So What Do You Think of Villages Now?

The city has provided more detailed maps of its proposed new villages plan. These are the four ‘West Villages’ closest to Dunbar.

By Carol Volkart

The city’s controversial “villages” plan is back for round two of public engagement.

An in-person open-house will be held Dec. 7 on the four “West Villages” – the ones closest to the Dunbar area – from 12-3 p.m. in Room 208 of the Dunbar Community Centre.

Located at 16^th and Macdonald, 25^th and Macdonald, 33^rd and Mackenzie and 41^st and Mackenzie, the new villages are among 17 expected to be approved by City Council in the spring of 2026.

The villages plan is one of a number of initiatives being developed as part of the Vancouver Plan, which in turn will be transformed into the city’s first Official Development Plan, which must be adopted in 2026.

Villages are “local hubs where many daily needs can be met within a five-minute walk, roll or bike ride from home,” the city says. “In the future, these areas will have a variety of small shops, services and a mix of housing up to six storeys.”

The first round of public engagement on villages, held from November 2024 to February 2025, drew strong criticism from some Dunbar and other west-side residents about last-minute consultation and lack of information. They argued the city should be revitalizing existing retail areas, such as struggling Dunbar Street and the West 10th shopping area, instead of pouring energy and resources into creating new rival retail zones.

Another criticism was that the plan seemed aimed at opening vast new areas of the city to six-storey apartments, which if zoning proceeds as planned, could be built without any public hearings. (The 17 villages cover 13 percent (about 600) of all blocks in Vancouver, compared to the 500 blocks in the Broadway Plan, a separate major initiative.)

A city report on the first round of engagement noted there were 29 comments on plans for the West Villages, “with feedback touching on a wide range of concerns related to density, engagement, services and public space.”

As for what’s next, the city’s information boards for this round of engagement provide clearer, more detailed maps of the proposed villages.

They also include what’s called “emerging directions” on a variety of issues. Many seem similar to what’s been proposed from the start, but in the “shops and services’ category, there’s a vague suggestion of encouraging more grocery stores: “Through city-wide work, look at changes that make it easier for grocery stores to locate in more areas of the city, including Villages (e.g. permitting process etc.).”

Other “emerging directions” include improving walking and cycling routes from villages to nearby parks; reallocating road space to prioritize “walking, cycling and lingering”; reducing curbside uses such as on-street parking to support firefighting access near high-density developments; creating wider sidewalks and boulevards; and using “city-initiated” rezoning to allow housing to be built more easily (which essentially means eliminating public hearings.)

Now’s the time to read up on the city’s plan for villages and express your opinions. The in-person open house is mainly a tour past the information boards, but city staff members are also there to answer questions. The city says your feedback will be incorporated into the draft plan going to city council next year.