Exciting things are happening on
the northern shore of Burrard Inlet. In late February, the City of North
Vancouver unveiled
plans for the re-development of 12 acres of land sitting largely underutilized or
vacant just a few steps west of Lonsdale Quay, one the city’s main hubs and
connections to other parts of the region.
What’s exciting about the plan
is that it follows the idea of building a “complete community”, as envisioned
in North Vancouver’s Official Community Plan. The so called Harbourside project
will include spaces to live, work and play—all in one of the most beautiful
urban settings imaginable: the North Shore mountains in the back and
Vancouver’s handsome skyline across the glittering waves.
 |
North Van wants to draw people to the waterfront at all times of the day
(Photo credit: Martin Jurek/Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 |
The project has the potential to
transform the city. And it appears that the ambition is to do no less than
that. Roger Brooks, whose Seattle-based firm developed the marketing plan for
the project, wants to make North Vancouver a magnet for local and international
tourists. He told the
Vancouver Sun:
“All too often, […] tourists and Vancouverites look at the
SeaBus and consider a trip over but there isn’t enough to attract them to North
Vancouver. All of that will change with this bold new plan.”
Attracting visitors is one thing
and a
ferriswheel could be a way to do it. But when a community reshapes its shoreline,
it is crucial that a broad range of perspectives around waterfront planning is
taken into account. This includes ensuring that public, residential and industrial
uses can be integrated in a sustainable way. It also includes conservation
issues, such as ecosystem restoration and climate change adaptation.
The Harbourside project, for
example, is an opportunity to connect a new space for shopping, entertainment
and service/office jobs with nearby industry that fuels the local economy, as Brian
McCauley, President and COO of Concert Property, the developer behind the proposal,
recognizes. In a
promotional video
for the project, he says:
“With the recent award of the 8 billion ship building
contract to Seaspan in the City of North Vancouver, it’s an exciting time for
businesses and industry as a whole […] it’s a 25 to 30 year contract, which
will generate significant employment opportunities, but it also creates the
need for figuring out transportation and traffic management. They are also
looking for an opportunity to house their own work force within easy walking
distance.”
As Derek Lee points out, a
landscape architect involved with the project, Harbourside might not only
connect industry and community, but it could also become a “pearl on the
necklace” that is Spirit Trail, the North Shore’s largest urban greenway.
Whether North Vancouver’s effort
to transform its shoreline—and to be transformed by it as a community—will pay
off, will depend on whether the city and all parties involved are committed to
an integrated, long term plan for the waterfront, a plan that reflects the
environmental, economical and community needs, and not least the ideas and
hopes of citizens.
Just across the inlet, Georgia
Strait Alliance is working with a broad range of stakeholders on our new
Waterfront Initiative
towards building a resilient and prosperous Vancouver shoreline that supports
healthy ecosystems, recreation, access to nature and a strong economy. We’re starting out with a focus on the City of
Vancouver, but we plan to expand the initiative to all of Metro Vancouver, including the North Shore.
A long-term plan for our waterfront
will benefit everyone and it has the potential to make our community a better
place. Let’s make it happen together!
