District of North Vancouver Council formally adopted new detached residential zones for single-family properties on July 20, 2026, replacing decades-old regulations that have grown increasingly complex to interpret and administer.
According to the news release by the District of North Vancouver, Council adopted the Rezoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw, introducing the new R1 and R2 zones. The zones are designed to simplify regulations, maintain current building allowances, and introduce more flexibility for homeowners.
According to the news release, the District’s Zoning Bylaw was first adopted in 1965 and has since been amended approximately 1,400 times, including the addition of new zones and regulation changes, making it a complex system of land use controls.
The adoption follows several steps in the approval process. Council gave the R1 and R2 zones second and third readings on July 13, and a public hearing on the proposals was held on June 23. According to the news release, the new zones will apply to approximately 20,000 properties and represent the first phase of the District’s broader Zoning Bylaw Rewrite, replacing the existing single-family (RS) zones.
The zoning changes were first proposed as part of a phased approach discussed by Council on May 4, which would address single-family zoning in 2026 with an extended timeline for the remainder of the rewrite project.
