Tag Archives: Vancouver

City-wide rezoning without consultation

Posted on August 4, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Property surcharge against municipal interests

Posted on July 12, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Business in Vancouver, Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Rezoning increases the divide

Posted on July 3, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Regressive Property Surcharge – The Georgia Straight

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Georgia Straight | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

BC Property Surcharge Town Hall Meeting

Posted on May 27, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Proposed “School Tax” Property Surcharge

Posted on May 26, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Canadian Property Taxes

Posted on May 25, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

BC Property Tax Surcharge

Posted on March 10, 2018 by

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 , , , , , | 1 Comment

Supply-side Development

Posted on December 1, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Business in Vancouver, Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Community Planning

Posted on November 27, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Britannia & community centres city-wide

Posted on September 30, 2017 by

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 , , , , | 1 Comment

Parks, community centres & schools

Posted on September 9, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Vancouver Special

Posted on August 23, 2017 by

‘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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

STIR Resurrected

Posted on August 5, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

NDP government

Posted on July 10, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chinatown: 105 Keefer St. Public Hearing

Posted on May 20, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Housing reset

Posted on April 15, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

BC Provincial Election

Posted on April 8, 2017 by

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 , , , | Leave a comment

Character house zoning backpedaled

Posted on March 17, 2017 by

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 , , , , , | 1 Comment

Character house zoning

Posted on March 2, 2017 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Heritage and character houses

Posted on December 3, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Business in Vancouver – Transit Funding

Posted on November 1, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Business in Vancouver, Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transit and Development

Posted on October 11, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Housing principles

Posted on August 27, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Housing supply clarified

Posted on August 19, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Grandview Woodland Community Plan

Posted on August 9, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Business in Vancouver – Affordability

Posted on July 22, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Business in Vancouver, Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Housing Supply

Posted on July 8, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Extravagant Transit Plan

Posted on June 26, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Elizabeth Murphy, Vancouver Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transit Funding

Posted on June 1, 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Common Ground, Elizabeth Murphy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment