---
title: "Allam calls for restoring Vancouver Economic Commission and preserving industrial land"
description: "Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam told Daily Hive he would revive the Vancouver Economic Commission, protect 6 per cent industrial land, and bring free Wi-Fi to the Downtown Eastside."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/allam-economic-commission-dtes-platform-october-13"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T19:03:21.759Z"
---

Kareem Allam told Daily Hive Vancouver on October 13 that he would restore the Vancouver Economic Commission if elected mayor, calling Vancouver probably the largest city in North America without its own economic development body. The city dissolved the Commission in 2023.

Allam is running for mayor with the Vancouver Liberals. He said his main reason for entering the race is to bring young people back to Vancouver, pointing to housing, jobs, frontline services, and public safety as the factors he says are driving them away. "By failing our youngest, we're failing everyone," he told Daily Hive.

## Economic development and industrial land

Allam's platform commits to reviving the Vancouver Economic Commission, Daily Hive reported. He also said he would protect the city's industrial land base, which his campaign puts at 6 per cent of the city's area. Industrial land is used for manufacturing, warehousing, and similar businesses.

This is the party's stated position. This site has not independently verified the current share of industrial land in Vancouver.

## Services in the Downtown Eastside

Allam told Daily Hive he would provide free public Wi-Fi in the Downtown Eastside and create food hubs in vacant city-owned spaces where residents could buy affordable groceries. Both commitments are in his campaign platform and have not been costed in any public document his party has released.

## Housing approvals

On housing, Allam said his platform would merge 12 housing approval departments into one and replace Vancouver's building code with BC's provincial building code. He said both changes would reduce the cost and time to complete housing projects, Daily Hive reported. These are his party's commitments; this site has not independently assessed the current number of departments involved in approvals or what the code change would cost.

## Background

Allam previously led campaigns for Kevin Falcon's BC Liberals and for Ken Sim's 2022 ABC Vancouver campaign, and served briefly as Mayor Sim's Chief of Staff. He told Daily Hive he has assembled what he calls the most diverse team among the parties running in this election, though this site has not independently verified that claim.

Voters can read the full Kareem Allam candidate page at [/candidates/kareem-allam](/candidates/kareem-allam) and compare all parties at [/polls](/polls). Voting day is October 17, 2026.

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