Consisting of an area of approximately 58 hectares, Northeast False Creek is the largest remaining underdeveloped waterfront area in the city of Vancouver. Northeast False Creek has a long and vibrant history; it was an important area for fishing, harvesting, and hunting by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, on whose unceded traditional homelands the city of Vancouver is situated. It was an active center in Vancouver’s industrial past, with rail yards, lumber mills, and shipbuilding activities dominating its shores in the early 20^th century. Later, Northeast False Creek welcomed the world to Vancouver as the site of the Expo ’86 World’s Fair. Since then, the land has remained largely vacant, hosting temporary events and serving as an event-staging area for two nearby entertainment arenas.

The existing Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts were completed in the early 1970s as part of a plan for a larger freeway system that was never constructed.  The viaducts, one of the only elements of the freeway plan to be finished, continue to act as main thoroughfares to and from Vancouver’s downtown core.

In 2015, Vancouver City Council chose to move forward with planning initiatives to replace the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts with a reconfigured ground-level road network. Replacing these viaducts unlocks many opportunities and benefits, including:

– adding public spaces, facilities and amenities;
– replacing seismically vulnerable infrastructure with safe, reliable, and resilient infrastructure networks that enhance the City’s emergency preparedness and remain adaptable to meet future challenges; and
– improving the transportation and utility networks to support increased mixed-use commercial and residential development in Northeast False Creek.

The Vancouver City Council approved the Northeast False Creek Plan, of which the viaduct replacement project is a foundational part, in 2018. The Plan presents a self-funding model for achieving public benefits through development potential and provides Vancouver a significant opportunity to embrace the rich history and culture of the area. The plan makes the most of existing local assets and the area’s proximity to the water and establishes a new community that better connects Vancouver’s east and west sides.

View the full announcement in our projects directory.