GRANDVIEW-WOODLAND
COMMUNITY PLAN
Neighbourhood Planning through Dialogue
Workshop Series
Parks and Public Space
CONTENTS
Introduction1
Greenspaces12
Plazas & Squares
18
Community Facilities
22
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
26
Public Realm Features
32
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Neighbourhood Planning through Dialogue:
Parks and Public Space Background Package
January, 2013
Cover Image: Elena Doyle Photography, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Grandview-Woodland is home to some of the most exciting and dynamic public spaces in
Vancouver: from well-loved parks like Grandview, Pandora and Victoria, to an array of school yards
and smaller, but equally important places to gather and recreate. There’s the irreplaceable nature of
Commercial Drive - recently voted one of the top public spaces in Canada - as well as East Hastings,
its sister high-street in the neighbourhood. There’s also an array of important community facilities,
lively sidewalks, public art, grand views, natural heritage features and many other aspects of the
public realm.
In April 2012, the City of Vancouver launched a Community Plan process for Grandview-Woodland.
When completed, the plan will set out a series of long-range directions (policies and priorities) for
the neighbourhood. The new community plan will update an older plan that dates to 1979-82.
The new Grandview-Woodland Community Plan will cover a range of topics - and parks and public
space will be a key part of this. As part of the planning process, we’re looking for your help in
crafting directions and shaping the future of the neighbourhood.
This backgrounder is divided five major sections - each reflecting a particular area of interest to
Grandview-Woodland. These are:
•
•
•
•
•
Greenspaces (including parks, school yards, and orphaned spaces)
Plazas & Squares
Community facilities (community centres, libraries, neighbourhood houses, etc.)
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors (streetscapes, sidewalks, greenways, laneways)
Public realm features (including street furniture, street trees, public art, etc.)
In each of these sections, we will set out a number of items:
• What we’ve heard - ideas and input on this subject that we’ve gathered from the community
to date
• Geography - Areas of consideration for present and future planning
• What we know - key stats and details pertaining to the neighbourhood
• Key City bylaws, policies and programs currently in place that shape and impact cultural
spaces and programs in Vancouver
• Things to think about
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Community Planning and the City’s role in parks and public space: the
back-story
Before diving into specific aspects of parks and public space, you may want to know a little about
the community planning process, as well as some more general information about how the City
engages with parks and public space issues and activities.
The Grandview-Woodland Community Plan process was launched in the spring of last year - and will
unfold in four phases. Phase One (completed in August 2012) involved outreach and engagement,
as well as the general identification of assets, issues and opportunities in the neighbourhood (that is,
what people love about the community, and areas that they’d like to see changed). Phase Two, which
we are in now, is focussed on the development of draft policy directions. This phase will last through
to the summer of 2013.
Planning work will focus on six key planning themes, of which Parks & Public Space is one. The
others are:
•
•
•
•
•
Housing
Transportation
Social Issues, Urban Health & Safety
Arts & Culture
Heritage & Character
Other areas of focus - such as local economy, sustainability and green design - are also being
incorporated into the process.
The community planning process will develop policy directions for the whole neighbourhood
(“neighbourhood wide policy”), as well as key geographic areas of focus (“sub-area policy”). Some
of the sub-areas that will be looked at are:
•
•
•
•
Cedar Cove (north of Hastings)
Hastings Street
Commercial Drive
Broadway/Commercial
Other geographic areas of focus may include:
• Nanaimo Street
• The area east of the Drive (where there are a high proportion of older residential buildings)
• The area west of the Drive (including apartment and industrial uses)
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Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
When discussing parks & public space in Grandview-Woodland, it’s important to keep in mind that
this theme is interconnected with many of the other planning themes. For example, parks are often
an important site of public art, public space is a key place for supporting social objectives, and the
shape of a neighbourhood’s public realm is a component in the overall character of the area. It’s
equally important to remember that the issues and opportunities related to public space can mean
different things in different parts of the neighbourhood (for example, parts of the neighbourhood are
well-served by park space, while others aren’t; some parts of the neighbourhood have easier access
to vibrant high streets than others).
What is Public Space?
Public space (or “spaces” - the term is used both in the singular and plural)
can include parks, plazas, streets, sidewalks and public facilities (such as
community centres and libraries) that are open to the public. The degree of
“publicness” may vary, depending on certain features (e.g. how accessible
the space is, who owns the space, its design, the time of day, regulations or
designated uses associated with the space)
The term public realm is used in a fashion similar to public space but is often
further broadened to reference other features and details found in public
space - such as street furniture, street trees, pavers, planters and design
elements.
