30 -— Wednesday, November 3, 1993 - North Shore News Since 1990, thousands of residents have come together to discuss regional choices about land use and transportation. They said: ; @ Protect the Green Zone @ Build Complete Communities @ Work Toward a More Compict Metropolitan Area @ Provide More Transportation Choices These choices are clearly reflected in the ‘Livable Region Strategy: Proposals and the TRANSPORT 2021 transportation plans. Protect parks, open space . and wilderness areas: _- Greater Vancouver has a’ remarkable nat- ural: heritage. This region is a major corri- dor’ for salmon, migratory birds and other species. The forested mountains to the ~ north —— Grouse,’ Seymour, Burke and oth- ers.— form a’spectacular backdrop to the . region: and. provide.both recreational “Opportunities and pure Water. The Fraser Valley's rich. agricultural. land is among the most productive i in: ‘Canada. Residents said they wanted this rich natu- ral heritage ‘protected from urban sprawl. First, the public said, set aside green areas that are fundamental to maintaining Greater Vancouver's character, Then, dutermine how to accommodate people in the remaining area. When the GVRD Board asked municipal- ities. to identify lands to include in’ Greater Vancouver's: Green Zone, they responded by including watersheds, major parks, eco- logically important linds and farm- land. As a result, municipalities have | included two-thirds of the GVRD’s land base in .the Green Zone, including ‘fully half of the region’s physically developable low- land area. This is significant munici- pal recognition of the environmental, economic, and social importance of the Green Zone. Build ‘Complete Communities _ Greater Vancouver's population is grow- ing: quickly and changing dramatically, sNowhere is this more evident than in the ‘ developing suburbs. More people are living on their own. There ure more single-parent and blended ’ families. There are more families with many generations living together. The average age of the region's 8 population i is rising. If Greater Vancouver is to remain livable in the future, we must anticipate and respond to the needs of this changing pop- ulation, We must provide housing, commu- nities and transportation that meets the needs of a diverse and growing population. Residents said we need to build more regional town centres in all parts of the region to provide greater diversity, choice and convenience. Many of the services and opportunities residents want can be provid- ed most effectively in town centres, There are many different town centres already within the region. Smaller town centres —— such as White Rock, Kerrisdale, Fort Langley, Port Coquitlam and Ambleside — serve the needs of their Jocal populations effectively. Regional town centres such as New Wesuninster and Langley City are older cen- tres finding a new role. Others, like Burnaby Metrotown, Surrey City Centre and Coquitlam Centre, are new and dynamic centres of growth. Reinforcing these centres as urban places, offering housing, jobs and recre- ation is essential to building complete com- - munities throughout the region. They should be highly accessible, especially by transit, bicycle and walking. The Livable Region Strategy: Proposals suggests several key ways to achieve more complete communities. The plan will pro- vide: ; . @ a better balance between jobs and the labour force in each community so that people can work closer to home or live closer to work @ a greater mix of affordable housing (such as townhouses, duplexes and apartments as well as single-family dwellings) to enable more diversity of age groups and household sizes @ higher-density development in regional town centres and near major transporta- tion links @ a better regional distribution of opportu- nities for education, health care, culture and recreation @ improved transportation that serves regional centres more conveniently, including better transit and more oppor- tunities to cycle or walk to activities Urban sprawl rejected Many participants in the Creating Our Future process rejected “urban sprawl,” saying that a more compict metropolitan region is a,more desirable alternative, This approach offers the greatest protection for the Green Zone and makes the best use of public investment. A compact metropolitan region means 4 greater number of moderate and higher- density housing areas. It means finding more opportunities to ‘accommodate townhouses and duplexes, as well as some additional apartments, within the established urban area. There are lots of possible locations — obsolete industrial land, town centres, and under-utilized retail strips and park- ing areas are prime candidates. ft also means rethinking how we build suburban communities. Complete com- munities. have their own identity and include a greater mix of housing types, more affordable, smaller single-family housing lots, and better local public transit services. These communities balance jobs with housing development. ® Greater Vancouver is a land-short region, Hemmed in by mountains, the sea and the U.S. border, the region has a limiteci amount of land available for urban growth, The GVRD shares the Lower Fraser Valley Air Basin with three other Lower Mainland regional districts and Whatcom County in the United States. Motor vehicles are responsible for the majority of emissions to the atmosphere. @ Greater Vancouver is the fourth fastest growing metropolitan area in North America. In the next 30 years the population of the Lower Mainland is expected to grow from 1.8 million to 3 million people. Within the next 15 years the GVRD will run out of land planned for single-family homes if current development trends continue. ® Greater Vancouver's proposed Green Zone includes watersheds, major paris, ecologically important lands and farmland. GVRD municipalities have recommended that two-thirds of the GVRD's land base be in the Green Zone, including half of the region's physically developable lowland areas. AGE DO Cys ren fi iG eae metropolita Metropolitan Core @ Regional Town Centres