district's urban expansion in a sustainable manner.

Acting Mayor Mike Little said the public hearing -- set to begin at the unusually early time of 5 p.m. at district hall -- offers an opportunity for the public to provide feedback before the plan is finalized by council.

"We want to hear from anybody who has concerns about it," Little said. "Hopefully, (the plan) is representative of most of the people in the community.

Little said it's been 20 years since the last community plan was written, and the new version is an essential defence against inefficient, uncontained urban sprawl. He said the goal is to protect the region's natural identity by focusing on developing "network centres."

At the heart of the document is a plan to create compact, urban areas by drawing residents and newcomers into four key reinvigorated town and village centres: Lynn Valley, Lower Lynn, Maplewood and Lower Capilano/Marine Drive.

The expectation is that 75 to 90 per cent of new residential units will be located within those targeted areas.

Brian Bydwell, the district's director of planning, permits and bylaws, said the North Shore's aging population and lack of housing diversity are two of the more pressing issues that the new plan addresses.

Bydwell said 70 per cent of the district is made up of single-family dwellings, and poor availability in the affordable rental market is pushing younger people out of the community.

"We've got a missing generation," he said.

Susan Haid, the district's manager of sustainable community development, said only 18 per cent of dwellings in the area are rentals, and more compact, dense centres would help inject some life. "We've heard a lot of young people say (the region) is lacking in vibrancy and places to go," she said.

The plan is not a slam dunk with all North Shore residents.

Joseph Bowes, a resident in Seymour who has monitored the process, said the new official plan is unnecessary and would lead to developer-driven planning similar to what is happening in his neighbourhood. An 11-storey highrise tower is currently under construction against the will of many of his neighbours, and Bowes said that Seymour's current community plan -- enacted by the previous district council in 2004 -- was sufficient to prevent urban sprawl while protecting residents from overzealous development.

Corrie Kost, another North Shore resident who has attended the majority of meetings throughout the past year, said the district "did about as good a job as they could have done" with the consultations.

Kost said the district did well by soliciting public involvement, but he observed that the number of people who participated in the consultation process was probably about half of what the district reported. He said the number is closer to 2,500, as many participants were counted each time they attended a meeting.

He encouraged everyone to attend on Monday. "What's at stake is the future direction and vision of the municipality for the next 20 years," Kost said.

Other core targets in the plan include increasing square footage in "employment lands" by 33 per cent, and raising the total number of local jobs to 36,000 by 2030.

The OCP also focuses on overall sustainability. Officials expect that more North Shore residents will be able to walk, cycle or take public transit for their commutes, and they hope to reduce overall community greenhouse gasses by 33 per cent nearing the final stages of the plan.

Little said he expects that only minor amendments will have to be made based on the final public consultation.

He said that council will be cautious moving ahead, but it's willing to make minor adjustments to the "forward-thinking document," depending on what they hear on Monday.