In light of these definitions, the title of our planning theme - “Parks and public
space” might seem longer than necessary - because parks are a type of public
space. We chose to do this at the expense of a little redundancy - because we
thought it might be a bit clearer to anyone less familiar with the term “public
space” (while at the same time allowing us to avoid a title that was comprised
of a long list of different types of space).
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
The City Tool Kit
The City’s jurisdiction over public space is defined through the Vancouver Charter - the provincial
legislation that outlines the extent of the City’s authority. In particular, the Charter gives the City the
power to regulate streets (including the use of streets, their creation and closure, the regulation of
traffic and parking, street performances and parades), parks (including the acquisition of park land,
the creation of a Park Board), trees, nuisances (such as noise), graffiti, and a host of other things that
relate to the public realm. The Charter also provides the City with the authority to establish property
taxes and create zoning & development bylaws - both of which play an important part in how public
space is created and maintained.
Land-Use
In general, the City is granted the ability to create and administer
land-use designations, zoning & related considerations, design
guidelines, development and rezoning processes. Land-use and design
considerations are used to support a variety of public space objectives.
The Zoning & Development bylaw also shapes the placement, shape and
size of buildings, as well as the amount of space they take up on a given
piece of property (by setting out the allowable front, side and back yard
set-backs) - all considerations that play a part in shaping the streetscape
and other aspects of the public realm.
Taxation & borrowing
The power to collect property tax is used to finance an array of City
services. Borrowing powers (& debentures) can also be used to finance
capital projects - including parkland acquisition, community centre and
library development. However, most property tax revenues are needed for
operating costs, not capital costs. Furthermore, most capital expenditures
are for maintenance, replacement, and safety. Only a small portion of
capital expenditures (10-25%) are for new amenities or facilities.
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Bylaws
A bylaw is a legally enforceable regulation (or “ordinance”) created by
the municipality. A variety of bylaws pertain to parks and public space,
including:
• Parks Control Bylaw - controls, regulates, protects, and governs
public parks and places within the Vancouver Board of Parks and
Recreation jurisdiction;
• Street & Traffic Bylaw - regulates traffic and the use of streets
• Heritage Bylaw - pertains to the protection of heritage properties,
sites, landscapes, and more. The bylaw protects a number of
designated heritage buildings, structures or lands;
• Noise Control Bylaw - regulates noise or sound within the city;
• Street Tree Bylaw - regulates the Vancouver Park Board’s care,
condition, and management of trees on boulevards and medians of
City-owned streets.
Policy Development
A policy sets out a statement of position, or a preferred approach, to
a particular subject. City staff, following direction from City Council,
develops policy on a wide range of items - be they social, economic, or
environmental - over which the municipality has a role or responsibility.
These policies, in turn, guide decision-making, shape the allocation of
resources, and provide a lens through which to evaluate current and
emerging issues.
Key policy documents that relate to parks and public space include: the
Greenest City Action Plan, Transportation 2040 (Transportation Plan), and
the Healthy City Strategy (currently in development).
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Design Guidelines
The City produces design guidelines to further shape neighbourhood
growth, development and sustainability. Depending on the subject,
guidelines provide recommended approaches to various aspects of
design (e.g. Accessible Design Guidelines, Mural Guidelines, View
Protection Guidelines, Plaza Design Guidelines) and/or can act as a source
of additional guidance on matters of architecture or neighbourhood
character.
Some guidelines pertain to a particular type of building (e.g. Community
Care Facilities Guidelines), while other pertain to zoning district, or
portion thereof. For example, in Grandview-Woodland, there are Design
Guidelines for the Britannia/Woodland and Broadway Station RM
(Multiple Dwelling) zoned areas west of Commercial Drive, the RT (Two
family) area to the east of Commercial Drive, and various parts of the RS
(single-family zones) west of Nanaimo.
Programs
A number of City programs are designed to support the creation of
vibrant parks and public spaces. These include:
• Viva Vancouver - focuses on creatively transforming streets
into vibrant public spaces - places for walking, lounging, and
lunching. Viva projects have included: Liveable Laneways (laneway
revitalization in Mt. Pleasant), street murals (West End), and Lunch
Meet (outdoor long-table series Gastown.
• Park Board - Various programs designed to encourage fitness and
recreation within parks and Park Board facilities, as well as the
broader community.
