With Director of Planning Brent Toderian in January 2008
So Frances Bula gets the scoop on Brent Toderian's departure in advance of today's in-camera meeting to approve the Director of Planning's removal. Well done, Frances. Those kinds of scoops are often doled out by people at the top like Penny Ballem or Mike Magee generally to reward some and send a signal to others to play nice, or else. In this case, however, Bula says her news came from "non-city sources," a credit to her connections in the architecture and planning scene here.
While some are expressing "surprise" at the news, it shouldn't be too much of a shock. Love him or not, Brent has worn a target on his back for most of the last three years. I quipped earlier on Twitter that the next Director of Planning must come with their own flack flak jacket, and I was only half kidding. This is a job that requires an unbelievable amount of backbone due to the fact we Vancouverites like to chew up and spit out Planning Department heads.
I will add my voice to those who admired Brent for his thoughtfulness and his love of city-making. While some perceived his stubbornness as arrogance, I never found him unwilling to discuss or debate anything – ever. Perhaps it's his Calgary background, but Toderian was always approachable even when people were spitting mad at him.
I'll never forget when Brent showed up at a small community meeting I had organized in 2008 to answer questions about EcoDensity. I expected an underling to arrive on a cold Saturday morning, but it was Brent who showed up to talk to about two dozen of us assembled in a community hall. He stayed until every last question had been asked.
Let's be clear about why Brent is leaving the City of Vancouver now.
- First, the development community by and large didn't support him. It may not be the only reason he's on his way out, but it certainly is a huge factor. This city depends upon big developers to not only fund election campaigns, but to do deals that will provide the taxes we depend upon to run the city and build amenities. Being at odds with big developers would make the job difficult.
- Second, Toderian was not a Vision man. Brent was hired by former city manager Judy Rogers (not by Sam Sullivan as has been erroneously stated). I predict the next director of planning will be in the mold of Sadhu Johnson: very likely American, and tightly wound into the charitable enterprise network that Joel Solomon runs in Vancouver.
- Third, the election has come and gone. One of the narratives about Vision was that they were firing too many senior managers and "politicizing" the public service. Firing Brent before last November would have worked against them in an election campaign.
There are most likely other factors. I know he didn't mesh well with certain colleagues, and he had a reputation for being inflexible. Vancouver Sun reporter Jeff Lee used the term "brash" on CKNW this morning, but I never found Brent to be brash. Of course, I've never been across the table from him negotiating a new development, so it's possible.
What will change after Toderian leaves? Not much to start with, but let's speculate…
Brent was a vocal defender of Vancouver's industrial and commercial zoned land. He was the person who denied developers from putting more condos into the downtown core. That policy, by the way, was effectively overturned the day that Gregor Robertson stood up and praised the new Telus mixed use development on West Georgia. With that move by the Mayor, all bets are off on how much housing will creep into the central business district.
Brent also was determined to keep the shrinking industrial land base zoned for jobs and light industry. But areas like the False Creek Flats and south of Marine Drive are seemingly in a holding pattern, covered by large shopping areas, parking lots and undeveloped patches, and not the job creating workplaces one would hope. How will that change post-Toderian?
The outgoing Planning Director also tried hard to prevent land speculation, even going as far late last year to warn property buyers gobbling up strips along Cambie Street to back off. How will Brent's replacement deal with this?
What's certain is that the next Director of Planning will have a very, very tough job. On one side they'll have Penny Ballem and Mike Magee defending Vision's priorities, on another side they'll have the demands of the development industry (such as cutting red tape, which is desperately needed), and finally they'll have rank and file Vancouverites who will rise up in opposition at any change they perceive as being against their interests.
Folks, it's going to be another interesting year in municipal politics.
UPDATE: Here's the statement just released by the City of Vancouver.
City to seek new planning director
The City of Vancouver is undertaking a number of strategic initiatives to balance the competing demands associated with housing affordability, economic development, citizen engagement and a broad sustainability agenda.
This work will be guided by major policy directions such as the Regional Growth Strategy, the City’s Economic Action Strategy, the Affordable Housing and Homelessness Strategy, and the Greenest City Action Plan, all of which present new opportunities and challenges.
Following due consideration, it has been determined that it is an appropriate time for a change in leadership in the Planning Department.
Today, City Council endorsed and confirmed that Brent Toderian will be moving on from the position of Director of Planning at the City of Vancouver.
An international search will be conducted for a new director of planning.
Over his six years with the City, Brent has led significant planning initiatives, including the Eco-Density Initiative, the laneway housing program, the Metro-Core Jobs and Economy Strategy, and the Cambie Corridor plan. Brent has also been a national and international speaker in the area of urbanism.
We wish Brent the very best in his future endeavours and thank him for his service to the city and its citizens.
-30-
- post by Mike.
PDF 
The Thought of The Day
not!”
