Who’s next door? Have you talked to your neighbors lately? If not, why? Neighborhoods are always growing and evolving, even if it’s hard to tell when looking from the outside in. Knowing your neighbors is an excellent way to feel more connected to your community. It’s a first step to fostering healthy, vibrant communities of people…
We can make Delta more people-oriented by densifying residential and commercial space in the town centres of our three major communities, spaces that have low vehicle traffic and are walkable and transit-accessible to everyone. Building mid-density housing, such as walkup apartments, townhomes, row homes, and even small apartments next to town centres lowers both vehicle traffic and pollution caused by traffic, leaving more spaces for walkers, cyclists, transit users, and everyone in between.
Mixed-use zoning can be hard to come by in Metro Vancouver and Delta is no exception. Zoning for developments such as rowhomes, townhomes, walk-up apartments, high-rise apartments, and dingbats, with amenities, offices, and green space interspersed, would not only provide affordability but also facilitate a sense of community (Uytae Lee, 2020). This mixed use of houses would also be more affordable than the single-family home that Delta knows all too well (Coupland, 1996). The combination of accessibility and affordability would add some walkability and some character to the city, as residents and planners of the denser communities could add things like public seating, art, and private vendors to give the neighbourhoods some charm. Furthermore, adding mixed-use development would make Delta more just and sustainable by way of affordability and getting the community involved; this benefits the community as they can tell decision-makers what they would like to see in their city, giving citizens more power (Rosen & Painter, 2019).
The State of the City– “The high proportion of single-detached housing in Delta is not meeting the needs of the community.”– There is a clear “expectation of dramatic changes in housing type need over time.”– “Different types of density, like infill housing, midrise buildings, and highrise towers, are appropriate in different areas of Delta.”– “Some increases in density…
In the 20th century, modernist planning was becoming prevalent with the rise of the automobile and consequently, planning practices that reoriented the city for cars.
Stroads and Giving Roads a Diet: Article by Corbin Auriti [thank you to Corbin for submitting his first article for the Del-POP Dispatch in April] As unintuitive as it may seem, sometimes the best way to help traffic congestion woes is to give the roads a bit of a diet. Just like us people, if you…
Welcome to our newest subscribers – we’re thrilled you’ve signed up and encourage you to get involved! Check out our updated website and join our lively Slack chat where the last month has seen a flurry of great posts and discussions. Council is meeting on April 26 to consider an important application for 48 market rental homes in Tsawwassen on 56…
A Big Step for Housing in Delta: End the Apartment Ban Apartments are illegal in most of Delta and we are all paying the price for a policy that excludes residents and drives up prices. With bold leadership, Delta can broadly expand the swathes of land in the City where apartments are allowed to be…
The current regulations must change to pave the way for housing affordability – this plan is a step in the right direction.
Welcome to our new subscribers! We’re stoked to have you join us as advocates of vibrant neighbourhoods and places for people in Delta! Spread the word! Ladner Village Plan (URGENT) Have you signed up to speak in-person or via Zoom at the December 14 Public Hearing? Please do! Need help? Email us and we’ll walk you…