• Greenways - Greenways are green paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
They can be waterfront promenades, urban walks, environmental
demonstration trails, heritage walks, and nature trails. There are two
types of greenway initiatives. The City Greenways initiative is made
up of 17 proposed Greenway routes that will be about 140 km long
when complete. Neighbourhood Greenways differ in that they are
initiated by community groups and are generally smaller.
• Green Streets - a program run by the City of Vancouver where
residents can volunteer to take care of gardens that have been
installed in traffic calming spaces, such as traffic circles and corner
bulges. Similarly, boulevard gardening allows for residents to garden
on the boulevard within set guidelines.
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Development &
Rezoning
The development and rezoning processes can support public realm or
park improvements through a number of ways. For example, good design
and architectural merit can strengthen the character of a neighbourhood.
Similarly, appropriate amounts of density can support local shops and
services and help to ensure that neighbourhood parks, streets and
gathering areas are lively and active.
Development also helps to finance the creation of various types of public
amenity through a number of mechanisms - including:
• Development Cost Levies (DCLs) - are collected from development
help pay for facilities made necessary by growth. Facilities eligible
for DCL funding include: parks, child care facilities, replacement
housing (social/non-profit housing), and engineering infrastructure
(e.g. transportation, sewer, water, drainage).
• Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) - are in-kind or cash
contributions provided by developers when City Council grants
additional development rights through rezonings. CACs can help
address the increased demands that may be placed on City or
surrounding community. In-kind CACs are support the creation of
park space and child care facilities. Cash contributions are also used
for parks and childcare and may also be put toward other amenities,
such including libraries, community centres, transportation
improvements, cultural facilities and neighbourhood houses.
In addition to these tools, the City reviews development and rezoning
applications for a range of architectural, public realm and urban design
considerations.
Heritage Designation
A legal means of enabling heritage protection for buildings, features
and landscapes. Designation allows the City to regulate, by bylaw, the
demolition, relocation and alteration of heritage property. Through
this means, a designated landscape can also be protected from
unsympathetic construction or excavation.
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
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Introduction
Licenses & Permits
Through its licensing and permitting processes, the City further regulates
the use of public spaces. For example, the use of sidewalks for patio
seating and tables, flower or retail displays, busking, or charity canvassing,
requires a license. Other activities - such as religious outreach - require
a permit. Permits are also required for special events (block parties,
festivals, large celebrations, events taking place in parks, etc.)
Funding, Grants &
Awards
Several funding programs are administered by the City of Vancouver, a
number of which relate to parks and public space. These include:
• Greenest City Fund - supports community ideas through three
different granting programs (neighbourhood small grants, youth
programs, community grants).
• Park Board Matching Fund - supports neighbourhood-based groups
that want to make creative improvements to local public lands.
Eligible projects must actively involve the community and build
neighbourhood connections.
• Street-tree cleaning grants - administered by the Engineering
Department and provide funding for non-profits to help clean
selected commercial areas. Since 2009 the Kettle has been funded
to help keep Commercial Drive tidy.
• Community & Neighbourhood Arts Development Program - cultural
grants for festivals, celebrations, parades and other neighbourhood
activities.
• Block Parties - the Engineering Department & local Community
Centres support local block parties by eliminating costs associated
with insurance, barricades, and permits.
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Civic Advisory Boards A number of Civic Advisory Boards - Council-appointed arms-length
agencies, boards and committees - have mandates that relate to parks and
public space. These include:
• Active Transportation Policy Council - advises City Council on
strategic priorities related to walking, cycling, and all non-motorized
modes of transportation in Vancouver.
• Food Policy Council and Local Food Assets Taskforce both work
on issues of food security - including community gardens, farmers
markets, food programs and food vending.
Various other committees have mandates to work on issues connected
with public space, including: the Women’s Advisory Committee, LGBTQ
Committee, Multicultural Committee, Persons With Disabilities Committee,
Urban Aboriginal Peoples Advisory and Seniors’ Advisory Committee,
Public Art Committee, Vancouver City Planning Commission, the Civic
Asset Naming Committee and the Urban Design Panel.
Connecting &
Convening
The City can play a role in bringing stakeholders together, supporting the
work of community organizations, or fostering partnerships (leveraging
the interests of other agencies, organizations and levels of governments
to advance or address a particular issue or topic).
Advocacy
On key issues - particularly those with a larger regional, provincial or
national “reach” - the City can play a role in advocating with senior levels
of government (and other stakeholders) for a given a position.
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Planning the neighbourhood: valuing parks and public space.
