Southeast False Creek (outlined in yellow).
Image Source: City of Vancouver website

Introduction

Southeast False Creek (SEFC) is an area south of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Southeast False Creek is named for its location relative to the False Creek inlet (see image, left). The lands around False Creek were formerly inter-tidal marshland that were converted for industrial uses. In the 19th century, Southeast False Creek was home to saw mills, shingle mills, wood and coal yards, metalworking industries, and a salt refinery. This age of industry in Southeast False Creek lasted about 100 years. By the 1960s, industry began to move out of the area, leaving Vancouver with a large are of uninhabited and unused land.

Southeast False Creek is now the site of a major mixed-use, sustainable urban development project, incorporating many aspects of sustainability and the latest ideas and technology of green building and planning. The plan for Southeast False Creek embraces and celebrates its industrial heritage and the area will get a lot of its character from this history. Several historic buildings from Southeast False Creek's industrial age will be preserved. The Southeast False Creek will be a complete community, with residences, schools, shops, and other community elements.

Logging in False Creek,
Image Source: False Creek Urban Heritage Trail Guidebook

Domtar Salt Building, an industrial heritage building of Southeast False Creek
Photo courtesy of John Allison, http://www.flickr.com/photos/photocat62/

The site area is almost 80 acres (32 hectares) with about 50 acres (20 hectares) of land owned by the City of Vancouver. The remaining areas are privately held lands.

Southeast False Creek development area.
Image Source: Official Development Plan, 2005.

While the city of Vancouver named Southeast False Creek a possible site for a pilot project in sustainable planning in 1990, it was not until 1994 that the city began exploring the possibilities for sustainable development in Southeast False Creek. After a disappointing beginning, the city restarted the planning process in 1997 by holding a series of public design charrettes. Since then, there has been significant public input in the planning process and the result shows in the development plans for Southeast False Creek.

Southeast False Creek is an important project to watch because it has the potential to be a model sustainable mega-project that other North American cities can look to for inspiration and for valuable lessons. Southeast False Creek will also give sustainability an additional spotlight, as Vancouver will be the location of the 2008 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The site of the Olympic Village will be in Southeast False Creek.