Login / RegisterProposal for thinner streets among winning entries in Vancouver housing ideas contest
Proposals for thinner streets, bridging development directly overtop of existing buildings, and residential units constructed out of shipping containers are among the affordable housing ideas that were selected as part of a City of Vancouver competition.
The winners of the contest were announced by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson’s task force on housing affordability Monday (July 30) evening, including three proposals selected by a jury, four that were chosen in an online vote, and six honorable mentions.
The three winners chosen by the jury comprised of members of the housing task force include a proposal to allow medium-density additions on top of existing structures, and a model that would narrow some streets to create more room for residential lots.
According to the proponents of that model, Christina Demarco, Ted Sebastian, and Charles Dobson, the thinner streets would make room for between 10,000 and 20,000 units of ground-oriented housing in single-family zones.
The winners selected through an online vote include proposals for more mid-rise development at transit nodes, a “cargo park” consisting of affordable residential units constructed from recycled shipping containers, and measures to enable more cooperative and cohousing developments in the city.
Honourable mentions in the contest include models proposing self-managed low-income housing, courtyard housing, and the preservation and upgrading of city-owned heritage houses in East Kitsilano.
The winning ideas were chosen out of almost 70 entries, and 8,000 votes were cast online during a two-week period.
The selected submissions will be included in the final report of the mayor’s task force on housing affordability, which will go before city council in the fall.
The fact is, we need streets, and we need them to be safe, and having streets wide enough is important, not only for driving, but also for parking.
Gregor refuses to require builders to include sufficient parking in their buildings, so street parking is going to become more and more needed.
The building just approved in the West End has less than 1 stall for every 2 units. Some units are 2 or 3 bedrooms. That area is already above max for parking, so this new building will bring in way more people, with not nearly enough parking to add to the already horrible parking woes.
The proposal with a bunch more info (addresses the parking question as well) is located here: http://www.rethinkhousing.ca/view_submission.php?ID=23
Actually looks like a pretty interesting idea, worthy of more study anyhow. We desperately need more affordable housing in this city, and it may take some creative thinking to help us get there.
The rental prices will never go down, but Visionless Vancouver and this chick's plan will make sure the costs associated with living in this city will go up.
http://justbaustralia.com.au/be-smart/home-eleven-amazing-shipping-conta...
http://inhabitat.com/containers-of-hope-cool-costa-rican-shipping-contai...
FedEx, Purolator, Canada Post, Yellow Cab, Milani Plumbing, Mott Electric, NDS Disposal, COV Engineering, Boston Pizza, Dominos Pizza, a few dozen Chinese food deliverers, Vancouver Fire Department, Vancouver Police, Vancouver Ambulance and Paramedic Service, Overwaitea Foods, Safeway Foods, numerous liquor, beer and wine distributors, Translink Handydart, you name it -
Any number of those types of services need to use the back streets and alleys to deliver our food, care, services, and anything else you can imagine. If it costs them more, the increase in costs is passed down to us and thinning our streets will make sure it costs more no matter what.
Whatever ingenious leaps and bounds are made in reducing the size and quality of our living spaces, the rents and mortgages will go upwards as a rule, and given the short-sighted thinking that Vision is raping us with, so will the cost of being here.