The UBC Board of Governors endorsed the proposed amendments to the Land Use Plan (LUP) at yesterday’s board meeting and approved submitting the LUP to the Province for adoption. The Board also approved Campus Vision 2050 (Vision) and the updated Housing Action Plan (HAP), subject to adoption of the LUP by the Province. The decision follows almost two years of deep engagement with the UBC community, campus residents, consultation with First Nations and extensive technical work.

A diversity of interests, needs and views emerged through the process, which influenced the outcomes. The result is a balanced approach to meeting a range of university and community priorities over the next 30 years, including increasing rental housing and student housing and supporting the academic mission, caring for the ecology and biodiversity of campus lands, and ensuring UBC continues to be a resilient and thriving place to learn, live, work and play.

Next steps

Following the adoption of the LUP by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Vision, HAP and LUP will begin to work together to guide how the Vancouver campus will change and grow. Community members will have the opportunity to be involved in shaping the details of the academic campus and Neighbourhood Plans through engagement on public initiatives such as:

• Student housing expansion, with opportunities to explore and discuss housing and living needs and facilities (e.g., types of common spaces for workouts, study, meetings and outdoor space, etc.)
• Amendments to the Wesbrook Place Neighbourhood Plan, which will include detailed plans for Wesbrook Place South (e.g., layout and massing of buildings, open space, ecology and natural areas, etc.)

Responding to community concern

In addition to endorsing the LUP and approving the Vision and HAP, the Board acknowledged concerns highlighted by the community during the Public Hearing regarding climate action, governance and housing.

• The Board directed the university to present a final Neighbourhood Climate Action (NCAP)—UBC’s pathway to a net-zero, climate resilient community—for approval by mid-2024, before UBC adds any new neighbourhood buildings. This will ensure growth of the campus and neighbourhoods is consistent with UBC’s longstanding sustainability and climate action commitments.

• With regard to governance, in 2024, the Board will receive information on the status of UBC’s unique local governance arrangement and develop a process to explore its continued evolution, including ways to expand and enhance service delivery and ensure the UBC community’s views are represented in land use decision making.

• Regarding housing affordability, the Board acknowledged that while many called for a much higher commitment to student, faculty and staff housing, UBC can only expand on-campus housing if funding and financing is available and sustainable. UBC’s answer to this challenge is to rely on its land and financial endowment to generate revenue to support UBC’s housing programs, pay for community infrastructure and amenities, and generate revenue for the endowment and the academic mission of the university. Along with this, the Housing Action Plan commits to working with the Province of BC on financing that would enable UBC to build student housing more quickly and affordably.

Keeping the community informed

Campus + Community Planning will provide updates on the provincial adoption of the LUP and will invite community members to engage in the next phases of planning. Please feel free to reach out to members of the Campus + Community Planning team with questions or concerns, and check the C+CP website regularly to stay informed and learn about other ways to get involved in planning the campus.

As part of the process to amend the Land Use Plan (LUP) for the Vancouver campus, a legislatively required public hearing was held November 7, 2023. The purpose of the public hearing was to give everyone with an interest in the LUP an opportunity to share comments. It was the final phase in an 18+ month Campus Vision 2050 public engagement process that included opportunities for UBC community members and campus residents to give input, share ideas and raise concerns through workshops, a design charrette, open houses, meetings, and surveys, resulting in over 13,000 engagement touchpoints.

Community involvement, including what was heard at the public hearing, has played an important role in shaping and refining Campus Vision 2050 (Vision), the Housing Action Plan (HAP) and the LUP, including updates that were made to the LUP following the public hearing, such as:

• Updated tree canopy protection commitments and direction for enhancing species diversity and soil conditions to address concerns about campus ecology and biodiversity.
• Confirmation UBC has land capacity for future student housing growth beyond the planned 3,300 new beds and a commitment to develop strategies for future student housing growth, including in the Acadia area, in response to concerns about housing affordability and calls for UBC to build more student housing.
• A new range for neighbourhood open space in response to concerns about livability and wellbeing as the campus grows.
• A commitment to more frequent LUP reviews to respond to changing housing financial opportunities and to be consistent with recent provincial legislation.

