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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 14h

"I heard from pro-housing advocates who said this will reduce costs, and I appreciate that, and I heard from renters, who said it will have the opposite effect. So I'm very torn on this, um, yeah, and I just wish I had a little more information to make the right decision on this one"

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 14h

my peak housing activism days were ~10 years ago, so I'm ancient compared to a lot of the people doing housing stuff today. and I remember how he would constantly say terrible things about housing online and in his locally popular column, but a lot of people don't have that context

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 14h

oh man you have no fucking idea how bad www.reillywood.com/articles/sea...

Sean Orr is anti-housing

This is a very niche Vancouver post. Vancouver’s holding a by-election on April 5, and people keep telling me they’re planning on voting for Sean Orr. As someone who’s been involved in housing politic...

www.reillywood.com

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 14h

I think the pro-housing people who told others to vote for Orr were a little too trusting and well, there are worse things to be.

The ones who *still* defend him are pretty dumb though

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 14h

This got approved today! Only Sean Orr declined to vote yes.

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 15h

They have to do all kinds of weird shit to pretend that they're a wholesaler because Vancouver's planning department decided that this *one building* was appropriate for a bajillion different uses but not retail (unless you're selling cars). And god forbid an accountant or travel agency open up here

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 15h

Chatting with a lovely pet shop owner that moved to near Cambie and Broadway, and she mentions "Ignore the shelves, we had to divide the space up because we're only allowed to have retail on 40% of the floor area."

Turns out it's an insane CD zone from 1995 cd1-bylaws.vancouver.ca/cd-1(330).pdf

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 4d

my theory is that it's because it looks cool on the outside: bsky.app/profile/grid...

GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 4d

curves look good on a building's exterior but it seems like they always make the inside worse

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 4d

curves look good on a building's exterior but it seems like they always make the inside worse

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 4d

Jameson House is up there for worst layouts in a $$$ Vancouver building. Imagine paying $1.75M for a huge 1700 sqft 2BR and then you only get natural light from these dinky angled+round windows on one side of the unit www.realtor.ca/real-estate/...

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 4d

I went to both last year and enjoyed them both equally. Different vibes

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 4d

I think it's pretty good these days! Avoided it for a long time after a few unpleasant experiences early on, but I thoroughly enjoyed it last year

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 11d

I see you’re both wrong *and* facetious, very cool

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 11d

I spoke in favour of a new building that blocked the mountain view from my patio! I submitted comments in favour of new buildings just across the street!

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 11d

Grabbing drinks at 5PM today near Commercial-Broadway, DM if you would like to join!

Reposted by GRIDS Vancouver

Cross-laminated & Skinned her 👻 🦇 🎃 @nickhasthoughts.com · 11d

altered tweet by Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) saying "I feel bad for [the buildings]. But this is tremendous [aesthetics].

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 11d

love me some overgrown Tokyo buildings www.tokyotimes.org/recently-fou...

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 12d

Gregor Robertson addressing BC cities at their annual conference, lol:

Susan Kim 김수잔 @susankimyyj.bsky.social · 12d

Min referencing his experience as former Mayor of Vancouver, listening accomplishments there. Some commentary in the seats next to me express frustration with how… not well done that was.

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 12d

but I like that they fly my Magic cards from Ontario+Quebec over for pennies

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Reposted by GRIDS Vancouver

Rachel Cole @rmartincole.bsky.social · Aug 19

Book cover titled "The Story of Cement: The Magic Powder" by Earl J. Hadley. The illustration shows a large, stylized figure bending over and pouring white powder from their hands, which streams down into a cityscape with tall buildings and a bridge.

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 12d

We could fill an encyclopedia with Fry's bad housing takes. I don't even think he's a NIMBY, I think he's just operating with received wisdom about housing politics+policy from 20+ years ago and can't/won't get with the times

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 12d

I like that the r/vancouver consensus on Pete Fry is that he’s a nice guy who is not very good on housing (correct!) www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/...

From the vancouver community on Reddit: Pete Fry considering a run for mayor of Vancouver — and he could be the candidate to unite the left

Explore this post and more from the vancouver community

www.reddit.com

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Reposted by GRIDS Vancouver

Brendan Dawe @dawe.bsky.social · 12d

I've put together a wider scale map covering the inner suburbs.

One of the things immediately evident is the weakness of the Millennium Line compared to the other lines, with its route on a wide suburban boulevard and paralleling a major freeway as well as the forced transfer travel time impact

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GRIDS Vancouver @grids.reillywood.com · 13d

Strange that this is townhouses only and doesn’t allow houses as well. Not sure I like that precedent

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Reposted by GRIDS Vancouver

Jens von Bergmann @jensvb.bsky.social · 13d

The fact that BC planners feel the need to invent a new word to indicate that a zoning change is government-initiated is very telling.

Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 13d

Delta puts together a proposal for townhouse-only zoning... and gets in on the game of trying to explain BC municipalities' newest planning concept of "pre-zoning"

(perhaps inadvertently explaining a key portion of how we got into housing shortage in the first place) letstalk.delta.ca/pre-zoning

Delta explanation of Pre-Zoning text:

What is Pre-Zoning?

Pre-zoning is a process where a municipality proactively changes the zoning for certain areas to align with land use designations, to encourage certain types of development such as housing. This would speed up the process for getting new housing built faster. Future projects in a pre-zoned area could apply for permits directly without needing a lengthier rezoning process. Pre-zoning is considered in locations that are consistent with the Official Community Plan (OCP)

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