East Van in the Can

BLOG POST posted on May 19, 2011 by Joseph Jones

Reposted from Eye on Norquay (17 May 2011)

 
"Character of the Corridor" Means —
Trash East Vancouver

Director of Planning Brent Toderian says: "Anything from four stories up to 10 stories depending on the character of the corridor."

Enamoured of the corridor concept, Toderian could not allow Norquay in the heart of East Vancouver to have the neighbourhood centre that was being "planned" — or at least, was in the works before he came along to trash CityPlan. As of last November, Norquay gets a neighbourhood strip instead. And planners have the gall to call what they have done up a "village"!

Policy has already judged the character of our Kingsway corridor to call for imposition of the maximum 10 stories. (The first new development application now proposes 12 storeys.) Thus will our neighbourhood get bisected along an entire mile by merciless height.

In other words, take an area that has already done far more than its share in accommodating density, treat it like crap, and proclaim "revitalization."

The term corridor has lovely military connotations — and so suits a planning agenda that favours the automobile over anything else, including people.

PS for VMC reposting: Don't forget that Downtown Eastside Chinatown just got steamrolled with fifteen-storey buildings. But no corridor there … yet.

 
[ Comment originally posted in response to:  Erick Villagomez. Towers on Cambie: Vancouver's top planner explains. Tyee (13 May 2011) ]