)
“Dunno’ why, the Ten Little Indians poem comes to mind… again.”
I was so ‘young and naive’. Little did I know…
Completely forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me, you funny Vision guys. Looking back now, Reality beat Fiction out of sight!
Here’s my interpretation of the New Order at the City Hell… after only few months in (March 2009)!!!
(On Francesbula – ‘City’s general manager of Olympics preparations “retires”)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
glissando remmy // Mar 13, 2009 at 11:15 pm
The original piece, then called “10 Little Injuns”, was written by songwriter Septimus Winner in 1868 for a minstrel show and was much more elaborate.
“Ten Little Indians” is a modern children’s rhyme (sometimes “soldier boys” or “teddy bears” is used instead of Indians to avoid offense). The song, supra, is usually performed to the Irish folk tune “Michael Finnegan”.
The rhyme was notable for being the inspiration for Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”.
The disturbing events of the past months made City Hall insiders to cry in amazement and obliged me to revisit this beautifully crafted poem.
I felt a civic obligation to bring it back to life in a new adapted form in sync with the dry suffocating wind that blows mercilessly from the City of Vancouver’s third floor.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please allow me the honour to introduce to you in premiere the new Vancouver adaptation
“Ten Little Managers”.
Note:
(To be framed and hanged in a noticeable place in every Senior Manager’s office for future reference and as reminder of the times we live in)
Ten Little Managers
Ten Little Managers going out to dine
Estelle choked her little self and then there were
Nine
Nine Little Managers sat up very late
Judy overslept herself and then there were
Eight
Eight Little Managers travelling to Devon;
Jody got left behind and then there were
Seven
Seven Little Managers chopping up sticks
Dave chopped himself in half and then there were
Six
Six Little Managers playing with a hive
A bumblebee stung (Your name in here) and then there were
Five
Five Little managers going in for law
Ark, got into chancery and then there were
Four
Four Little Managers going out to sea
A red herring swallowed Tom and then there were
Three
Three Little Managers walking in the Zoo
A big bear hugged Brent and then there were
Two
Two Little Managers playing with a Taser gun
(Your name here) shot the other and then there was
One
One Little Manager looked at herself in the mirror
Then, Penny apologetically yelled wheezy…
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy!
http://twitter.com/glissandoremmy
It means that the Vision Civic cleansing is complete! Detox 100%. All Kosher… on the Western Front!
Now, here’s the thing:
For our next civic chapter though… what I would like to know, is this:
Who are you, Penny Ballem? We still don’t know you (joke), who are you?
(thank you “gman” for the following video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dranqFntNgo
Nobody in West End, Stratchona or DTES know of you (joke), and I want to know, who voted for you (joke), what your credentials are (joke), we never heard of you (joke), we don’t know you (joke), and most definitely, we don’t want you (not a joke)… eh?
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
Mike, your column is bang on.
The $100 question, which Hollyhuckster or Vision ‘freindly’ will be the replacement.
Wow, I had to cut/paste this comment by former city planner Frank Ducote, which I took from Frances Bula’s blog.
I want to add to my comments above by wishing Brent well in his future endeavours and also offer my congratulations for leaving a situation that had to be untenable, from a top-down point of view. There seems to be very little emanating from Vancouver City Hall these days that makes it sound like a good place to work without undue interference, second-guessing and micromanagement from above, whether it be from the City Manager or Council.
It should be noted that not only many senior staff have left in recent years but also a great crop of younger staff as well. I’m sorry to say and I hope it isn’t true, but it certainly appears that yesmen and women are what is wanted there now.
As a citizen of this city I want the very best and brightest people to be attracted and retained here, and not chased away.
May be this is too much to hope for in the current environment.
Absolutely right Mike!
Frank’s comment was bang on… but… the previous Glissando Remmy’s post, is way ahead of our time, three years ahead!
Vision Vancouver were so predictable, how did they manage to fool the electorate is beyond me.
How terrible!
Glissy,
“Ten Little Managers” is a “must have” poem,around the City Hall water-coolers these days, ha, ha!
All Managers pay attention, you could be next!
Flak jacket. Flack could be overbearing public relations, but Flak ist Fliegerabwehrkanone, aircraft defence cannon FLeieger-Abwehr-Kanone
I knew I should have checked the spelling! Thanks for the info, Victor.
“Brent was a vocal defender of Vancouver’s industrial and commercial zoned land.”
Mike Klassen seems to get this and it is the main reason I supported him in the last election. From the outside both Vision & NPA seem to be too close to the development industry and it is the development industry that seems to drive the agenda in Vancouver.
Manufacturing will transform and become local in the next 20 years (happy to take a Longbet on this). Vancouver needs to keep land available for this.
Hi Michael, thank you for your supportive and balanced comments. They are sincerely appreciated. Just for the record though, you know I always call it like i see it, and i don’t agree with your comment regarding Telus and the Mayor.