A summary of the comments made at the public hearing as well as a video recording of the hearing will be presented to the UBC Board Governors at the December 5^th meeting, along with a detailed summary of the past 18+ months of public engagement, the final drafts of the Vision, and HAP and the updated LUP. The Board will consider the comments, any refinements to the Land Use Plan, and submitting the Land Use Plan to the Province of BC for adoption. You can review the report prepared for the Board of Governors on the Board website.

To read a summary of the comments made at the public hearing, you can view the Public Record, which also contains a link to the video recording of the hearing. To learn more about the Campus Vision 2050 public engagement process that led up to the public hearing, you can read the Engagement Summary: Needs and Aspirations and the Engagement Summary: 30-Year Vision.

You are also able to watch the December 5 Board meeting via livestream, which will be posted on the Board of Governors website on the day of the meeting.

After 18+ months of deep community engagement and detailed policy and technical work, the final drafts of Campus Vision 2050 (the Vision), the Housing Action Plan (HAP) and the amended Land Use Plan (LUP) are available for review.

The draft Vision, HAP and LUP have been shaped and refined through policy and technical planning work by internal and external subject matter experts in land use planning, urban design, transportation and ecology, reflecting public input throughout the process and ongoing engagement with Musqueam. Together the Vision, HAP and LUP will guide how UBC’s Vancouver campus evolves over the next 30 years to support the university’s academic mission and the needs of its community, campus residents and Musqueam.

To download the documents and for more information on each, visit: Final Drafts of Campus Vision 2050, the Land Use Plan and Housing Action Plan.

The three documents will be presented to the UBC Board of Governors at a special meeting on October 16^th, where the Board will receive the Vision and HAP for information and consider referring the LUP to a legislatively required public hearing on the proposed amendments to the LUP. The changes to the LUP are needed to implement the Vision and the HAP. You can review the report prepared for the Board of Governors on the Board website.

The purpose of the public hearing is to give community members and campus residents the opportunity to comment on the draft amended LUP. The comments will form part of a report to the UBC Board of Governors for consideration before making a decision to submit the amended LUP to the Province of BC for adoption.

After the Board formally refers the LUP to a public hearing, further details will be provided, including how you can participate.

The past 18+ months of deep public engagement and detailed technical work has led to an ambitious plan for how the UBC Vancouver campus will change over the coming decades, consisting of three major components, which you can download and review at the links below:

• Campus Vision 2050: Shaping the Future of UBC Vancouver (the Vision): a high-level description of how the campus and neighbourhoods will evolve over the long-term, including its general design and character and where and how much development will occur. (Download)
• Updated Housing Action Plan (HAP): Board-approved policy that guides how UBC uses its land and financial resources to meet the community’s housing needs on the Vancouver campus. (Download)
• Amended Land Use Plan (LUP): a provincially-adopted document regulating campus development that enables implementation of the Vision and HAP. (Download)

The three draft documents will be presented to the UBC Board of Governors at a special meeting on October 16^th, where the Board will receive the Vision and HAP for information and consider referring the LUP to a legislatively required public hearing on the proposed amendments to the LUP.

The Campus Vision 2050 process has involved extensive feedback from the community and Musqueam, which was integrated after each round of engagement and reflected in updated materials. Public engagement included workshops, a design charrette, open houses, stakeholder meetings, and surveys resulting in over 13,000 engagement touchpoints.

