You said you want greater diversity of housing in your neighbourhoods.
You want integration of transportation and land use that responds to the environment.
You want commercial and mixed-use centres to support a strong economy.
Well, the District of West Vancouver heard you. Now they want some input on how to do it.
West Vancouver’s Official Community Plan is currently undergoing a review as part of a regularly planned update that usually happens around the 10-year mark. The review is now in Phase 2 of four.
Phase 1 included forums and working groups, held in the spring, to gather input about planning objectives.
Many of the ideas that came out of those meetings, including the ones listed above, have been compiled in a workbook the district created to get specific feedback from even more residents.
The Ideas Workbook covers a variety of planning topics, such as housing and transportation, and provides lists of recommendations that came out of the Phase 1 working groups.
It then asks for specific suggestions about how to achieve some of those goals, such as supporting heritage conservation and creating entry-level and downsizing options.
This is the first time the District of West Vancouver has employed the use of workbooks for this purpose, and the approach is part of a broader plan to engage more residents in the review process that will ultimately result in a policy framework to guide future planning decisions.
“It’s about getting people thinking about their community, their future,” explains David Hawkins, manager of community planning and sustainability.
As well as creating the Ideas Workbook, district planning staff have also been heading out into the community this summer.
“We recognize we’re competing for people’s time because it’s a lovely place to be in the summer and people want to be outside,” says Hawkins. “We want to go out to where they are.”
He notes it has been great to connect with residents at planned forums but “I think we can reach hundreds more by going out to where the community is.”
So for the first time, this summer planning staff can be found behind pop-up booths at various community events throughout the summer, such as farmers’ markets and the Harmony Arts Festival, collecting ideas and suggestions and providing information about the OCP review process.
“We want to provide as many ways as possible to allow people to participate in a way that suites them,” says Hawkins. “Even if they have only one big idea to share then if they have as little as five minutes they can share their big idea with us. If they have more then that’s great too.”
These new strategies have been used in other municipalities but not in West Vancouver. Municipal planning, like any field, is evolving, notes Hawkins.
“The more we can find ways to bring the community into our process, the better the process will be,” he says.
“The more people we can connect, the more ideas will be shared, and the more we’ll be able to build on them and have a plan that’s really reflective of people’s input.”
Hard copies of the Ideas Workbook are available at the municipal hall, as well as the aquatic centre, the seniors activity centre, Gleneagles Community Centre, and the library.
A PDF version is also available for download at westvancouver.ca/ocp. Completed workbooks can be emailed to the district or dropped off in person before Labour Day.
