Neighbourhood Planning

UBC Okanagan’s Neighbourhood Plan (2026)

The UBC Okanagan Neighbourhood Plan guides the long-term development of a new residential neighbourhood on the UBC Okanagan campus. Building on the vision of the UBC Okanagan Campus Plan, it supports the creation of a vibrant, walkable, and sustainable neighbourhood that brings together housing, public amenities, open spaces, and transportation infrastructure while responding to the Okanagan’s distinctive landscape and ecology.

DOWNLOAD THE UBC OKANAGAN NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

Overview

Approved in 2026, the UBC Okanagan Neighbourhood Plan guides the phased development of a new neighbourhood north of the academic core. The plan advances UBC Okanagan’s vision for a more complete, year-round campus community with the addition of new rental housing along with neighbourhood-serving amenities, public open spaces, and active transportation connections. Sustainability strategies, infrastructure requirements, implementation directions, and detailed design guidelines will ensure neighbourhood development reflects UBC Okanagan’s environmental, social, and design aspirations.

Plan Highlights

The plan provides for approximately 1,500 residential units, primarily in mid-rise buildings of five to six storeys, with flexibility for additional housing over the longer term. Intended to primarily serve the university community, the mix of unit types and sizes provided within the neighbourhood will respond to housing needs and market conditions over time.

Located at the interface between the academic campus and the neighbourhood, the social hub will serve as the community’s main gathering place. Focused around an outdoor plaza, the social hub will include mixed-use development, ground floor shops and services, community-oriented uses, and the potential for a child care facility. Together these amenities will support daily needs and social activity within the neighbourhood while also serving the broader campus community.

The neighbourhood park will bring together a recreation area, an ecological corridor, and a pocket park within a broader open space network. Reflecting the Okanagan landscape, the neighbourhood park and open space will provide opportunities for recreation, gathering, and access to nature while protecting sensitive ecosystems and maintaining an ecological corridor between two environmentally sensitive areas at the north and south ends of the neighbourhood.

The neighbourhood will prioritize walking, cycling, and transit, through a network of pathways, sidewalks, trails, and future transit connections linking residents to the academic campus, surrounding areas, and the City of Kelowna’s transportation system. The neighbourhood’s main loop street will follow the natural terrain, while coordinated design will support accessible movement for people of all ages and abilities.

Sustainability and climate resilience are integrated throughout the Neighbourhood Plan, informing design at the neighbourhood, site and building scales. Strategies respond to the Okanagan climate and hillside setting while supporting the university’s objectives for resilience, environmental performance, and community well-being. These directions are informed by UBC Okanagan’s broader sustainability plans and policies, including the Climate Action Plan 2030, Integrated Rainwater Management Plan, Wildfire Management Plan, Whole Systems Infrastructure Plan, and UBC Okanagan Residential Environmental Assessment Program (UBCO REAP).*

*UBCO REAP will be considered for approval by the Board of Governors in November 2026.

The Neighbourhood Plan includes design guidelines to ensure development contributes to a cohesive neighbourhood character, supports social interaction, strengthens connections to the landscape, and creates high-quality buildings and public spaces that reflect the unique character of UBC Okanagan and the Okanagan region.

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