It is an 'ad-hoc' group with diverse representation from both the public and private sectors, all on a voluntary basis. The initial task was to understand the existing situation by compiling a comprehensive inventory of waterfront and water related policies. Over the last year, the group has worked its way around the City's perimeter, reviewing policy and assessing the context and locational characteristics of waterfront sectors such as adjacent land use, quality of water, tides, currents and winds. It is now time to include the public in this review and with their help identify opportunities and new policy. In addition to the Port and other industrial uses, the waterfront is home to all types of recreation from park and walkways to power and non-power boats.
Commercial use includes restaurants, marinas and charter operations.
Residential is limited to a few liveaboard or float home developments. In all, the water within the city limits totals over 5,000 acres compared to about 3,000 acres of park space. Over the last 30 years, public access to the water has greatly increased with the redevelopment of industrial land in Coal Harbour, False Creek and along the Fraser River. From the land based perspective, new parks, walkway and bicycle routes have changed the character of the waterfront and added missing links in the continuous public waterfront system. However these improvements have resulted in a loss of diversity from the water's perspective.