Green Party of Vancouver on growth: housing, streets, trees, climate and waste
Sustainable Growth is the first section of the Green Party of Vancouver's 2026 platform. It proposes dynamic zoning, a pause on micro-suites, city land for co-ops, 30 km/h streets, converting 11% of streets to community use, a 3-30-300 tree goal and a gas heating ban in new buildings.
CITY COUNCIL · PAGES 4 TO 16
The aim of Sustainable Growth, in the party's words
Responsible development that promotes livability, housing options, greenspaces, and resilient neighbourhoods while preparing Vancouver for the future.
The Green Party of Vancouver opens its 2026 platform with Sustainable Growth, a section on pages 4 to 16. Its chapters cover city planning, housing, transportation, green buildings, trees and nature, infrastructure, and waste, and every chapter is aimed at decisions made by City Council. The party states the aim of the section as "Responsible development that promotes livability, housing options, greenspaces, and resilient neighbourhoods while preparing Vancouver for the future."
The largest commitments are spread across the chapters. On housing, the Greens would use city-owned land for affordable housing and co-ops, pause micro-suites as small as 250 sq ft, and offer pre-approved home designs. On streets, they would expand 30 km/h limits, add bike lanes on Broadway and convert at least 11% of streets from car use to community use. On climate, they would bring back a ban on fossil gas heating in new buildings, adopt a 3-30-300 goal for trees and green space, and end raw sewage outflows.
Most of these steps sit with City Council, which controls zoning, permits, city streets, Vancouver's own building bylaw and the capital plan. Several depend on others: TransLink runs buses and plans the SkyTrain line to UBC, the Province set the housing targets the party wants changed, BC Hydro runs the electrical grid, and the separately elected Park Board runs parks. On those points the party can only ask, negotiate or work alongside another body.
7 CHAPTERS
Every chapter in Sustainable Growth
Urban Planning
Vancouver Greens on planning: dynamic zoning, benefit deals, speculation limits
- Complete communities: amenities and services to meet growth and public needs
- Dynamic Zoning and Community Context Planning
- Resolve provincial housing targets, limits on amenities, and good planning
Housing Growth
Vancouver Greens on housing: city land for co-ops, micro-suite pause, preset designs
- Public land for public good
- Best long-term public value from city land
- Tools to build more affordable housing city-wide
Transportation
Vancouver Greens on transport: 30 km/h streets, Broadway bikeway, 11% road reclamation
- Slower Safer Streets
- Pedestrian-first priorities
- Permanent pedestrian zone infrastructure
Building Green
Vancouver Greens on buildings: fossil gas ban in new builds, green roofs, solar
- Solar ready, plug-in solar ready
- EV charging island modernized curbside infrastructure
- Decarbonizing new builds
Ecosystems
Vancouver Greens on nature: tree canopy, city arborist office, 3-30-300 green space
- Trees for a Healthier City
- Protect and expand our urban forest
- Reward tree retention
Infrastructure and Resilience
Vancouver Greens on infrastructure: repair backlog, sewer overflows, seawalls, quakes
- Infrastructure maintenance
- Climate resilient infrastructure
- Pedestrian and active transportation infrastructure
Zero Waste
Vancouver Greens on waste: drop-off centres, Kent Avenue hub, pet waste diversion
- Improve access to recycling and public facilities
- Kent Avenue Circular Economy Hub
- Improved and expanded organics processing
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Who holds the power for these 76 commitments
Each chapter page names the body for every commitment and gives the reason in one sentence.
ON THE BALLOT
The Green Party of Vancouver candidates behind this
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about Sustainable Growth
What is the Green Party of Vancouver's Sustainable Growth platform?
Sustainable Growth is the first section of the Green Party of Vancouver's 2026 platform, with chapters on planning, housing, transportation, green buildings, ecosystems, infrastructure and zero waste. The party describes its aim as responsible development that promotes livability, housing options, greenspaces and resilient neighbourhoods (platform, page 4).
What are the Vancouver Green Party's biggest housing promises for 2026?
The Greens would use city-owned land for affordable housing, co-ops and community land trusts, pause micro-suites as small as 250 sq ft, and offer pre-approved home designs. They also support 4 to 6 storey wood-frame apartments in all neighbourhoods (platform, pages 6 to 7).
What does the Green Party of Vancouver propose for streets and transit?
The party would expand 30 km/h limits near parks and schools, add bike lanes on Broadway while the subway is built, and convert at least 11% of streets from car use to community use. It would work with TransLink on faster buses and seek a binding timeline for rapid transit to UBC (platform, pages 8 to 10).
What are the Vancouver Greens' climate policies for buildings?
The Green Party of Vancouver would re-establish a ban on fossil gas heating for heat and hot water in new buildings, require green roofs on larger buildings, make solar easier to permit and return a standalone Sustainability and Climate Office to City Hall (platform, page 11).
What is the Green Party of Vancouver's plan for trees?
The Greens would strengthen tree protection bylaws, create a municipal arborist office, make occupancy permits depend on tree health reviews and require rezonings to add canopy. Their goal is the 3-30-300 rule: 3 trees in view of every home, a 30% canopy and a green space within 300m (platform, pages 12 to 13).
Who would have the power to carry out the Green Party of Vancouver's Sustainable Growth plan?
Most of it is City Council's to decide, since Council controls zoning, permits, city streets, the building bylaw and the capital plan. The Greens' plans for buses and a UBC line depend on TransLink, their grid plans depend on BC Hydro, which the Province owns, and the housing targets they want changed were set by the Province (platform, pages 4 to 16).
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- Platform 2026, Green Party of Vancouver (72-page PDF, last updated September 29, 2026) SAYS SO ITSELFGreen Party of Vancouver · pages 4 to 16 · published · checked
- Millennium Line UBC Extension TransLink · checked
- BC Hydro: about us (provincial Crown corporation) BC Hydro · checked