Vancouver City Council rejects Villages Planning Program

VANCOUVER City Council on Tuesday rejected the proposed Villages Planning Program after determining that it did not provide the right balance between long-term planning, implementation, infrastructure, and community confidence.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said Council’s decision reflects its responsibility to make practical, evidence-based decisions that put Vancouver residents first.

“Vancouverites should be the ones deciding what happens with their property, not City Hall,” said Sim. “Moving forward with this proposal would have been a mistake. Today, Council made the decision to reject it.”

Throughout the planning process, Council heard from hundreds of residents, businesses, community organizations, and housing advocates. While many supported the objective of creating more housing, they also raised thoughtful concerns about implementation, neighbourhood fit, infrastructure capacity, and the rate of change. Council carefully considered that feedback before making its decision.

The decision does not change the City’s ongoing work to remove barriers to housing delivery. Existing Council-approved housing policies remain in place, and the City will continue focusing on reducing red tape, streamlining approvals, and improving permitting so projects can move from approval to construction more efficiently.

Council also approved amendments to introduce Single Egress Stair (SES) buildings independently of the broader Villages proposal. Separating SES recognizes that it is a building code modernization measure, not a land use policy. The change will allow more efficient and flexible building designs within existing zoning, supporting more livable, affordable, and financially viable housing while maintaining modern life-safety standards.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made over the last four years to reduce red tape and remove unnecessary barriers to housing construction,” said Sim. “Today’s decision doesn’t change that. We’ll continue advancing practical reforms that improve how the City delivers housing, while ensuring growth is supported by the infrastructure and services our communities rely on.”