The outcomes of the process respond to input from the UBC community, campus residents and Musqueam and balance a range of university priorities. The result is a long-range plan for how the campus will evolve over the next 30 years to support the needs of the university, its students, faculty, residents and staff, and Musqueam, including:

• at least 20 percent more academic space for teaching, learning, research and partnerships
• housing 24,000 more people on campus over the next 30 years, for a total student housing and neighbourhood population of 53,000 in 2050
• directly providing non-market housing for nearly 25,000 people annually in student housing and faculty/staff rental, including at least 3,300 new student beds and 1,000 replacement student housing beds as a priority
• a doubling of neighbourhood residential development over 30 years, which will enable UBC to deliver more housing options for UBC faculty, students and staff, more support for academic excellence, more and better campus amenities and infrastructure and extending SkyTrain to campus
• a strong Musqueam presence through landscapes, plantings and other prominent campus features that embody Musqueam values and create a sense of welcome to Musqueam territory
• creating an ecologically rich campus connected to its unique natural setting through strategies to retain and enhance the ecology and biodiversity of the campus, ranging from protecting and improving existing high-value ecological areas to creating new green spaces
• a comprehensive suite of amenities, services and infrastructure to support the future population

How public engagement shaped the outcome

Early in the process, the community identified and shaped the major themes of the process, including guiding principles like: “Confront the affordability crisis.” Through each subsequent phase of engagement and planning, the Vision, HAP and LUP were revised in response to community feedback.

Here are some examples of how community input made a difference:

1. Building more housing for the UBC community – To support and balance housing needs and respond to significant community interest and expectations, UBC integrated the five-year update to its Housing Action Plan (HAP) into the Campus Vision 2050 process. The updated HAP proposes 30 policies as UBC’s comprehensive response to the affordability crisis, including significantly increasing rental housing (most being discounted housing for faculty/staff), adding more student beds, growing UBC’s rent-geared-to-income program and expanding the faculty home ownership program.
2. Amenities and coordination of services – Amenities and services were considered through each phase of the engagement and planning process. Community feedback highlighted the importance of campus amenities as well as coordinating with service providers such as VSB, grocery stores, fire services and health care to meet the needs of the growing population.
3. Location and form of development – A strong desire for more sustainable forms of development, such as six-storey wood-frame construction and significant new open and green spaces, resulted in strategic placement of taller buildings to enable larger open space areas, and predominant reliance on mid-rise buildings to support affordability and sustainability and integration with surrounding neighbourhoods.
4. Prioritizing climate action as its own ‘Big Idea’ – The first draft of the ‘Big Ideas’, which are defining features of the Vision, integrated climate action throughout, but strong community feedback resulted in the creation of a standalone idea focused on advancing UBC’s role as a leader in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
5. Preserving green academic land – The first draft of the Vision proposed locating future student family housing in the Totem Field research area, but following discussions with researchers and student families, it was revised to preserve this land for research by concentrating future student family housing in the Acadia future planning area.
6. Musqueam presence – Through an engagement process co-developed with Musqueam, Campus Vision 2050 was shaped to feature Musqueam community interests, such as a robust sense of Musqueam presence on campus, particularly at arrival points, strengthened Indigenous land stewardship, and deeper coordination and planning for housing and SkyTrain on the Point Grey peninsula.
7. Biodiversity and ecology policy commitments – An early draft of the amendments to the Land Use Plan did not include specific references to biodiversity or ecology. Following discussions with faculty and community members, a section was added on biodiversity and ecology, including policies to integrate biodiversity strategies into future plans.

This is a snapshot of how community interests shaped the outcomes. Beyond these examples, community feedback also ensured the Vision and plans integrate ideas and directions to address other critical interests such as ensuring the campus is accessible and barrier free, prioritizing sustainable transportation options, and fostering community-building social interaction. Community input has been integral to the creation of the Vision, LUP amendments and updates to HAP, helping to shape the process itself and the final outcomes.

You can learn more about the engagement process by reading Engagement Summary: Needs and Aspirations; Engagement Summary: 30-Year Vision; and the most recent report to the Board of Governors.

