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Vancouver appoints suburban director of development as newly created “general manager of planning and development” for city

July 24th, 2012 · 3 Comments

City news release here, which Bill Lee kindly posted in a previous thread as I was crazy busy (plus he included a bunch of tweets). My story in the Globe, with assessments from various people in and out of B.C., will be up on the website later.

The City of Vancouver has appointed Brian J. Jackson as the new General Manager, Planning and Development role following an international search. This senior leadership role encompasses the Director of Planning’s statutory responsibilities. Brian will join the City on August 27, 2012.

 

Brian brings 32 years of planning experience in the public and private sector across North America to his new role. For the last four years, he has been the Director of Development and more recently the Acting General Manager of Planning and Development for Richmond B.C.

 

 

During his career in California, Nevada, Ontario and B.C., Brian has led a significant number of large, complex land-use planning initiatives, many of which align with the key priorities of the City of Vancouver – affordable housing, transit oriented development, economic development, and the design of sustainable, vibrant communities. More importantly, he has a strong track record engaging and partnering with the community.

 

In the 1990’s, as the Manager of Waterfront Planning for the City of Toronto,  Brian played a leadership role in the planning and revitalization of a significant portion of Toronto’s Central Waterfront.

 

Over the seven years he coordinated the planning policy and development applications for Toronto’s waterfront, which continues to evolve, he oversaw the review of development applications representing over 10,000 residential units and five million square feet of office space. The streets, buildings, parks and public art that have reenergized the waterfront have earned more than 40 regional, national and international awards.

 

From 1998 to 2008, Brian worked as a senior associate for IBI Group and was responsible for planning projects across North America. As project manager for the San Gabriel Valley Growth Visioning study, an effort involving 31 communities, he was responsible for supporting and enabling local governments to work together to identify key growth opportunities for their region.

 

From 2005 to 2008, he managed the Metro Gold Line Transit-Oriented Development project, a transit oriented development plan encompassing 11 unique communities from Pasadena to Montclair, California (total population over three million).

 

During his past four years in Richmond, Brian has led planning, developer negotiations and development approvals for this growing community. In 2012 for example, he oversaw applications worth over $4 billion in construction value, including hotels, retail, office and over 12,000 residential units. In Richmond, he has had a major role working with the non-profit sector in the creation of more than 520 affordable housing units.

 

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Geography and a Masters of Arts in Community and Regional Planning, both from the University of British Columbia.

 

The City undertook a broad international search for this new leadership position. This new role will ensure effective integration of planning issues across the whole city mandate and provide a more coherent approach for all land use planning in Vancouver.  The City looks forward to having Brian Jackson take on this key strategic leadership role in Planning and Development Services.

 

Quotes

 

Mayor Gregor Robertson

 

“We are very pleased Brian Jackson has agreed to join the City team to take on this key leadership role in planning and development services,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Brian brings to this role his 32 years of senior planning experience across North America, in both the private and public sector, along with specific skills in the areas of priority for our Council, like affordability, transit-oriented development, and community consultation. He is keenly aware of the challenges we face and we look forward to him working with our local neighbourhoods, businesses and not-for-profit communities to implement our vision for the future of Vancouver.”

 

Penny Ballem, City Manager

 

“I am delighted to welcome Brian to this new, senior leadership role in the City of Vancouver,” City Manager Penny Ballem said. “Brian will be a great addition to our senior team, and his broad experience and strong track record in building relationships with community and the many partners who work with us in the planning and development services will be a great asset.

 

“After an international search that attracted 108 applications, Brian Jackson, with his regional, national and international experience in key priority areas for the city was the unanimous choice of the search committee.”

 

Brenda Plant, Executive Director, Turning Point Recovery Society

 

“The appointment of Brian Jackson is great news for Vancouver,” said Brenda Plant, Executive Director, Turning Point Recovery Society. “I have worked with Brian for many years in the area of affordable housing and have been very impressed by his vision, commitment, determination and ability to get things done. He has found ways to provide people with housing when they didn’t have much hope left.

 

“Brian turns adversity into opportunity and he makes things happen. He will make a strong contribution to Vancouver and its future.”

