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Proposals for thinner streets, bridging development directly overtop of existing buildings, and residential units constructed out of shipping containers are among the affordable housing ideas that were selected as part of a City of Vancouver competition.

The winners of the contest were announced by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson’s task force on housing affordability Monday (July 30) evening, including three proposals selected by a jury, four that were chosen in an online vote, and six honorable mentions.

The three winners chosen by the jury comprised of members of the housing task force include a proposal to allow medium-density additions on top of existing structures, and a model that would narrow some streets to create more room for residential lots.

According to the proponents of that model, Christina Demarco, Ted Sebastian, and Charles Dobson, the thinner streets would make room for between 10,000 and 20,000 units of ground-oriented housing in single-family zones.

The winners selected through an online vote include proposals for more mid-rise development at transit nodes, a “cargo park” consisting of affordable residential units constructed from recycled shipping containers, and measures to enable more cooperative and cohousing developments in the city.

Honourable mentions in the contest include models proposing self-managed low-income housing, courtyard housing, and the preservation and upgrading of city-owned heritage houses in East Kitsilano.

The winning ideas were chosen out of almost 70 entries, and 8,000 votes were cast online during a two-week period.

The selected submissions will be included in the final report of the mayor’s task force on housing affordability, which will go before city council in the fall.