NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK Draft Area Plan | June 2017 The Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts need to be replaced. These structures are seismically vulnerable, present a physical and psychological barrier for adjacent communities, and are expensive, overbuilt infrastructure to maintain. 2 NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK | DRAFT AREA PLAN CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ������������������������������������������������� 5 2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES ���������������������������������������� 8 3 HISTORY ������������������������������������������������������������ 11 4 COMMUNITY CONTEXT ������������������������������������ 19 5 PLANNING PROCESS ��������������������������������������� 27 6 PLAN SUMMARY ����������������������������������������������� 35 7 PLACES FOR PUBLIC LIFE ������������������������������� 39 8 URBAN DESIGN ������������������������������������������������ 47 9 SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY ���������������� 67 10 STREETS AND CONNECTIVITY ������������������������ 75 11 PLAY AND WORK ��������������������������������������������� 93 12 PARKS ������������������������������������������������������������� 101 13 COMMUNITY AND HOMES ���������������������������� 109 14 ARTS ���������������������������������������������������������������� 119 15 CULTURE ���������������������������������������������������������127 16 UTILITIES AND SERVICES ������������������������������133 17 PUBLIC BENEFITS STRATEGY ����������������������� 143 18 IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING ����������147 NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK | DRAFT AREA PLAN 3 Aerial view of Northeast False Creek with Stanley park and the North Shore mountains in the background� NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK | EARLY DRAFT AREA PLAN 1INTRODUCTION The Northeast False Creek Area Plan will act as a framework for guiding new growth, development, and public investment within Northeast False Creek. The plan will be implemented over the next 20 years through development, partnerships, and City initiatives. 1.0 INTRODUCTION In 2015 Vancouver City Council chose to move forward with a plan to replace Legend the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts with a new complete street network that LIONS would better serve the area. This decision is dependent on a new Area Plan for BAY Context Area Boundary Northeast False Creek. This new area plan will allow us to reconnect downtown, Metro Vancouver historic communities of the Downtown Eastside, Citygate and communities to the south to an inclusive and convivial new waterfront. BOWEN DISTRICT OF The Northeast False Creek Area Plan will act as a framework for guiding new ISLAND WEST VANCOUVER NORTH VANCOUVER ANMORE growth, development, and public investment within Northeast False Creek. The BELCARRA plan will be implemented over the next 20 years through development, CITY OF partnerships, and City initiatives. NORTH PORT VANCOUVER MOODY Northeast False Creek (NEFC) represents approximately 58 hectares of mostly undeveloped land along downtown’s False Creek waterfront. This is equivalent UEL / PORT to approximately 10% of the downtown peninsula (not including Stanley Park). COQUITLAM UBC BURNABY COQUITLAM As Vancouver continues to grow, demand increases for mixed housing and job VANCOUVER PITT MAPLE RIDGE space, along with the parks, open spaces and amenities that are needed to MEADOWS NEW support a livable and vibrant new community. WESTMINSTER The plan complements City initiatives on liveability, affordability, environmental and social sustainability, economic and cultural vitality and other improvements RICHMOND to the health and well being of Vancouver residents. The plan focuses on people and our urban environment, addressing infrastructure in our daily lives: housing that is too expensive, climate change and resilience, heritage resources SURREY that are at risk, local businesses that are struggling and the need for arts and DELTA LANGLEY culture opportunities, and public amenities that support our growing CITY LANGLEY TOWNSHIP population to connect with each other and the spaces around them. Not addressing these challenges will undermine our quality of life. NortheastTSAWWASSEN False Creek is at the centre of Vancouver’s Metro Northeast False Creek represents an opportunity to embrace the rich culture Core,FIRST a NATIONregional hub for business and culture. WHITE ROCK and history of the area, local assets and access to water, to establish a new community that represents a step forward in city-building and knits the east and west sides of Vancouver together. The planning process challenges our traditional design practices through innovation and learning from new ideas that can ultimately establish a new place of inclusivity, accessibility and community celebration. Northeast False Creek provides an opportunity to showcase how sustainability can be woven into building, park and public realm design to benefit residents, visitors and the environment. 