Vancouver Real Estate Podcast VREP #512 | The Quiet Rewrite Of Vancouver's Future With Josh White
Apr 24, 2026
Josh White, General Manager of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability at the City of Vancouver, explains how the city is being quietly redrawn. He discusses the new Official Development Plan, the Villages program and which neighbourhoods will change most. He also covers redevelopment opportunities like Jericho, Northeast False Creek and the PNE, and what denser growth means for residents.
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Broadway Plan Progress Hinges On Viability Tweaks
- Broadway Plan has delivered rezonings that match its ambitions but construction timing depends on project viability and market cycles.
- The city adjusted low-market-rental depth and targeted incentives for low-displacement sites to spur projects and provide swing housing.
ODP Creates Statutory Citywide Growth Framework
- The new Official Development Plan (ODP) makes Vancouver the rare major Canadian city with a statutory citywide land-use plan.
- That codifies where growth goes, defines place types, and removes public hearings for ODP-compliant residential projects to speed approvals.
Villages Program Targets Low Rise Growth
- Villages are a new place-type in the ODP aimed at low-rise apartment growth across many neighbourhood nodes.
- The city identified 25 villages overall and is advancing land-use strategies for 17 villages for council consideration.