Thousands of properties rezoned by City of Vancouver to accelerate new housing | Daily Hive

Thousands of properties in Broadway Plan and Cambie Plan areas rezoned by City of Vancouver to accelerate new housing

Map of Vancouver highlighting the Broadway Plan and Cambie Corridor Plan areas, where select portions of each area plan will undergo City-initiated rezoning. (City of Vancouver)

Last week, Vancouver City Council approved the rezoning that enables new low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise developments in parts of the Broadway Plan and the Cambie Corridor Plan, impacting roughly 4,300 properties across both areas combined.

While rezonings are typically initiated on a project-to-project basis by property owners, this was a process initiated by City of Vancouver staff to streamline new housing and help achieve the municipal government’s vision for more affordable, connected, and transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

This is the largest City-initiated process in many years, with past instances being the municipal government conducting rezoning of its own, enabling new townhouses north of King Edward Station within the Cambie Corridor Plan.

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The new changes, passed following a public hearing, mark a major step in implementing the Vancouver Plan, as well as policy directions from the Broadway Plan and the Cambie Corridor Plan. These new zoning districts aim to make development “faster, simpler and more predictable,” according to the City.

This also serves to remove the need to re-debate the built form, as it was thoroughly reviewed and refined through the extensive deliberations for the Broadway Plan, Cambie Corridor Plan, and their subsequent amendments.

Under the new framework, eligible projects following the new zoning will be able to skip the lengthy individual project rezoning process and move directly to the development permit application stage — cutting roughly 12 months off the approval timeline.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said this is a “major step forward in delivering the homes Vancouverites need, faster. We’re cutting unnecessary delays in the development process so that growth brings real benefits for everyone.”

The City also introduced standardized rules for height, setbacks, and design to improve clarity and flexibility, reflecting input from industry partners and community engagement.

To maintain affordability, most new developments in the updated zones must include social housing, below-market rental, or secured purpose-built rental units. Requirements vary by location and project type.

In the R5 high-rise zones, for example, the redevelopment of existing rental housing buildings must deliver 100 per cent secured purpose-built rental housing, with at least 20 per cent of floor space designated for below-market rents.

Tenants affected by redevelopment will remain protected under the City’s Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy, which ensures they can return to new buildings at similar rents. Provincial protections under the Residential Tenancy Act will continue to apply.

The new zones are designed to maximize investment in public transit, services, and amenities. Building height and density vary by zone, with R3 low-rise zones able to achieve four to eight storeys, R4 mid-rise zones able to achieve about 12 storeys, and R5 high-rise zones able to achieve up to approximately 22 storeys.

The overwhelming majority of these properties are located within the Broadway Plan area, specifically sites closest to the Millennium Line’s future stations on the Broadway extension, as well as in southern areas within the area plan. For the Cambie Corridor Plan area, the properties are clustered near the Canada Line’s Oakridge-41st Avenue Station.

broadway cambie corridor plan city-initiated rezoning

City of Vancouver

Each zoning district also accommodates lower-density housing types, including detached homes, duplexes, townhouses, and multiplexes, ensuring a mix of options across neighbourhoods.

This zoning update is part of a broader effort under the 2022-approved Vancouver Plan to simplify the City’s development process, consolidate regulations, and support new housing.

The City-initiated rezoning fulfills the municipal government’s commitments to the federal government in exchange for its share of the Housing Accelerator Fund, and the provincial government’s Transit-Oriented Areas legislation.

Earlier this year, City Council also approved the transit-oriented development strategy of the Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan — the first area plan since the 2022 approval of the Broadway Plan. Before the end of 2025, City staff are expected to return to City Council to seek approval for similar City-initiated rezonings covering a substantial portion of this newest area plan, specifically to enable new low-rise apartment uses.

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