Introduction

Vancouver is Canada's third largest city and its busiest port; and it is still growing. It acts as a gateway to the Pacific, a transportation terminus, a tourist destination and a centre for business. It is home to more than half a million people in an area of two million people. It is a city by the sea that attracts business, residents and millions of visitors each year.

Daily, more than half a million people go into the Downtown core. This area is known as the 'Central Business District'. It is a triangle of land nestled between Burrard Inlet and False Creek. It is bordered by Stanley Park, the West End and Cambie Street. It is a patchwork of unique and distinctive communities, which include Yaletown, Gastown, Coal Harbour and East False Creek.

Downtown is the city's, as well as the region's largest shopping district. There are major department stores located in the centre at the intersection of Georgia and Granville Streets. Gastown is located at the eastern end with night clubs, restaurants and specialty shops that are combined with the area's historic charm. This makes this area a major tourist attraction and destination. Chinatown's ethnic character and specialty shops also combine the area's unique and distinct heritage buildings to attract tourists as well as local and regional residents.

History & Heritage

About a century ago, Vancouver was a two-block collection of buildings called Granville, which is now known as Gastown. This location was contending to be the West Coast's terminal of the Canadian Pacific Railway. By 1887, one year after the City of Vancouver was integrated, the first passenger train arrived at the foot of Howe Street, which insured future growth.
In the next 7 years a building boom moved the city center from Water and Cordova Streets up to Georgia and Granville Streets. The Street Car service commenced in 1890, which joined the waterfront to Granville, Pender and Cordova Streets. The Klondike Gold Rush initiated the next phase of expansion in 1898. The next decade verified Granville Street as the center of Downtown, and a real estate boom caused land costs to increase. By 1912, a central core of offices and shopping areas was constructed along with residential neighborhoods. After World War I the area experienced another economic leap forward and more Downtown development. In 1929, the stock market crash brought development to a standstill. This was the beginning of a 35-year period where there was very little change to the area.

In the late 1960's and 1970's there was rapid growth in the Downtown area and in bordering neighbourhoods. Vancouver solidified it position as an international financial and business centre as white-collar jobs in the city core increased. Pacific Centre Mall was constructed and Granville Street was transformed into a transportation mall. In 1971, the Provincial government designated Gastown and Chinatown as historic districts. In 1977, the Robson Square Courthouse and Vancouver Art Gallery were completed. These structures created a significant public space in the heart of Downtown. Industrial land surrounding False Creek was rezoned to allow inclusive redevelopment into residential neighbourhoods.

In the early 1980's, B.C. Place, a 60,000 seat indoor stadium, was built just south of the Georgia Viaduct. In the 1986, the north shore of False Creek was the site for an international exposition, EXPO '86. On the Burrard Inlet the Canada Place Trade and Convention Centre was constructed as Canada's pavilion for the fair. This is also the city's cruise ship terminal and the first phase of Sky Train, which linked Downtown to New Westminster.

In the late 1980's, the Downtown core was in transition from an area devoted to business to a collection of neighbourhoods surrounding a thriving office and shopping district. Council agreement of the Central Area Plan in 1991 confirmed this route by creating overall goals and land use policies for the Downtown.

Within the downtown core, there are many landmark buildings, including:
" The Hotel Vancouver (1929-1939)
" The Marine Building (1930)
" The Sun Tower (1912)
" Christ Church Cathedral (1889-1895)
" Canadian Pacific Railway Station (1914)
" Court House and Vancouver Art Gallery (1906-1912)
" Woodwards (1903, plus 9 additions)
" B.C. Hydro Building (1957)

Communities Within Downtown

False Creek North
This 83-hectare site is located on the north shore of False Creek, the former EXPO '86 site. It includes 8,500 residential housing units for more than 14,000 residents, 2.6 million square feet of commercial space, social housing, parks, schools, community facilities and a waterfront walkway and bicycle route.

Yaletown
This area was once the city's 'warehouse district'. Today, it is a rejuvenated part of the city and a 'trendy' place to live, work, and do business. It is home to a mixture of art galleries, retail stores, restaurants and office and residential developments. Yaletown's early days were created by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887. It obtained its name when the railway moved its construction equipment and repair shops from Yale in the Fraser Canyon to the railway's western terminal of Vancouver.

By the turn of the century, business was booming throughout B.C. and Vancouver has become the wholesaling centre for Western Canada. In 1900, the City laid out streets and planned a new 8-block warehouse district near the original Yaletown. Nelson, Homer, Drake and Pacific Streets bound this new Yaletown. This was a convenient and cheap point for process, repackaging and warehousing of goods.

