Wesbrook Place

The need for more UBC housing, amenities and services, green and open space and childcare emerged as prominent themes throughout Campus Vision 2050.  In 2025 the neighbourhood plan was amended to enable additional housing, focused in Wesbrook Place South. When complete, the neighbourhood will have about 7,500 homes with an estimated population of about 16,200 people.

Housing in Wesbrook Place supports UBC’s campus-wide Housing Action Plan targets, including up to 40 per cent of new neighbourhood development as rental, up to 25 per cent as below-market faculty/staff rental, and up to 15 per cent as market rental for those who work or study on campus. 

Wesbrook Place is a hub of community services, including a high school, community centre and child care. The expansion of the neighbourhood and creation of Wesbrook Place South created a new area for services and amenities primarily serving local residents.

The growing number of people who live, work and study on campus means more demand and support for expanded services. As the campus grows, planning and advocacy will continue for services delivered by other agencies, including schools, healthcare and hospitals, and emergency services.  

UBC is currently served by three Vancouver School Board schools: University Hill and Norma Rose Point Elementary Schools, and University Hill Secondary School. Land has been reserved in the Wesbrook neighbourhood for a future elementary school, included in the Vancouver School Board Capital Plan.

Wesbrook Place features numerous community parks and green spaces with a mix of formal and informal spaces for recreation, gathering, learning and teaching. Eight formal parks are distributed across the neighbourhood, featuring playgrounds, water features (which are integral to the stormwater management system), and recreational opportunities.  

With the development of Wesbrook Place South, a new and unique ecological park at the south edge of the neighbourhood will protect and enhance local ecosystems, while offering access to nature and recreational and educational opportunities on campus, separate from Pacific Spirit Regional Park.  

When complete, Wesbrook Place will have about 18.8 hectares of usable neighbourhood open space, or about 1.2 hectares per 1,000 residents. 

The Wesbrook Place transportation network includes:

• a network of local, shared streets that connect the neighbourhood with the rest of the UBC Vancouver campus and the wider region  
• a system of connected pathways that enable pedestrian and non-motorized movement throughout the neighbourhood
• a recreational trail system that surrounds the neighbourhood and provides access to Pacific Spirit Regional Park
• local and regional bus routes  

The 2025 update to the neighbourhood plan prioritizes walking, rolling, cycling and transit across Wesbrook Place through improvements to streets and intersections. These improvements will help address concerns about traffic, congestion and pedestrian and cyclist safety as the population grows.  

Improvements enabled by the 2025 update to the neighbourhood plan, which will require ongoing coordination with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit as well as TransLink, include:

• A new north-south local transit route and a revised #68 bus route to enable higher frequency service
• Upgraded bike infrastructure, including a new separated bike path along Binning Road
• A new westbound left turn lane on West 16th Avenue at Binning Road, providing alternative access to the neighbourhood
• A new northbound right turn lane on the Wesbrook Mall roundabout at West 16th Avenue
• Replacement of pavers with asphalt on Wesbrook Mall to address maintenance and safety issues
• Consolidated underground parking for residents and visitors to minimize the number of driveways, improve safety of pedestrians and cyclists and create more space for trees and landscaping 

The recently completed Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan (NCAP) sets a pathway to net-zero emissions and a climate resilient community for the residential neighbourhoods. NCAP defines rapid and ambitious regulations to support its goals, such as a 40 per cent reduction in embodied carbon in new buildings by 2030 and net zero operational emissions in all neighbourhood buildings by 2050. Furthermore, all new residential buildings at UBC must adhere to the university’s Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP), a comprehensive, UBC-specific green building rating system.