People and businesses now have a quicker and easier way to connect with City Hall, thanks to the City of Vancouver’s newest mobile app.

VanConnect allows users to view and access information about various City programs and services from anywhere, at any time. It also increases online engagement, giving users the ability to submit a service request for issues they spot around the city from abandoned garbage and graffiti removal, to pothole and street light repairs.

“We’re committed to opening up City Hall and making it easier than ever before for residents to access City services and engage with our community,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson. “The new VanConnect app provides faster and more convenient opportunities for residents to stay informed, get involved and make daily life even better in Vancouver neighbourhoods.

“Whether you want to report a pothole, find your nearest fitness centre, check upcoming road conditions, or send an idea to City Council, the launch of the VanConnect app means that all the information you need is only as far away as your smartphone.”

To submit a service request through the app, users take a photo of the issue, write a brief description of it, the GPS pinpoints the location and the photo is instantly uploaded to the app’s display. Integrated systems route the service request to the appropriate city department for action, and users can follow the progress of their request and get notified when it is complete.

“VanConnect is an effective way for our neighbourhood to communicate with the City in a quick and effective manner regardless of the time of day,” says Sharon Townsend, Executive Director, South Granville Business Improvement Association. “We’re able to report large volumes of incident reports in an efficient manner with the ability to track each item through to completion. This has helped us maintain a clean and safe community for our residents, workers and visitors.”

The app is available at any time of day, and service request response times will vary depending on the type of request. For a more urgent matter, citizens can call 3-1-1 directly.

  • Use the waste wizard search function to find out if an item is recyclable or garbage
  • See current road closures using an interactive map
  • View recreation maps that lists where all the City’s parks, community and fitness centres, ice rinks, arenas, skateboard parks and swimming pools are located
  • Access online services for parking, dog licences, trade and building permits, employment opportunities and tax and utility information
  • Watch Council meetings through live streams and to contact the Mayor and Council directly
  • Stay up to date on the latest news and calendar of events, with direct access to the City’s social media accounts.

The app also gives the City the ability to communicate directly with the public through push notifications which can be used to provide emergency updates. In the event of an emergency, the City will be able to use the app to send emergency messages directly to citizens.

VanConnect is available to anyone with a smartphone and can be downloaded for free from the Apple or Google stores with the following minimum requirements:

The VanConnect mobile app supports and aligns with the City’s Digital Strategy to increase citizen engagement and access.

The City will continue to update the app to increase the number of service issues that can be reported and add new tools to help simplify interaction with City Hall.

For more information about the app, please visit vancouver.ca/vanconnect.

 

Media contact:
City of Vancouver Corporate Communications
604.871.6336
media@vancouver.ca