leləḿ: Community Plan

leləm̓, meaning “home” in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, is a landmark Indigenous-led community developed by the Musqueam Nation on their ancestral lands. Located on lands now known as the University Endowment Lands, this 8.5-hectare (21-acre) mixed-use neighbourhood brings together residential development, childcare, retail, and community spaces within a culturally grounded and ecologically integrated framework. 

Working alongside Musqueam Capital Corporation, PWL played a key role within a collaborative team in the master planning and implementation of a complete community shaped by cultural values, long-term stewardship, and connection to the land. The project advances Musqueam’s self-determined development while creating a vibrant, inclusive neighbourhood that responds to the interconnected challenges of housing, climate, and reconciliation. 

At its core is a network of parks, wetlands, and forested open spaces that protect the headwaters of two salmon-bearing creeks while supporting biodiversity and community life. Trails and gathering spaces create opportunities for cultural knowledge-sharing and everyday connection to the landscape, with Indigenous art integrated throughout the shared spaces across the community as an expression of Musqueam identity and presence. 

Residential areas are integrated within this landscape framework. Housing is organized to maintain strong visual and physical connections to the forest and open space network, with building edges, pathways, and shared outdoor areas reinforcing connections between homes, landscape, and community life. These relationships support both daily life and long-term environmental stewardship. 

leləm̓ reflects a holistic approach to design—where culture, ecology, and community are inseparable, and where landscape and public art, work together to shape a meaningful and culturally expressive place for current and future generations. 

Project Components

leləm̓ is a complete community shaped through multiple interconnected landscape and public realm projects: 

Blue-green systems: An integrated ecological framework that protects salmon-bearing creeks, manages rainwater, and supports biodiversity. 

Community heart: A central gathering space that brings together cultural, residential, and commercial life. 

Residential connections: Housing is integrated within the forest and open space network, with building edges, pathways, and shared outdoor areas maintaining strong connections between homes, landscape, and community life. 

Community centre & childcare: A multi-use facility supporting learning, care, and community connection. 

Forest park & play environments: A network of forest-integrated spaces that support recreation, exploration, and connection to nature.