The Building Communities Society published a discussion paper on The Case for a Local Area Plan for the Downtown Eastside in November 2008.

The essence of the proposal is the profound belief that the successful future of the Downtown Eastside will be a healthy, primarily low-income community that has avoided the two unwholesome alternatives of many other large cities – gentrification or ghettoization. A strong shared vision, plan, and concerted action are how the preferred future can be discovered and achieved.

No one should underestimate the power of a plan generated through community planning to inspire people and institutions to make changes that they can see come together as a whole that is greater than their individual actions for community renewal.