In the late 1920's, Vancouver created its first city plan and Yaletown was zoned for commercial and light industrial use. By the 1950's, many homeowners had sold to factories and shops that the Central School located at Dunsmuir and Cambie was forced to close.

The area was not much more than parking until the late 1970's and 1980's. Young urban professionals figured that Yaletown's old warehouses were convenient, inexpensive and attractive. Presently, the former industrial buildings, warehouses and working-class houses have been transformed into offices, restaurants and trendy nightspots. Loft-style residences are very popular.

The heritage importance of the 'Old Yaletown' truck loading docks and the characteristic overhanging canopies have been recognized by City Council as unique architectural features that identify the area. There is significant pedestrian traffic, outside seating and other active uses for the area.

Victory Square
Victory Square is located along Hastings and Pender Streets, between Carrall and Richards. It includes the east side of Beatty Street between Pender and Dunsmuir. Many heritage and character buildings surround the centre of Victory Square Park. This park is home to the Cenotaph, which honour the dead of the two World Wars.

Granville Slopes
This area is located on False Creek between the Granville and Burrard Bridges, south of Pacific Avenue. Granville Slopes is becoming one of the city's highest density residential neighbourhoods. There is a conceptual plan made to guide future development of the 10-hectare site.

Triangle West
Coal Harbour, the West End, downtown Vancouver to the west and south, and downtown to the East surround this area. This area has developed as an area of mixed use. The Central Area Plan identifies Triangle West as a "choice of use" area, where new development can be entirely office, entirely residential, hotel or a combination.

Downtown South
This area is located south of Robson Street, east of the West End and north of Pacific Street and historic Yaletown. This area will be transformed into a high-density residential and mixed-use community. By 2020, the area should be developed to house approximately 11,000 people in 5,600 housing units. Granville and Davie Streets are the major retail strips catering to residents and office workers. Strategies are being developed to provide the community with social, recreational and health services; these include a community centre, job development support, a mental health drop-in centre and outreach programs.

Coal Harbour
This area overlooks Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains. It stretches from Canada Place to Cardero Street along the Burrard Inlet shore. Development is taking place to include 1.5 million square feet of office, retail and hotel space, as well as housing for 3,500 people. The harbour side waterfront walkway and bicycle route along Coal Harbour will be connected with the Stanley Park Seawall.

Bayshore Gardens
This area is next to Coal Harbour's western boundary. This 9-hectare site is being developed to become home to 1,400 people, which includes 40,000 square feet of commercial space. Part of the project includes expanding the Bayshore Hotel with added amenities. A 250-berth marina, a park, daycare, and a waterfront walkway and bicycle path connecting Stanley Park and Coal Harbour will be developed. The Bayshore Gardens and Coal Harbour developments are the first downtown residential neighbourhoods located on Burrard Inlet. They are located between the West End and Downtown Vancouver and provide a unique and attractive urban living.

East False Creek
This area is an extension of the False Creek North residential development of the old Expo '86 lands. It is positioned between Mount Pleasant and Chinatown. The Citygate development transformed this area. The area was rezoned to allow 175,000 square feet of commercial space and 1,000 new housing units for 1,800 residents. The amenities included are community space, two daycares and a payment in lieu for parking space.

Chinatown
When the Transcontinental Railway was completed in 1887, Chinese labourers settled along the shore of False Creek. This area is now Pender Street between Carrall and Columbia Streets. This community so rapidly that it was once the largest Chinatown in Canada, and the second largest in North America. In the early 1970's, the Province designated Chinatown as a historic district. The unique character of the area is defined by the architecture featuring recessed balconies, decorative parapets and cornices. Zoning in the Chinatown Historical District is intended to encourage the protection and rehabilitation of significant early Chinatown buildings, as well as recognizing that the activities that make this district a city asset must be accommodated.

Gastown
This is the place of birth for Vancouver, which originated in Maple Tree Square, which is located in the zero hundred block of Water Street where it intersects with Carrall Street. This was where Jack (Gassy) Deighton opened his saloon and the city's first business. In 1886, Gastown and the surrounding forest were incorporated as the City of Vancouver. During the month of June this same year, it burned to the ground. The area is a collection of 19th century buildings and early 20th century warehouses. In the 1970's, Gastown was designated as a heritage district by the Provincial government due to threats of freeway and urban redevelopment projects.