Technical analysis and planning work completed by internal and external subject matter experts in the areas of land use planning, urban design, transportation and ecology has been ongoing throughout the Campus Vision 2050 process. This work is continuing to support finalization of the Campus Vision 2050 (the Vision), the Housing Action Plan (HAP) and the Land Use Plan (LUP) and preparation for implementation of the plans. An important element of this work is technical reports that help to establish baselines, identify opportunities, strategies and actions, and define measurements to enable monitoring of progress on the Vision. To learn more, view three key reports that informed development of the Vision, HAP and LUP and will continue to support the next phases of planning.

Ecological Baseline

An Ecological Baseline Study was undertaken as a key input to the Campus Vision 2050 planning process. The study provides a baseline assessment of current ecological conditions on the Vancouver campus. It assessed the ecological condition of soft landscapes, tree canopy coverage, ground temperatures, species at risk and invasive species. The report provides a range of opportunities to enhance the ecological health of the campus lands and also identifies some goals to be explored as part of more detailed planning and implementation through the 10-Year Campus Plan update, Rainwater Management Plan and future neighbourhood plans.

Read the report:

Download Executive Summary

Download Full Report

Housing Action Plan Background Information

As part of Campus Vision 2050, UBC undertook a review of the Housing Action Plan (HAP). The review explored how growth can meet the Campus Vision 2050 guiding principle to “Confront the Affordability Crisis” and the “More Housing and Expanded Affordability for UBC” big idea. The review was informed by The Faculty and Staff Housing Needs Assessment and Programs Evaluation (the Study). The Study explored the housing needs and aspirations of faculty and staff and how they may be impacted by the current housing market. It also examined how well UBC’s housing programs are supporting these needs and aspirations in service of the University’s recruitment and retention goals. New and revised housing policies were informed by the Study and are reflected in the HAP 10-Year Update, which will be implemented through the 10-Year Campus Plan update and future neighbourhood plans.

Read the report:

Download Executive Summary

Download Full Report

Transportation Planning Report

UBC worked with a transportation planning consultant to carry out technical work to support Campus Vision 2050. The work included baseline modelling, an analysis of existing transportation conditions, a review of relevant case studies on innovative transportation opportunities, and the development and review of future transportation concepts that accommodate the growth identified in Campus Vision 2050. The report findings shaped Campus Vision 2050’s Connected Campus big idea and will inform more detailed analysis and technical work as part of the 10-Year Campus Plan update, Transportation Plan, and future neighbourhood plans.

Read the report:

Download Executive Summary

Download Full Report

Public engagement with the community on the 30-Year Vision revealed a strong interest in the preservation of campus green spaces, advancing climate action and ensuring the adequate delivery of amenities and services. Learn more about current and new UBC policies, plans and programs as well as technical work that ensure the 30-Year Vision aligns with the university’s climate, biodiversity and community building commitments. This work is underway now and will continue over the next 12-18-months through the 10-Year Campus Plan and Neighbourhood Plan planning processes to support a coordinated, holistic and integrated approach to campus growth.

Engagement for the 30-Year Vision began in fall 2022 and completes with the Land Use Plan (LUP) public hearing in fall 2023.

Engagement to date has included discussions with Musqueam, targeted engagement meetings and two rounds of broad public engagement that saw over 8,900 touchpoints with community members.

View key engagement takeaways on the Campus Vision 2050 website or read the full 30-Year Vision Engagement Summary Report.

Watch the event recording for Planning a Sustainable Campus: Balancing Growth and Climate Action at UBC, which took place on January 25, 2023. This event featured a presentation by Simon Donner, an interdisciplinary climate scientist and Professor, on how UBC can take bold and courageous steps to balance growth with climate action on the Vancouver campus. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session moderated by Zana Mody, a former CBC journalist and current PhD student researching climate change mitigation and adaptation for coastal communities.

The UBC Alma Mater Society (AMS) has written to the UBC Board of Governors to share their perspective on the draft 30-Year Vision on behalf of the 58,000+ student they represent. The letter outlines feedback and the AMS position on a number of topics related to Campus Vision 2050. You can read the letter on the UBC Board of Governors website.