Street scenes from Mackenzie Street and 33rd Ave as local residents have spoken out against the city's proposal to turn it into a local village Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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Vancouver council has rejected the villages plan, a proposal from city planners to add residential and commercial density to 17 areas around the city, after strong public backlash.

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The plan evolved over several years under two Vancouver councils, after public engagement found strong support for adding medium-density housing as well as more shops and services spread throughout residential neighbourhoods.

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But when the detailed plan was released this year, it generated significant backlash.

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At a meeting Tuesday, councillors from the majority ABC Vancouver party said their decision was guided by the public response to the villages plan, which they variously described as a “tsunami,” “landslide” and “storm” of opposition.

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All ABC council members voted in opposition, as did councillors from three other parties: Vote Vancouver Coun. Rebecca Bligh, Green Coun. Pete Fry and COPE Coun. Sean Orr.

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Tuesday’s decision followed a marathon, multi-day public hearing where hundreds of people appeared at city hall and phoned in to address council about the plan. People spoke passionately both in favour and opposition, with opponents outnumbering supporters. Many objected to allowing apartment buildings of up to six storeys in neighbourhoods spread across Vancouver’s east and west sides, citing concerns about neighbourhood character, parking and loss of tree canopy.

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OneCity Coun. Lucy Maloney was the only councillor to vote in favour of the plan on Tuesday.

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“With regard to my colleagues’ speeches saying this is a one-size-fits-all approach, our current zoning is a one-size-fits-all approach. But it doesn’t actually fit all people, it fits people who can afford to buy incredibly expensive homes, and it doesn’t fit everyone else,” Maloney said.

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“We can’t just ignore the fact that there are fewer and fewer people able to afford housing in our city. And this plan wasn’t perfect, but it would have provided more affordable, accessible housing choices in more neighbourhoods.”

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After the meeting, Maloney said she was frustrated the ABC-majority council rejected her attempts at compromise. Maloney had suggested referring the villages plan back to staff to conduct more “deep consultation” with the public. After that was rejected, she proposed a pilot program limiting the zoning changes to five “pilot villages,” instead of all 17 locations. That, too, was rejected.

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“I tried to give the majority on council every possible opportunity to compromise, to address the concerns that were raised by public speakers,” Maloney said. “I think it’s very sad that we’ve thrown this work in the bin.”

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Vancouver city councillors Lenny Zhou (left) and Lucy Maloney listen to a speaker at Vancouver city hall on Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

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The villages plan stemmed from the citywide planning process under Vancouver’s previous council. Public consultation for that process found strong support for adding more residential density and commercial space in lower-density neighbourhoods.