The Telus application is completely in keeping with and supported by our Metro Core Jobs policies (a piece of planning work I’m very proud of). I know you’re likely responding to some previous erroneous comment from our friend Michael Geller and a few others, but here are the facts. The portions of the site slated for job space is proposed entirely for such, and in the one corner where the planning lines cross into another “zone”, which has always allowed and anticipated residential, that’s what we’ve got, and I feel we’ve negotiated an exceptionally well designed residential tower. In fact, I’ve frequently cited Telus as one of the best example of the Jobs policy in action… clear direction for the market of where residential is anticipated (providing body heat and use mix for the area), and where its not (providing the clarity for land values that actually allow the office development to proceed). The developer Ian Gillespie has confirmed many times that if not for the clarity of the Jobs policy, the Telus proposal likely couldn’t have happened in the way that it is. I’ve heard similar things from almost every office provider in the downtown.
I’ve worked on hundreds of development designs in the almost 6 years I’ve been at the City, and am proud of them all in some way or another. But among them, Telus stands out as one I’m most proud of my direct involvement in, one of my legacies perhaps, because of the right land-use policy clarity that enabled it, the amenities we negotiated from it (including a new much needed downtown park, and a significant landing of heritage density), and especially the quality of the designs that we achieved in partnership with an exceptional developer and architect.
Best of luck Brent. I can’t imagine the kind of tightrope walking such a job involves.
Like Steven, I’m concerned that the next holder of the job remain committed to maintaining industrial land for future use. I can see it being too easy to look at it as empty land to raid in a futile attempt to provide “affordable” housing.
Global BC this morning, the quote used surrounding this story:
“The Mayor said that he was no longer the right fit.”
The Thought of The Morning
“It takes a Mayor to wear a Kilt, but it takes a Real Man to “wear” a Mayor… and his Costumed Administration.”
Brent, what I said before about you, and your leading tactics… fuhgeddaboudit!
They were for satirical purposes only.
Cannot say the same thing about Penny & comp. though.
Looking back, and trying forward, from the POV of a Vancouver taxpayer, as a senior manager, you were the only one who drew an honest salary.
Now that you are gone, the City’s higher echelon administration can start playing “Where’s The Professional?” in the hope that they could, somehow,stumble over… Waldo!
The day this Vision Administration was born, Three Wise Men left Vancouver,so…
Good luck Brent!
As for us… we have no choice, we have to stay, cause’…
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
“Manufacturing will transform and become local in the next 20 years (happy to take a Longbet on this). Vancouver needs to keep land available for this.”
Unless if ‘they’, manufacture overpriced Juice – “not from concentrate” & “organic”… then, they move to … Burnaby!
Vancouver will become an Open Air Casino for the Rich, sorts of a High End amusement park, only… with people, their main attraction being … you.
That’s my ‘Longbet’.
“It takes a Mayor to wear a Kilt, but it takes a Real Man to “wear” a Mayor… and his Costumed Administration.”
Thanks for saying that Glissando,
as this could be the best description of the quality that’s left at City hall, now that we know another seasoned professional was kicked out the door.
I don’t know much about urbanism , design, cities, other than … I lived in them, around the country for more than half of a century.
Penny Ballem administration is an classroom example for future generations, of what not to do to city.
She should have stayed in her previous profession, however, I have my reservations about that too.
I wish you well Mr. Toderian.
Dr. Richard Unger, MD (ret)
Oh Glissy,
:-O 
“Three Little Managers walking in the Zoo
A big bear hugged Brent and then there were
Two”…
Penny Ballem is treating the public purse as if it was hers. Disgusting. The process of firing, severance, hiring of a new employee is costly beyond someone’s wildest dreams.
She was the one who needed to get fired! Unfortunately, for that the Mayor needed two balls! Oh wait, he didn’t care much about how much the taxpayers will be on the hook for during his MLA catch and release… Mayor, my behind! Phew!
What a bunch of con artists.
“Vancouver will become an Open Air Casino for the Rich, sorts of a High End amusement park, only… with people, their main attraction being … you.
That’s my ‘Longbet’.”
Mine too… unfortunately
Thanks, Dr. Unger for pointing that quote out!
I was right in the middle of getting out of here, before scrolling down the comments page, to Remmy’s comment. Wow!
I too agree that Toderian’s firing was shortsighted, wrong, and in the view of the massive amount of monies wasted on this Human resources exercise on the verge of “criminality”. How on Earth could one call the systematic termination of the municipal bureaucrat?
Ballem is mean, wicked…
Glissando, you made my morning, today!
Berry tea and the Ten Little Managers was enough for me! had my laugh.
Thank you.
Mike, your assessment of the City of Vancouver troubles is right on.
Have a great weekend ya’ all!
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