VANCOUVER — Vancouver is working on a more user-friendly zoning and development bylaw.
The city has approved changes that officials say will make it easier to find and use information contained within the bylaw.
“Simplified and more consistent regulations will make regulations easier to understand, and more consistently applied, which will help to streamline permit review,” said the city.
The updates are expected to roll out this November. They include tables, diagrams, reorganized sections, hyperlinks and accessibility features, replacing the existing mainly text-based format.
The city plans to host online training workshops in the fall.
Current or potential users of Vancouver’s Zoning and Development By-law are encouraged to register and can sign up to receive notifications.
The changes stem from the city’s Regulation Redesign project which was launched in 2018 to undertake a comprehensive review of its land use rules in an effort to make them easier to find and easier to understand.
The goals of this program are to simplify, clarify and improve the consistency of land use regulations and related land use documents.
The project has focused on three key streams of work to meet the project objectives:
- Modernizing the zoning bylaw structure and format
- Simplifying land use regulations
- Improving access to land use documents and information
In addition to updating the Zoning and Development By-law structure and format, the city has been working to simplify and clarify zoning regulations, which has included amendments to building height, introducing definitions for porches, decks and similar features, improving the consistency of related regulations, clarifying authorities and consolidating administrative regulations.
“These are incremental changes toward more simplified zoning regulations and more streamlined permit processing,” said officials.
To improve access to land use documents and zoning information, the city has also created the Zoning and Land Use Document Library and a digital zoning map. The Zoning and Land Use Document Library is a comprehensive inventory of land use documents including the Zoning and Development By-law, as well as other land use regulation and policy documents.
The digital zoning map is a consolidated convenience version of the Zoning District Plan of the Zoning and Development By-law, providing an easy way to find the zoning designation of a parcel with a direct link to the specific district schedule or CD-1 bylaw.
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