During Phase One, we developed the Grandview-Woodland Assets, Issues & Opportunities
Questionnaire. Over 750 people resoinded to the survey – and while the process was not the same
thing as a representative polling of the neighbourhood, the information gained is highly useful.
What is your ideal picture of the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood? What sort of
neighbourhood should we be striving for?
Grandview-Woodland:
Is a diverse and welcoming
neighbourhood
1371
Is a safe and healthy
neighbourhood
1047
Has a strong sense of
community
1017
Is an affordable place
to live
888
Has a vibrant public
life and street scene
761
Supports an active lifestyle
with lots of walking& cycling
711
Has a rich arts and
culture scene
517
Is a place of eclectic stores,
services & shopping opportunities
There were 629 responses to
this question. The question
asked respondents to rank
their top choices from 1-5.
This graphic represents a
weighted count. These are the
top 10 responses.
483
Is age and family friendly
445
Has a diverse array of social
and community services
411
Is socially and politically
engaged
409
Is known for its heritage
character
406
Parks and public space features prominently in the values that people associate with GrandviewHas a wide
range
Woodland. The findings
from
the of
Questionnaire 409
are also supported by Phase One asset mapping
housing options
and focus group exercises.
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Demonstrates environmental
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 10 -
381
leadership
Is a place of diverse employment
opportunities
82
Introduction
Overall appearance of
the neighbourhood
32%
52%
12%
Overall quality of life
10%
34%
9%
25%
45%
INTRODUCTION
Affordability of the
neighbourhood
Public life and sense
of community
11%
41%
19%
42%
16%
36%
Range of shops
services
14% queries about
48% the current state-of-affairs
33%
The Questionnaire
also and
contained
some general
in
Grandview-Woodland – including people’s level of satisfaction with public life and the appearance of
the neighbourhood.
9%
24%
45%
20%
Your sense of safety
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following
aspects of32%
the Grandview52% 13%
12%
33%
Employment
13%
Overall opportunities
quality of life
Woodland neighbourhood?
or
d
20%
33%
ow
d
Sa
N
D
iss
13%
45%
39%
13%
20%
22%
D
on
't
26%
33%
10%
13%
80%
100%
33%
36%
45%
ie
eu
t
d
f ie
d
at
is
iss
Ve
ry
The amount
of traffic
Employment
opportunities
60%
48%
13% 24% 33%
9%
36%
26%
19%
N
/A
40%
48%
42%
9%
14% 24%
Employment
opportunities
Your sense
of safety
19%11%
22%
Ve
ry
20%
14%
16%
ra
l
0%
39%41%45%
42%46% 41%
20% 25%
9%16%
sense
safety
Range ofYour
shops
andof
services
D
25%
26%
34%
Kn
9%
6%
10%
at
isf
ie
and
sense
Range ofPublic
shopslife
and
services
of community
22%11%
32%
tis
f
Affordability
Social
issues of
in the
Overall
appearance
of
neighbourhood
the neighbourhood
Public
life and sense
Affordability
the
Arts culture of
scene
of
community
neighbourhood
39%
45%
26% 52%
34%
Sa
t is
f ie
Overall appearance
of
688 people responded
to this
question.
The amount
of traffic
10%
12%
Overall
quality of life
the neighbourhood
Social issues in the
39%39%
6%
22%
26%26%
The amount
of traffic
22%
10%
neighbourhood
We also asked people
to identify specific issues or opportunities that they saw in the
neighbourhood. In terms of public space, there were a number of areas of focus – and these form
Social
issues
in the
26%
Arts culture
scene
46%
the basis of the present
backgrounder:
39%
6% 20%
22%
26%
neighbourhood
Sa
DSat
t is
onis
f ie
't
'tfie
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Kn
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ow
ow
or
or
N
N
/A
/A
tis
f
D
on
Ve
ry
- 11 -
Sa
N
eu
t
d
ra
l
iVe
edr
y
Sa
tis
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ie
d
ra
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eu
t
d
at
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iss
iss
at
isf
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dD
at
is
D
D
Ve
ry
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
iss
Ve
ry
D
iss
at
is
f ie
d
0%the community
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
• The importance of greenspace to
20%
26%
Arts
culture
scene
46%
• The value placed on community facilities
• The role of key streets and pathways (both for their positive contributions to neighbourhood
0% improvement)
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
character and as areas of potential
• The possibility of other types of public space, such as plazas and squares
• The importance attached to a variety of public realm features
Introduction
GREENSPACES
GREENSPACES
Images [detail] by:
Peggy Watkins
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 12 -
Greenspaces
GREENSPACES
Public parks and schoolyards, other orphaned (under-utilized) greenspaces
What We Heard from the Community
Overall how satisfied are you with the following aspects of park space and public
space in Grandview-Woodland
Number & quality of street trees
40%
19%
There were a total of in
578
to this question.
