Vancouver, British Columbia city councillors have voted 5-4 to remove the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, which connect the downtown core to neighbourhoods on the city’s east side.
“This is a once-in-a-generation city-building opportunity,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a written statement.
The plan to remove the viaducts includes an increase in downtown park space.
It also includes two new city blocks that would be used for social and market housing.
Note from Storm: These two viaducts were constructed in 1971 as part of an even worse idea: a large freeway through East Vancouver. Protests by residents stopped that plan, which would have sabotaged Vancouver for decades, and which would likely have prevented the city from earning the reputation it has for high quality of life..