Changes To Vancouver's Development Approval Procedures: What You Need To Know

On June 9, 2025, the City of Vancouver's (the "City") Development Approval Procedure ("DAP") By-law No. 14357 (the "By-law") came into effect¹.The By-law introduces changes to the rezoning application process which are intended to reduce the time required to obtain approval for residential development projects in Vancouver where such rezoning is consistent with a City Official Development Plan ("ODP") and 50% or more of the gross floor area of all proposed buildings is residential.

Bill 18 – Vancouver Charter Amendment Act (No. 2), 2024

The By-law was enacted in response to the Vancouver Charter Amendment Act (No. 2), 2024 ("Bill 18"), which amended the Vancouver Charter, S.B.C. 1963, c. 55 (the "Vancouver Charter"), to better align with the rules and authorities governing other BC municipalities under the Local Government Act, R.S.B.C. 2015, c. 1² and to improve development approval efficiency to support the timely delivery of housing in Vancouver³.

Bill 18 mandates certain legislative actions by the Council of the City of Vancouver (the "Council") to streamline processes for development. In particular, Bill 18 requires the Council to achieve the following goals⁴:

1. adopt a City-wide ODP by June 30, 2026;
2. integrate existing area-specific ODPs into the City-wide ODP by June 30, 2030;
3. phase-out one-off public hearings for eligible rezonings; and
4. authorize a development approval by-law.

In response to Bill 18, the City enacted the By-law, which sets out rules and procedures under which an owner of land may apply for: (a) an amendment to an ODP or a zoning by-law; or (b) a development permit.

The By-law

The By-law was enacted on June 3, 2025 and came into effect as of June 9, 2025⁵.

Changes in Requirement for Public Hearing

Under the previous framework, any development project that required rezoning also required a public hearing. However, section 559.02 of the Vancouver Charter, as amended by Bill 18 and explicitly adopted in section 7.1 of the By-law, sets out an exception to the rule. The City is prohibited from holding public hearings on a proposed rezoning application if:

1. the proposed rezoning is consistent with an ODP;
2. the sole purpose of the proposed rezoning is to permit a development that is, in whole or in part, a residential development; and
3. the residential component of the development accounts for at least 50% of the gross floor area of all buildings and other structures proposed as part of the development⁶.

These applications will be put before the Council for a direct decision instead of going through a public hearing process.

For rezoning applications that are consistent with an ODP but have less than 50% of the gross floor area as residential use, the Council will have authority to refer the application either to a direct decision or a public hearing⁷.

Applications for rezoning that are inconsistent with an ODP will continue to undergo public hearings prior to being referred to the Council for enactment⁸. This means that development projects that have a majority of their focus on residential purposes will experience a sped-up approval process as opposed to their commercial and non-residential counterparts.

Rezoning Enquiry Required Where Rezoning Not Consistent With ODP

Part 2 of the By-law makes a rezoning enquiry a mandatory step in the rezoning application process for applications that are not consistent with an ODP. This enquiry provides applicants with the opportunity to receive early feedback from the City, prior to submitting a formal and full rezoning application, and allows developers to make changes early on in their development approval process⁹.

Public Feedback Process Moving Forward

The City will continue to obtain public feedback for any rezoning applications through an online platform, where each rezoning application will have a dedicated page and comment box¹⁰. Moreover, if a public hearing is not required under section 559.02 of the Vancouver Charter, the Council must provide notice that a public hearing will not be held¹¹.

What Happens Next?

The City shared a draft City-wide ODP for public review in October of this year (available at: Vancouver Official Development Plan | City of Vancouver), and the City is considering all feedback collected. Prior to adoption of the City-wide ODP, a public hearing will be held¹², which provides the public with another opportunity to provide comments.

The By-law represents a shift in the Vancouver's approach to development approvals, aiming to streamline processes in line with broader provincial legislation. Developers should take note of the evolving requirements, including those set out in the By-law. Furthermore, once implemented, developers should familiarize themselves with the City-wide ODP.

Footnotes

1 City of Vancouver, Development Approval Procedure, By-law No. 14357, s. 8.1 and Interim Official Development Plans Regulation, B.C. Reg. 278/2025.

2 City of Vancouver Council Report dated June 25, 2024, online: https:/council.vancouver.ca/20240710/documents/pspc2.pdf

3 British Columbia, Official Report of Debates of the Legislative Assembly (Hansard), 42nd Parl, 5th Sess, No 410 (9 April 2024) at 14668 (Hon A Kang).

4 City of Vancouver, Provincial Housing Legislation, online: https:/vancouver.ca/people-programs/provincial-housing-legislation.aspx

5 City of Vancouver, Development Approval Procedure, By-law No. 14357, s. 8.1.

6 Vancouver Charter, S.B.C. 1963, c. 55, s. 559.02(4).

7 Ibid, s. 559.02(3).

8 Ibid, s. 559.02(1).

9 By-law No. 14357, supra note 5, s. 2.4.

10 City of Vancouver, What You Need to Know About Vancouver's Official Development Plan (ODP), at online: – https:/vancouver.ca/files/cov/vancouver-odp-and bill-18-printable-guide.pdf

11 Vancouver Charter, supra note 6, s. 559.05 and By-law No. 14357, supra note 5, s. 6.1.

12 Vancouver Charter, supra note 6, s. 559.02(1) and By-law No. 14357, supra note 5, s. 7.1

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