 

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  • Bill Lee

    [ How’s your teeth now? (see tweet list to right of blog if you didn’t know that Vampira Bula had major dentistry) ]

    So what does the J. stand for?

    See Gordon Price and the AOL, OLA etc. triangle discussions. pricetags.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/the-end-of-the-strip-mall-richmond/

    And is BJJ an expert in the rural and industrial islands in the Fraser River after running 22 islands of Richmond. Or casino planning? Or aerial train station development? Or building on unstable False Creek-like bogs?

    Or green roof requirements (old story) joconl.com/article/id31080

    Or will condo buildings be outsized if they include a measly 15% (about 1/6) affordable (not low, low rental) housing, as in richmond.ca/__shared/assets/Density_Bonus_PC_06170820551.pdf

    And will he let the viaducts be taken down on 19 September 2012, as implied in Jeff Lee’s story of the overeager planners?
    vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+unveils+plan+replace+viaducts+with+super+road+more+housing/6983485/story.html
    …”A previous plan considered by the transportation department would have kept the viaducts in place for 15 years. But Dobrovolny said under the new scenario, the viaducts could be removed almost immediately as the neighbourhood parks are built without negatively affecting traffic.”

    What are BJJ’s feelings of planning issues in the city? How was his sharing with New Westminster’s Queensborough district on the same island (See Tree Island Steel controversy). Or with Burnaby now that he has a land not water barrier between them.

    And how does he like his new morning commute? Will he spill to us his favourite eateries in Richmond?

  • Bill Lee

    And how does he feel about East Richmond, the Queenborough mess, the Richmond Connector freeway, Tree Island, Mitchell Island and the lost farms of the Big Bend in Burnaby and Frasea farms on Sea Island now. Will he sweep the riff-raff off Deering island and establish agriculture there and north to the Musqueam lands now under two golf courses?

    His UBC thesis title…..
    Title:
    East Richmond, a proposal for heritage conservation of a rural landscape / by Brian John Jackson. —

    Main Author:Jackson, Brian John, 1954-
    Published:[Vancouver, B.C.] : University of British Columbia, 1980.
    Description:xii, 162 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.
    Notes:Vita.
    Thesis (M.A.)–University of British Columbia.
    Bibliography: leaves 148-152.
    ——
    Digtal link to abstract and PDF full text at https://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/21979
    (See PDF link at bottom of basic record and abstract.
    Files Size Format Description View
    UBC_1980_A8 J33.pdf 21.15Mb Adobe Portable Document Format View/Open
    [ Digitized full text version ] circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/21979/UBC_1980_A8%20J33.pdf?sequence=1

  • Frank Ducote

    To refer to Richmond as suburban misses the point entirely and suggests a level of ignorance about how our neighbouring municipality to the south has been managing growth for some time now.

    That city has made great strides in planning and development, as well as urban design, that the rest of the Lower Mainland can well emulate. Their Central Area Plan is a wonderful document, in general, and I imagine that Brian had a big part to play in that effort as s consultant, then later as “Acting” General Manager. (BTW, why still acting after 4 years??). Transit-oriented development and reclaiming the riverfront being but two aspects that come readily to mind.

    Anybody who knew No. 3 Road before and looks at it now can readily see how major changes can be made in relatively short order if there is a vision and political comitment to move forward. One can actually enjoy walking its length for a change. (Whither Lansdowne Mall still begs the question, though, big time.)

    Another indicator that I admire is that a number of planning and urban design staff have left the City of Vancouver over the last 10 years or so to work in what they tell me is a more congenial, team-oriented and collaborative workplace in Richmond than our City Hall has increasingly become.

    Leaving Vancouver for a planning job in Richmond and elsewhere would have been unthinkable 15-20 years ago, but is fairly commonplace these days. Attracting and retaining qualified staff is essential if the city is to be planned and developed in a sustainable and hopefully beautiful way. A bonus for Vancouver is tht he already lives here and has local knowledge, so athe learning curve should be fairly short, IMO.

    I hope Brian can help restore some semblance of that positive working environment, optimism and self-confidence amongst staff and City Hall, which desparately needs it. I can only wish him the best and I hope others do, too.