The future of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) is rapidly unfolding before residents' eyes. Condo developments and boutique shops are replacing dilapidated hotels and empty storefronts without a plan to protect the area's low-income residents. 

The City of Vancouver's solution has been to form the DTES Local Area Planning Process (LAPP) with a committee composed of low-income residents, business associations, and service providers saddled with making a plan for the area's future. Now in its third and final year, tensions on the committee are running high and its unclear whether the plan will be implemented. In this issue of Megaphone, we take a look at the committee's work and how it can change the future of the neighbourhood.

Also in this issue: Urban farmers in East Vancouver object to the City of Vancouver's plans to tear down the viaducts; Take a Hike transplants vulnerable students into outdoor classrooms; Megaphone vendor Peter Thompson pays tribute to his younger brother; Little Mountain neighbours still object to plans for a mixed-use housing development; Beauty Night expands its services into the suburbs; vendor profile of Kris Cronk; poetry from our writing workshops; arts listings; horoscopes; and more!

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