From brown shore to green shore: redevelopment of the Southeast False Creek lands in Vancouver, Canada

Abstract

The Southeast False Creek (SEFC) lands in Vancouver, Canada, had a long history of industrial use and filling prior to their redevelopment first for use as the 2010 Winter Olympic Village and now as a continuation of the residential community along highly-sought-after city waterfront lands. Soil and sediment concentrations of metals and hydrocarbons exceeded regulatory benchmarks in and around a man-made embayment that supported ship building and steel fabrication. As well, the shoreline was highly disturbed with debris, erosion, and non-native vegetation, and consequently limited in its ability to support intertidal species typically expected in coastal waters of Western Canada.The Official Development Plan prepared by the City of Vancouver for SEFC incorporated shoreline improvements to public access, fish habitat, and safety and health objectives in response to community values expressed during an extensive public consultation process. Remediation and reconfiguration of the SEFC shoreline was thus a significant component of redevelopment which included removal of contaminated sediment and soil; filling of a portion of the embayment; stabilization, re-dressing, and planting of the remainder of the existing shoreline; and construction of an island in compensation for the partial filling of the embayment.Three annual surveys of a five-year post-construction monitoring program have been undertaken to date to evaluate the function of the constructed habitat and reconfigured shoreline. Both continue to be colonized by macroalgae and sessile invertebrates, and coverage and community structure is becoming more Environmental Impact 401

Reclamation of ecological functions within a marine ecosystem: redevelopment of the Southeast False Creek lands in Vancouver, Canada

“…These habitats are being used by juvenile salmon [1] Life of the False Creek ecosystem also includes the residents of Vancouver. The character of the design reflects the overall character of shorelines within and near urban centres that have retained natural features.…”

“…Key aspects of the redevelopment of the shoreline of SEFC Lands are presented by Wernick et al [1]. Redevelopment included partial filling of an embayment that once hosted industrial uses.…”

“…Redevelopment included partial filling of an embayment that once hosted industrial uses. Fill within the embayment impacted fish habitat as defined by the federal Fisheries Act [1]. In accordance with the Act, the overall redevelopment of the shoreline had to include replacement habitats that compensated for impacts to existing habitats.…”

“…The The history of shoreline development of False Creek is summarized by Wernick et al [1]. Upon the decline in industry during the 1970s, much of the backshore lands of False Creek laid vacant.…”

Planning use values or values-based planning? “Rolling with” neoliberal flood risk governance in Vancouver, Canada

“…To accommodate such heavy industrial operations, these waterways were subjected to filling and other physical alterations. False Creek, which previously extended kilometers further inland as a natural wetland, underwent significant filling in the early 1900s (Wernick et al, 2012). Similarly, nearly the entire Vancouver Harbour has been subjected to historical infilling (Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, 2018).…”