Today Mayor Gregor Robertson announced a series of next steps for the public to participate in developing the final report of the Engaged City Task Force, as part of a push to strengthen civic engagement and modernize consultation in Vancouver.

The Mayor and the Engaged City Task Force launched a new Online Ideas Forum where Vancouver residents can post ideas, make comments, and answer questions posed by the Task Force, with the input to be incorporated into the final report in July.

Click here to visit the new Online Ideas Forum

The Task Force also launched the new @EngagedCity twitter channel to solicit feedback and tweet ideas for discussion and commentary.

“In a time of fast-moving technological change, it’s important the City’s services and decision-making processes are made to be as open, accessible and engaging as possible,” said the Mayor. “Expanding the City’s engagement online and on social media will be a crucial component of our work to build a stronger and more civic-minded community, and I look forward to building on the input we receive from these important new tools.”

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Mayor Gregor Robertson was joined today by members of his Engaged City Task Force to launch a comprehensive set of steps to improve public consultation and enable stronger civic engagement in Vancouver.

“The City of Vancouver is a leader in a number of ways, but when it comes to civic engagement, we can do better,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “City Hall needs to adapt in a time of higher public expectations for access to City policy decisions, an increasingly diverse population and fast-moving technological change – the way people engage and want to communicate with each other and their civic government has changed dramatically in the past decade.

“Families and people of all ages work, live, play, go to school, and retire here – and we should be a global leader in how we work together and use innovative methods to seek out opinions, share information, and foster greater connection, trust and understanding between residents, and between residents and City Hall. The work and recommendations of this task force will help honour our commitment to bring City Hall into the 21st century and make it more accessible to everyone.”

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Two projects approved by Mayor and Council at last night’s Public Hearing will deliver significant new social housing and affordable rental housing units.

A five-storey mixed-use building at 3302-3036 W Broadway will offer 83 units of affordable rental housing as part of the City of Vancouver’s Rental 100 program, which aims to enable new rental housing construction in Vancouver. In addition, a new 15 storey building in Downtown South (1107 Seymour) will offer 81 units of social housing and four floors of social service space for Positive Living BC and AIDS Vancouver.

“Vancouver has a pressing need for more supportive housing and more affordable rental housing, especially for seniors, students, and young families,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “These projects build upon the City’s consistent work to support Vancouver renters, provide urgently needed housing for our most vulnerable residents, and make Vancouver more affordable for residents of all backgrounds.”

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“My congratulations to Premier Christy Clark on her successful re-election campaign and the formation of a new government, with which I look forward to continuing a positive working relationship. As Mayor, I’m committed to working with the Premier on building the partnerships we need to deliver on Vancouver’s priorities, including strengthening our local economy, ending street homelessness, making housing more affordable, and investing in urgently-needed transit improvements.

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Mayor Gregor Robertson is urging City Council to support an innovative proposal for 355 new units of affordable rental housing on four City-owned sites, which would deliver on a key recommendation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability.

The proposed new affordable housing will include a minimum of 273 units with rents significantly below market rates, with priority for all 355 units going first to those who currently live in Vancouver. 48 units will also primarily serve persons living with mental illness.

“Vancouver has an urgent need for more affordable housing that fits with our neighbourhoods and makes our city more livable for seniors, students, and young families,” said Mayor Robertson. “With 355 new units of secure and affordable rental housing, this proposal represents a significant step toward meeting that need. It’s encouraging to see such strong and early progress after the work we’ve done to enable innovative affordable housing solutions throughout Vancouver.”

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The city’s fifteen new food trucks will offer everything from Belgian waffles to Filipino fusion to French crepes and pastries on Vancouver’s streets this summer. The new vendors will begin operations this month and once fully-operational, will be among the 114 stationary food trucks on Vancouver’s streets.

“Vancouver’s street food program continues to grow, showcasing some of the best culinary talent in our city,” said Mayor Robertson. “Our street food vendors are gaining international accolades, and this year’s additions are enlivening our streets with even more diverse flavours.”

This year, vendors were also invited to apply to set up in one specific location, along with other vendors. This food truck group or ‘pod’ concept benefits both the public and vendors by offering more choices in one location. Seven of the new vendors will be located along Hamilton Street outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

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