Project: COLLINGWOOD VILLAGE, Vancouver, B.C
Project: COLLINGWOOD VILLAGE, Vancouver, B.C
Project: COLLINGWOOD VILLAGE, Vancouver, B.C
DEVELOPMENT
CASE STUDY
COLLINGWOOD VILLAGE, Vancouver, B.C.
COLLINGWOOD VILLAGE
Figure 1Collingwood Village (all construction now complete) Source: Concert Properties
Project data
Date November 2006
completed
Site area 11.3 hectares (28 acres)
Number, type, size of 2,700 suites (1,917 condominium and 783 rental) within 16 buildings (11
residential units condominium and 5 rental) including four-storey townhouses and mid- and
high-rise apartment buildings. Unit sizes range from 34 m2 (365 sq. ft.) to
123 m2 (1,323 sq. ft.).
Other land uses on
6,500 m2 (70,000 sq. ft.) of non-residential space including a grocery
the site
store, a drug store, a 200-pupil elementary school, a 930 m2 (10,000
sq. ft.) community centre, a 650 m2 (7,000 sq. ft.) daycare, small-scale
retail and a neighbourhood policing centre.
239 uph (units per hectare)
Gross residential
density The housing is a mix of three building types: up to four-storey
townhouses and garden apartments, six-storey apartment buildings, and
Maximum height high-rise towers up to 26 storeys.
The 11 condominium buildings have a total of 2,173 parking stalls
(1.35/unit in phase 1 and 1.04/unit in phase 2). All on-site parking is
Parking underground.
$89,000 to $500,000 (1990 to 2006).The average new selling price was
Unit selling $339,948 in 2004. Automated Light Rapid Transit (SkyTrain)
prices Type of 25 700 m (80 2,300 ft.)
transit
Very good
Distance to transit
station Pedestrian
connectivity
Tr ansit-Or iented Development Case Study COLLINGWOOD VILLAGE, Vancouver, B.C .
2007 Google
showing the SkyTrain Map data 2007 established areas in between.
NAVTEQ
line Collingwood Village has
developed as a significant
transit
node on the corridor.
1
For a case study featuring a TOD at a SeaBus terminal, refer to Time, North Vancouver in CMHCs Transit-Oriented
Development Case Studies series at http://www.cmhc.ca/en/inpr/su/sucopl/upload/65508EnW.pdf
downtown Vancouver on
provided
by The Expo Line is the backbone of the regions
the Expo Line. Translink.
transit system with extremely successful
ridership, so much so that customer surveys
show one of the leading areas of dissatisfaction
is overcrowding. The lines 2005 weekday
average ridership was estimated at
approximately 188,000, up 11 per cent from
approximately 169,000 in 2003. Densities
around stations vary significantly but sufficient
redevelopment has occurred at enough stations
along the line, and in enough neighbourhoods
close to the line, to make the corridors
densities transit-supportive.
DEVELOPERS PERSPECTIVE
Replacing light industrial and railway
lands, the 2,700-unit Collingwood
Village project was developed by
Concert Properties over 16 years. The
project was born from discussions
between the developer and the City
that identified surplus industrial lands
adjacent to the newly built Joyce
SkyTrain Station.
Transit-Oriented Design
Considerations
Mere steps2 to the JoyceCollingwood SkyTrain
Station,
the proximity and good pedestrian connections
to the transit station were very important
considerations for the developer. Collingwood
Village has a number of design features that
make walking both pleasant and convenient:
The blocks are small with mid-block
connections and pathways between
buildings.
The central street that was created during
project development, Crowley Drive,
serves as the major pedestrian route. Most
of the major buildings as well as the parks
front onto this street, making it an
interesting and pleasant place to walk or
cycle.
The streets have street trees and include
pedestrian bulges at the intersections to
reduce crosswalk distances.
2
The northern corner of the project is located only steps from the JoyceCollingwood SkyTrain Station, with the southern
corner nearly 700 m (2,300 ft.) away. A distance of 400 m (1,300 ft.) is generally considered a comfortable five-minute
walk for the average person.
FIGURE 5
3
CMHC, B.C. Market Analysis Centre, Vancouver
Barriers and Obstacles The developer advises that Extensive
community consultation is key. Listen to the
Although the project was large and
community, work with them to address their
complex, there were no major barriers.
concerns and find creative ways to
Extensive communication with the
incorporate their long-term objectives.
neighbourhood groups throughout the
Maintain an open and honest dialogue with
process resulted in strong neighbourhood
them and deliver on your promises.
support. A well-conceived phasing plan
Furthermore, the developer advises that the
helped to ease the transition from light-
first priority should be to develop a human-
industrial to residential use over the master-
scaled, very comfortable, pedestrian-oriented
planned communitys
residential environment with easy and safe
16-year development period.
connection to transit.