6 NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK | DRAFT AREA PLAN Northeast False Creek Area Plan Boundary 2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES In October 2015, Vancouver City Council approved 11 guiding principles for the replacement of the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts and the surrounding Northeast False Creek area. These principles inspire the creation of a diverse and active waterfront neighbourhood, shifting the balance away from the automobile dominated landscape to one focusing on improving public life. 11 guiding principles for the Northeast False Creek Area Plan - Illustration by Sam Bradd 8 NORTHEAST FALSE CREEK | DRAFT AREA PLAN 2.0 7. Improve Connectivity between COUNCIL APPROVED Downtown, NEFC and the Waterfront. GUIDING PRINCIPLES The replacement street network would retain sufficient goods movement routes to and from the downtown, maintain vehicular capacity, provide new opportunities for bus transit routing and better integrate future 1. Reconnect Historic Communities 4. Explore Housing Development and development of NEFC and surrounding and the False Creek Waterfront. Place-Making Opportunities on the communities to downtown. City Blocks. The Viaduct structures, combined with the 8. Enhanced Pedestrian and SkyTrain guideway, create a physical and Utilizing a building form and development Cyclist Movement. visual barrier between the historic pattern consistent with the historic community communities of Chinatown, Gastown, of Chinatown (to the north) and the more The Dunsmuir Viaduct currently provides a Strathcona, Thornton Park, Victory Square, contemporary buildings of the Creek (to the direct east-west connection for cyclists the DTES Oppenheimer District and the False south), the City-owned blocks could generate between the Adanac bike route and Dunsmuir Creek waterfront. Removal of the viaducts approximately 850,000 square feet of density, bike route through the downtown core. The provides an opportunity to rethink how these potentially representing 1,000 units, including future network of streets and pedestrian and communities connect to the water and 200-300 affordable housing units, depending cyclist pathways would improve through the each other. on the final density and unit mix. Ongoing use of a ped/bike bridge or other means. planning must find ways to remember the 2. Expand Parks and Open Space. historic neighbourhood of Hogan’s Alley. 9. Develop a Fiscally Responsible Approach. Increase the amount of parks and open space Building heights, density, unit mix, uses, open in current plans. Removal of the viaducts and space patterning and other potential public Consider the short- and long-term financial a more efficient street network (combination benefits will be refined through further study implications of redeveloping the area and of Pacific and Expo Boulevards, closure of a and consultation with the neighbouring ensure an equitable sharing of costs and portion of Union and Carrall Streets) results in communities. benefits between the City, the Province and private landowners/developers. a potential park increase of 13% (approx. 3 5. Create a Vibrant Waterfront District. acres) and presents the possibility of a more coherent open space system with greater Ensure that future build-out of the area creates 10. Engage Residents and flexibility for a variety of programming a mixed-use entertainment, recreational and Stakeholders in a Meaningful Way. opportunities. A Dunsmuir ‘elevated plaza’ residential district considering urban design Do all of the above while consulting the public and open space on the Hogan’s Alley block principles such as view cone protection and and other stakeholders in a meaningful way may provide additional park spaces. providing a strong urban edge to the new at all stage of the planning process including Creekside Park extension. 3. Repair the Urban Fabric. design of the engagement process. 6. Increase Efficiency of the Forty years ago, buildings on the blocks 11. Strengthen the Festival and between Quebec and Gore Streets were Street Network. Entertainment Function demolished to make way for the viaduct By replacing the Georgia and Dunsmuir of the Area. structures. Removal of the viaducts allows for Viaducts with a new network of at-grade Acknowledge the importance of BC Place restoration of shops and services along the streets. The replacement street network and Rogers Arena and improve access, Main Street corridor and the mixed-use requires a bi-directional connection, suitable loading and event management plans to development of the two city-owned blocks. for essential movement of goods, especially ensure that these facilities continue to between the Eastern Core area and downtown, function efficiently. and reduces traffic along Prior