An extensive update to the Wesbrook Place Neighbourhood Plan will bring more housing, services, amenities and green space to the university’s largest and growing residential neighbourhood.
Following an extensive planning and engagement process, the Board of Governors’ Property Committee approved the updated plan in June 2025. The revised Wesbrook Place Plan marks an important milestone in implementing Campus Vision 2050, the long-term plan for the Vancouver campus, and lays the foundation for a more complete, connected and climate-forward community that responds to the interests and needs of the growing campus community.
Originally adopted in 2005, the Wesbrook Place Neighbourhood Plan guides land use, design, infrastructure and open space for UBC’s largest residential neighbourhood. The 2025 amendment builds on the character of the neighbourhood while integrating Wesbrook Place South—a new area of housing, retail and services created through the 2024 Land Use Plan update—and aligning the neighbourhood plan with UBC’s Housing Action Plan, Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan, and other recent land use and climate action policies.
When complete, Wesbrook Place will have a population of approximately 16,200 people—about 12,500 more than what was projected before the update. There will be a mix of towers and mid-rise buildings, with up to 40 per cent of new homes as rental housing, including up to 25 per cent below-market faculty and staff rental.
The plan features enough new commercial and retail space to accommodate a mid-sized grocery store, three to five locally serving shops and new community spaces, subject to future siting and funding arrangements with the UNA or another provider. The plan also reserves land for a new elementary school and child care facility to help meet the needs of a growing population.
Five hectares (12 acres) of new usable open space are a key feature of the amended plan. This includes a new and unique ecological park at the south edge of the neighbourhood, which will protect and enhance local ecosystems, retain nearly all the high-value trees in the area, and offer access to nature and recreational and educational opportunities on campus, separate from Pacific Spirit Regional Park.
A number of transportation improvements are included in the updated plan to support enhanced transit and active transportation and manage impacts of increased traffic, both within Wesbrook Place South and the broader neighbourhood context.
The final plan reflects the outcomes of extensive engagement with the UBC community, the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA), Musqueam, student leaders, and neighbouring stakeholders. Between October 2024 and April 2025, more than 1,500 engagement touchpoints were recorded through surveys, pop-ups, workshops and meetings. Community feedback helped refine the plan’s approach to building placement, active transportation, and open space programming. Residents emphasized the need for accessible public amenities, safety improvements, and spaces for community use—elements now reflected in the design guidelines and implementation commitments.
Read the detailed Engagement Summary to see how community input shaped the final plan.
Ongoing engagement with Musqueam has helped to inform landscape design, ecological protection, and the integration of Musqueam presence and values in the neighbourhood. The plan includes commitments to continued collaboration with Musqueam on implementation and impact management.
With the amended plan now in place, Wesbrook Place is set to evolve over the coming decade into a more vibrant and sustainable community that reflects the university’s values , supports its academic mission and the needs of a growing population, and enables the goals and objectives outlined in Campus Vision 2050. Implementation will begin in the next 6-12 months and will be guided by continued collaboration with the UNA, Musqueam, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, and others.