Key Success Factors and Lessons
MUNICIPAL PLANNERS PERSPECTIVE
Learned
The developer attributes the success of the Planning Objectives
project to the innovative mix of housing
types, a well-conceived phasing plan, the Source: When the Expo Line station planning was
Landscaped
long-term commitment of the developer and
Concert
underway, the City of Vancouver at that time
pedestrian Properti
the provision of extensive
connectionscommunity
on the
es had little interest in seeing the Joyce
amenities. In addition,
site a smart master plan Collingwood Station area change from
that uses landscaping and building industrial uses. It was only after the opening
orientation to buffer residents from the of the line that the industry and rail uses in
SkyTrain system combined with a network of that area declined, and the opportunity for a
pedestrian-scaled, landscaped connections new residential community arose.
to that system was also important in
ensuring the success of the project. The quality of the development exceeded the
station area plan objectives that were
formulated in 1987 in conjunction with the
community. Higher densities were negotiated
between the developer and the community in
exchange
for significant community amenities. The City
was also part of the formula, as it was a
partner with the developer to produce rental
housing.
FIGURE 7
Reason for
choosing
As a separate question, respondents were Ninety per cent of respondents said they were
asked to what extent the buildings location very or somewhat satisfied with the overall cost
near transit influenced their decision to live in of living in this location even though, for 65 per
this development. Overall 87 per cent said cent, the purchase price was higher than that of
that the buildings location near transit had a their previous dwelling. Forty per cent said that
strong or some influence on their purchase they accepted this higher cost primarily because
decision. of the location near transit, 25 per cent because
of design features and 25 per cent because of
Most respondents were very satisfied with the neighbourhood amenities. The design and
quality of the project, including 90 per cent appearance of the buildings were very popular
reporting being satisfied with the amount of with respondents, most of whom (90 per cent)
parking provided for their personal use. said they were very or somewhat satisfied with
Somewhat fewer (64 per cent) were satisfied this aspect of the project. Eighty-four per cent
with parking provided for visitors; 93 per cent said they were satisfied or somewhat satisfied
reported being very satisfied or somewhat with the size of their units, even though the
satisfied with the character of the project has some very small units (less than
neighbourhood, including the style and type 37 m2 / 400 sq. ft.).
of housing, landscaping, and shops, that
contribute to the atmosphere of the area. Travel to Work, Shopping and School
Further, 100 per cent were either very
satisfied (55 per cent) or somewhat satisfied The proximity and good connectivity to transit
(45 per cent) with the amenities in the and amenities along with smaller unit sizes
neighbourhood, such as shopping, services, seem to have resulted in fewer households with
schools, and recreation. cars. Only 77 per cent of households surveyed
owned a car, compared to 84 per cent of
households in the Vancouver census
metropolitan area (CMA) and only 13 per cent
owned two or more cars compared to 37 per
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9
Transition to Sour
1996. ce:
the adjacent Conc
lower-density ert
Prop
TransLink, Three-Year Plan and Ten-Year existing ertie
s
Outlook: Strategic Transportation Plan neighbourho
Amendment, February 2004. od was made
by placing
parks and
City of Vancouver, Joyce Station Area Plan, lower
approved by City Council on May 20, 1987. buildings
near the
CD-1 By-law No. 7204 and Joyce/Vanness edge.
Guidelines for the adjoining Collingwood
Village development.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Developer Transit
Planner authority
Concert Properties City of Vancouver Joanna Brownell, Transportation
Ltd. Rob Whitlock Planner
Lizette Parsons-Bell Senior Housing Planner Greater Vancouver
Director, Corporate Projects 435 West 12th Transportation Authority
and Community Avenue (TransLink)
Relations Phone: 604-873-7432 1600-4720 Kingsway,
9th Floor 1190 Hornby Fax: 604-871-6488 Burnaby, B.C. V5H 4N2
St., Vancouver, B.C. V6Z E-mail: Phone: 604-453-3066
2K5 Phone: 604-688-9460 rob.whitlock@vancouver Fax: 604-453-4697
E-mail: .ca E-mail: joanna_bro
LParsonsBell@ConcertProper Website: [email protected] Website:
ties.com www.vancouver.ca www.translink.bc.ca
Website:
www.ConcertProperties.com
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