Introduction to the R-C Vision Project

The Renfrew-Collingwood (R-C) Community Vision was approved by City Council in 2004 and has been developed by people who live and work in R-C. The purpose of the Vision was to make recommendations to City Hall to guide decisions affecting R-C, and to set priorities for funding, programs and services. For the community, the Vision provides a focus for local actions and initiatives.

The vision seeks to protect community assets such as Still Creek and Renfrew Ravine, community centers, neighborhood house and community policing centre and to recommend initiatives to improve safety, protect the local environment and make the neighborhood more attractive.

Vision highlights include, creating more attractive parks, streets, lanes, and public places, creating a cleaner community, focusing on environmental initiatives
enhancing community safety, creating neighbourhood centers around important shopping areas, making streets safer, improving community involvement in decision-making, maintaining and enhancing single family neighbourhoods, enhancing community services, adding new housing opportunities and improving walking and biking routes.

These are lofty goals to be sure, and it will be my job to dissect the R-C vision in the coming weeks. Has this project been successful thus far? What has the committee accomplished and is it worthwhile for other communities to adopt similar programs?

A brief description of the R-C community vision background can be found at: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/planning/cityplan/Visions/rc/pdf/background.pdf

I think it is crucial to fully understand the history and background of a project before you can hope to evaluate its accomplishments. My initial evaluation is a favourable one. By involving both the community and city planners and councilors in the development on the R-C vision, a variety of opinions and views have been included in the process. By using a community liaison to watch over the planning and implementation of the project, they ensured that community input was carried through, and advised staff on community outreach and other matters. implementation committees which meet monthly to share information with each other and City staff. Most committees have sub-committees working on specific issues and projects such as traffic calming, neighbourhood greenways, public art, park use conflicts, major development proposals, and community celebrations.
At first glance the R-C vision appears to be very comprehensive and ensures that the community’s unique voice is included in the future development of the area. Let’s dig deeper to discover the initiatives the R-C vision has undertaken and its current status.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog page, dedicated to exploring the Collingwood-Renfrew vision project that has been undertaken by the community in that area. Over the next few months my goal is to explore the past, present and future of this project and hopefully evaluate its success or if any areas for improvement exist. Before we embark on this journey, it may be a good idea to define the area I intend to study. The Renfrew-Collingwood neighborhood exists from East Broadway on the Northern Border, East 21st Street in the South, Nanaimo Street to the west and Boundary road to the East.

Once again, I welcome you to what promises to be an informative and exciting endeavor to discover if community involvement can be effective in urban planning.

Regards,

Nicola