Curtains for protected views? Vancouver may end ‘view cones’ to make room for housing

The City of Vancouver is looking at bringing additional housing to neighbourhoods but it may come at the expense of some beautiful views.

Vancouver city council will review a staff report that explores removing protected views so more housing can be built.

“View cones” have been a critical feature of Vancouver’s development policy since 1989.

1:44 Protected views in Vancouver on the way out? Council to decide on ‘view cones’ for housing

The cones were designed to preserve ocean and mountain views for specific locations within the city, and have limited the size and location of construction projects.

View cones limit the height and shape of buildings at places such as Commercial Drive, Main Street and Trout Lake.

1:59 Plan announced to turn ICBC headquarters into middle income housing

The report is suggesting relaxing select view cones in the city, which could add between 108 million square feet to 215 million square feet of floor space for future housing, offices and hotels.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The biggest proposed change is for the view cone at Queen Elizabeth Park. The staff report is recommending reducing the bottom of the view cone, which could open the area to adding more than a million square feet of building space.

Originally, ABC Coun. Peter Meiszner brought forward a motion back in October 2023 to review policies surrounding view cones to find more space for housing.

Global News spoke with him recently regarding the report.

“This is going to unlock more than 200 million square feet of additional housing, job and office space which currently can’t be built due to the policy,” he said.

“But, we are still going to have spectacular views in Vancouver. And what this policy update does is reinforce those important views and protects them for the future while trying to address the housing crisis we are in.”

2:04 Newcomers to B.C. struggling to find housing and stability

Not everyone is on board with the proposal.

Melody Ma, who is part of Save Our Skyline YVR and Save Chinatown YVR, posted on X:  “Vancouver’s new director of planning thinks it’s ok to shrink Vancouver’s iconic postcard public mountain views like this one from Cambie St, to almost nothing.

“Once public views are destroyed, you can never get it back. You should be ashamed.”

The report will be reviewed by city council on July 10.

— With files from Andrea Macpherson

0:28 New temporary ‘Vancouver’ sign installed on city’s waterfront