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Tag Archives: Vancouver
Vancouver’s COVID-19 Response
It’s time for Vancouver to pause and pivot OPINION: Urban design and livability are an important part of sustainability and should not be sacrificed for expediency. By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, August 22, 2020 Construction cranes tower above condos under construction … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, COVID-19, Elizabeth Murphy, property taxes, Transit, Vancouver
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Vancouver Housing Policies
New direction in housing policies needed OPINION: Renovating existing homes can accommodate growth By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, August 31, 2019 Artist’s rendering of a 14-storey tower proposed at Broadway and Alma St. _____________________________________________________________ For a decade, the top issue in … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, property taxes, Transit, Vancouver
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Vision 2.0
Vancouver under the influence By Elizabeth Murphy, Common Ground Magazine, July 2019 The same outside influences established under the former Vision-dominated council continue to drive Vancouver city policy _____________________________________________________________ The results of the last civic election in October 2018 were a … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, property taxes, Transit, Vancouver
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Neighbourhoods vs. Corridors
The Costs of Corridors OPINION: Each neighbourhood is distinct and different in how they have evolved over time so need to be planned in that kind of context By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, July 6, 2019 The project at Broadway and … Continue reading
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Housing Strategy
Vancouver growth targets don’t add up By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, June 7, 2019 The current Vision agenda needs to change if we are to have an affordable sustainable future for the people who live and work here in Vancouver. Elizabeth … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, property taxes, Transit, Vancouver
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Broadway BS-Line report raises questions
Better, more cost effective options than SkyTrain to UBC should be considered By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, March 25, 2019 A Broadway subway would be more about condo development like that on the Cambie corridor than it is about transporting people. … Continue reading
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Broadway Subway, the BS-Line
No one should consider the UBC subway a done deal By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, February 24, 2019 What $7 billion buys in modern surface tram at $50 million per km. rather than only the Broadway subway from VCC to UBC. … Continue reading
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Reconsidering Vancouver’s Subway
Region needs to reconsider Broadway subway to UBC By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, February 03, 2019 Proposed SkyTrain line from Arbutus to UBC is a waste of money and would cause unwanted and unnecessary real-estate development, says planning advocate Elizabeth Murphy. Francis … Continue reading
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Property Taxes 2019
Municipal taxes in Vancouver: the good, the bad and the ugly By Elizabeth Murphy, Business in Vancouver, Thursday January 24, 2019 The October 2018 election in the city of Vancouver resulted in a decisive vote for change that ended Vision Vancouver’s decade-long majority as … Continue reading
City hall change or status quo
Vision-appointed staff at Vancouver City Hall blocking change voters demanded By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday, January 11, 2019 The new council approved initiating a citywide plan that was a central part of the election campaign as a move away from the Vision … Continue reading
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Developers’ YIMBY Lobby
Vancouver must stop allowing the development community to set the agenda By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday December 14, 2018 This last Vancouver civic election in October was the first under new campaign finance rules that were intended to remove corporate and … Continue reading
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Vision’s ghost still lingers
Vancouver City Hall staff shouldn’t ignore clear voter support to rescind flawed rezoning By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday, November 23, 2018 Character houses can be converted into multiple units rather than being demolished for more expensive new duplexes. Photo: Elizabeth Murphy ______________________________________________________________ Although … Continue reading
Vancouver votes for change
Vision’s reign of error finally ends The city budget has ballooned over the last decade, much higher than population growth would justify. By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Monday, October 29, 2018 Vision Vancouver, having pushed though their failed agenda for the last decade, … Continue reading
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Election 2018
Vancouver Civic Election 2018 Slate This is a critical election. There is finally an opportunity for a big change at city hall with most incumbents not running again. We need a new direction from Vision’s failed decade in power. The … Continue reading
Jane Jacobs’ wisdom needed now
Vancouver voters need to think about the city they want before they vote By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Tuesday, October 9, 2018 This heritage house was recently demolished that could have instead provided for more units and infill, argues planning activist and private … Continue reading
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2018 Civic Election:
Vancouver: To change or not to change By Elizabeth Murphy, Common Ground Magazine, October 1, 2018 The 2018 civic election has an opportunity for change, with most incumbents not running again. The question is: will the new council lead a new course in … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, Heritage, Vancouver
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Rezoning undermines affordability and character
Vancouver city hall is slamming through destructive new zoning without giving citizens a say The City of Vancouver is on a mad rush job to rezone 68,000 properties across the city, including Kitsilano and Cedar Cottage, in a move that will only … Continue reading
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High costs raise questions on growth
City’s high housing growth rate making homes less affordable By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday, Sept.1, 2018 Marine Drive and Cambie Street is part of the Cambie corridor plan that requires $750 million in utility upgrades as part of the billions of dollars … Continue reading
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City-wide rezoning without consultation
Unprecedented rezoning rush continues By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday, August 4, 2018 Vancouver city councillor Adriane Carr. Gerry Kahrman/PNG ______________________________________________________________ The City of Vancouver continues its rush to rezone city-wide without a prior public consultation process, counter to standard practice. Their clear … Continue reading
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Property surcharge against municipal interests
B.C. property surtax undermines municipal tax base By Elizabeth Murphy, Business in Vancouver, July 12, 2018 Graph source: Metro Vancouver report 2016. The B.C. provincial government’s proposed property tax surcharge encroaches onto the municipal tax base. The B.C. take of 40% will increase … Continue reading
Rezoning increases the divide
Outgoing Vision council doing ‘chainsaw massacre’ to city zoning without public consent By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Monday, July 2, 2018 City of Vancouver maps from 2016 show how ‘hot’ properties that inflated beyond the average are distributed across the city. They closely reflect … Continue reading
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Tagged Affordable Housing, Community Plans, Elizabeth Murphy, property taxes, Vancouver
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Regressive Property Surcharge – The Georgia Straight
B.C. property surtax undermines cities and affordability By Elizabeth Murphy, The Georgia Straight, June 14, 2018 The province of British Columbia introduced a property tax surcharge that is a substantial encroachment onto the municipal tax base. It is precedent-setting in how it … Continue reading
BC Property Surcharge Town Hall Meeting
WPGRA Meeting on BC Surtax Presentation On May 27, 2018, the West Point Grey Residents Association (WPGRA) held a town hall meeting on the BC ‘school tax’ property surcharge, with MLA David Eby. The Jericho Hill Gym was packed to capacity, … Continue reading
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Proposed “School Tax” Property Surcharge
B.C. taxes need a ‘second look’ By Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun, Saturday, May 26, 2018 Graph updated June 13, 2018 Property taxes in the City of Vancouver are the highest in Canada, and if the proposed school-tax surcharge is added, it increases the … Continue reading
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Canadian Property Taxes
Total Property Taxes Paid Based on MLS Detached Benchmarks Updated chart June 13, 2018 City of Vancouver has the highest property taxes in Canada and the Province of BC is proposing to substantially add to this burden. Update: Prof. Andrey Pavlov explains the facts Property … Continue reading
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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
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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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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
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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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