The City of Vancouver is exploring ways to support existing and new corner stores, and other small-scale shops and services in residential areas.
Vancouver used to have lots of shops and services sprinkled throughout its neighbourhoods. At their peak, in the 1920s, there were approximately 260 active corner stores. However, when the first zoning bylaw was introduced, these stores were seen as less desirable, and planning regulations made them hard to build. The number of stores has been declining ever since. Over the last few decades, there has been a renewed interest in supporting corner stores. Some small changes to zoning regulations have been made, but there is the opportunity to do more. More recently, in 2022, Council approved the Vancouver Plan – a long-range strategy to guide growth and change in the city. One of the core objectives of the Plan is the creation of more complete neighbourhoods, where people have easy access to daily and weekly needs. Corner stores could play a role in helping to achieve that goal.
Get Involved!
Should the City allow more types of small-scale shops and services in residential areas? If yes, what types of businesses should be allowed? Where should stores be located? These are some of the questions COV is looking to answer. Share your thoughts and ideas by taking a short survey, here, and let’s put corner stores back on the Vancouver map! —Noa Nichol
shapeyourcity.ca
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