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Tag Archives: Vancouver
BC Property Tax Surcharge
B.C. undermines municipal tax base and affordability By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday March 9, 2018 Life is made less affordable for owners and renters by provincial encroachment into the municipal tax base. __________ The province recently introduced their budget, the first, full-year budget … Continue reading
Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun
Tagged Affordable Housing, Chinatown, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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Supply-side Development
City of Vancouver needs treatment for its overbuilding addiction By Elizabeth Murphy, Business in Vancouver Magazine, December 1, 2017 The City of Vancouver has finally admitted that it has an addiction problem. The addiction is increasing density through rezoning that has been inflating … Continue reading
Community Planning
Vancouver’s housing strategy needs a rethink By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Monday, November 27, 2017 __________ The City of Vancouver has an addiction. Like all addicts, the first step is to admit they have a problem. The city has finally taken that step. … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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Britannia & community centres city-wide
Parks and recreation system under threat By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday September 30, 2017 Britannia school and field, part of the community centre complex. Elizabeth Murphy __________ The manufactured consent coming out of the city and Park Board bureaucratic machines has intensified over … Continue reading
Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun
Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Park Board, Vancouver
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Parks, community centres & schools
Are amenity spaces destined to become housing development sites? By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday September 9, 2017 Parks and schools open green space are irreplaceable and become even more important as the city densifies. __________ Vancouver is designed to have neighbourhoods with parks, … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Chinatown, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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The Vancouver Special
‘Vancouver Specials’ offer many lessons By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, August 23, 2017 The Vancouver Special, centre right, would have replaced a demolished character house, such as the house on the left that is converted into multiple units. Elizabeth Murphy __________ The infamous … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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STIR Resurrected
City repeating mistakes on affordable housing Density bonuses provide unintended consequences. By Elizabeth Murphy, The Vancouver Sun August 5, 2017 “Size matters for a number of reasons, not only because the buildings will not provide a proper fit for the neighbourhood. … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, STIR, Vancouver
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NDP government
BC Election priority: ending big money in politics By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Monday, July 10, 2017 B.C. citizens voted in May’s provincial election to end big money in politics at the provincial and municipal levels. This was the primary election platform that … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Chinatown, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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Chinatown: 105 Keefer St. Public Hearing
Historic Chinatown becoming Yaletown North? By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday May 20, 2017 A rendering from the City of Vancouver report for the public hearing to rezone 105 Keefer Street. Handout / PNG __________ The controversial Chinatown condo tower rezoning at 105 … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Chinatown, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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Housing reset
Supply myth exposed, but more of the same By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, April 15, 2017 Vancouver keeps building housing units that few Vancouverites can afford. JONATHAN HAYWARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS __________ The City of Vancouver is finally admitting that they cannot … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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BC Provincial Election
How big money corrupts politics BC’s Wild West of campaign funding needs reform By Elizabeth Murphy Common Ground Magazine April 2017 Of the corporate donations to the BC Liberals, the largest group among the top donors are property developers. The provincial government has … Continue reading
Posted in Common Ground, Elizabeth Murphy
Tagged Affordable Housing, BC Election, Campaign Finance Reform, Vancouver
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Character house zoning backpedaled
Saving character houses needs incentives and zoning By Elizabeth Murphy, Business in Vancouver, March 17, 2017 The city is moving away from downzoning, especially on non-character lots. This is a good thing because much public pushback was generated when they went too far by not … Continue reading
Posted in Business in Vancouver, Elizabeth Murphy
Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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Character house zoning
Saving Vancouver character houses through incentives By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, March 2, 2017 The City of Vancouver is reviewing incentives to retaining character houses, such as allowing additional suites. Elizabeth Murphy / PNG __________ The City of Vancouver is doing a character house … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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Heritage and character houses
City hall must act quickly to save Vancouver heritage homes By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, December 2, 2016 Home at 4255 West 12th in Vancouver is yet another heritage home in the city that will soon be torn down. The City of Vancouver … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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Business in Vancouver – Transit Funding
Victoria’s civic tax grab a threat to local land-use authority By Elizabeth Murphy, Business in Vancouver, November 1, 2016 The province is about to impinge on the civic tax base, land-use authority and democracy by using development fees to fund transit and by … Continue reading
Transit and Development
Density not the answer to transit funding By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, October 11, 2016 The B.C. Liberals seem to think that using development to fund transit and making increased density a requirement of transit funding are vote-getters, writes Elizabeth Murphy. Gerry Kahrmann / … Continue reading
Housing principles
Affordable housing needs systemic changes By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday August 27, 2016 Increasing housing supply is often promoted by government, and vested interests, as the solution to the affordable housing crisis. In fact, the current record-breaking level of rezoning and development in … Continue reading
Housing supply clarified
Affordable housing myths and facts By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, August 19, 2016 The city’s consultant’s report of June 2014 confirmed, “the City has sufficient capacity in existing zoning and approved community plans to accommodate over 20 years of supply at the recent … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Transit, Vancouver, zoned capacity
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Grandview Woodland Community Plan
Affordability jeopardized in new Grandview plan By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, August 8, 2016 Elizabeth Murphy believes the newly passed Grandview-Woodland Community Plan jeopardizes affordability by putting existing affordable rentals, heritage and character at risk in spite of community opposition. Photo courtesy Stephen Bohus, … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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Business in Vancouver – Affordability
Rezoning is increasing land speculation, reducing affordability By Elizabeth Murphy, Business in Vancouver, July 22, 2016 The rush to rezone fuels speculative land inflation that’s further exacerbated by unregulated foreign capital flows. The fact that the City of Vancouver already has ample … Continue reading
Housing Supply
Affordability Crisis: More of the same not the solution By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, July 8, 2016 City of Vancouver consultants reports confirmed there is sufficient capacity in existing zoning and approved community plans to accommodate over 20 years of supply at the … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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Extravagant Transit Plan
Opinion: Metro Vancouver needs an affordable transportation plan By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, June 26, 2016 Recent announcements on transit funding in B.C. with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Premier Christy Clark and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left to right) seem to be … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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Transit Funding
The unaffordable subway By Elizabeth Murphy, Common Ground Magazine, June 2016 Equivalent electric streetcar network deliverable for same cost of proposed Broadway Corridor subway (Prof. Patrick Condon, et al, 2008, “The case for the tram; learning from Portland, Sustainability by Design: An … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Transit, Vancouver
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School Demolitions
Opinion: Queen Mary heritage school demolition short-sighted Province’s refusal to consider future school facilities costs more down the road By Elizabeth Murphy, Special to The Vancouver Sun February 12, 2016 Queen Mary Elementary School in West Point Grey is being reduced in … Continue reading
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Tagged Community Plans, Demolition, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Jericho Lands, Schools, Vancouver
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Chinatown under threat
Newest tower proposal too much for historic Chinatown By Elizabeth Murphy, Special to The Vancouver Sun January 8, 2016 The Dr. Sun Yat-sen Garden is a true gem for not just Chinatown, but all of Vancouver. Photograph by: Arlen Redekop … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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Federal funding for transit
Federal funding should support an accountable transit plan By Elizabeth Murphy Common Ground Magazine November 2015 Article Link As the new federal government considers going into debt to invest in transit, here are a few critical issues to consider. Transit needs … Continue reading
Federal Housing Issues
Opinion: Federal action needed on housing Foreign investors: Funding and taxation regulations – even criminal laws – must be addressed By Elizabeth Murphy, Special to The Vancouver Sun October 17, 2015 Canadian cities like Vancouver need federal policies to address housing affordability issues. … Continue reading
Federal Election: Transit infrastructure essential
Opinion: Civic infrastructure funding essential Make investment in transit affordable, and democratically implemented By Elizabeth Murphy, Special to The Vancouver Sun October 3, 2015 JULY 2 2015. Transit troubles in Vancouver, B.C. on July 3, 2015. The vote is no for the proposed … Continue reading
Heritage retention a priority
Opinion: Retaining our character and heritage homes must be a priority By Elizabeth Murphy, Special to The Vancouver Sun September 14, 2015 Elizabeth Murphy believes that Vancouver needs a balance of incentives to encourage retention that is fair to homeowners, so that … Continue reading
Transportation Plebiscite: The plan is the problem
Transit plebiscite vote was a rejection of TransLink’s plan Look at more affordable transportation options to cover more of the region is needed By Elizabeth Murphy, Special to The Vancouver Sun July 13, 2015 The 62 per cent No vote result … Continue reading