therespondents
neighbourhood
24%
20%
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
100%
N
/A
80%
d
ra
l
eu
t
at
isf
ie
D
iss
60%
or
40%
d
20%
D
on
Ve
ry
D
iss
at
is
f ie
d
0%
64%
ow
19%
Kn
8%
19%
't
Distance from your home
to the nearest park
52%
Sa
t is
f ie
20%
d
8%
27%
ie
Distance from your home to
the nearest playground
19%
30%
tis
f
11%
N
Quality of the park nearest
your home
45%
Ve
ry
Overall quality of parks
in the neighbourhood
19%
36%
27%
Sa
Range of activities to engage
in at neighbourhood parks
29%
- 13 -
Greenspaces
GREENSPACES
• Grandview-Woodland residents love their parks and greenspaces and recognize the important
role they play for recreation, gathering, celebration and food production
• While the need for more park-space was identified as an issue, participants in the planning
process placed stronger emphasis on the need for improvements to existing parks
• Grandview Park was identified as the “heart of the community” (as was Commercial Drive and
Britannia). Participants were enthusiastic about the mix of people it draws, and the activities it
supports
• Residents voiced support for the many schoolyard (VSB) greenspaces found throughout
Grandview-Woodland
• In addition to recreational and cultural opportunities, greenspaces also play an important
environmental function.
• A number of parks were identified as having safety concerns: Victoria, Grandview, Woodland,
McSpadden, Salsbury, Pandora, Oxford - largely due to issues around (the lack of) night-time
lighting and
substance
misuse12% 16%
Improve
existings
parks
52%
18%
• Concern about the loss of Salsbury Gardens (a former greenspace, privately-owned but
previously accessed by the community, that was developed into new housing)
more
• Create
A number
of community
parks were identified
for improvement
- in particular Woodland,
12%as candidates
19%
62%
gardens
McSpadden, WC Shelley (8th & Woodland) and Salsbury (Salsbury & Adanac)
• Among the park and greenspace improvements that participants identified:
Plant
more fruit
treesequipment
»» Outdoor
exercise
12% 19%
61%
landscaping
»»edible
Designated
dog off-leash area (currently none exist in Grandview-Woodland)
»» More playgrounds
»» more
More trees
publicalong
art and cultural activities
Plant
13%
23%
59%
and incommunity
parks
»streets
» Additional
gardens & edible landscaping
»» Attention to environmental & habitat considerations
Close »down
a streetactivities
block
» Night-time
9% 13%
to create a permanent
mini-park or plaza
21%
49%
Please select the response that best reflects your support for the following ideas:
13% 22%
12% 16%
Plant more trees along
streets and in parks
13%
19%
Close down a street block
to create a permanent
mini-park or plaza
23%
100%
21%
There were 581
responses to
this question.
61%
59%
- 14 -
9% 13%
18%
62%
19%
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
80%
pp
or
12%
60%
Su
Plant more fruit trees
edible landscaping
52%
40%
ra
l
12%
S
O tro
pp n
os gly
ed
O
pp
os
ed
Create more community
gardens
51%
t
S
Sutro
p ng
D por ly
on
t
't
or K n
N ow
/A
20%
eu
t
0%
N
Create temporary street
closures throughout the
Improveneighbourhood
existings parks
Greenspaces
49%
GREENSPACES
What’s your favourite and least
favourite park?
TRINITY ST
Trinity
Park
McGill
Park
MCGILL ST
ETON ST
CAMBRIDGE STT
Cambridge
12 Park
Oxford
Park
OXFORD ST
DUNDAS ST
This question recieved 487
responses. Key park concerns are
summarized on the map and suggest
a number of opportunities for
improvement.
TRIUMPH ST
Pandora
Park
Feels unsafe (5)
PANDORA ST
13 13
Needs a facelift (5)
FRANKLIN ST
Needs maintance (4)
E HASTINGS ST
E PENDER ST
Nothing to do (10)
Poor field drainage (10)
Woodland
Park
TURNER ST
Templeton
Park
Better playground (8)
19 39
Feels unsafe (5)
E GEORGIA ST
19
Salsbury
Park
ADANAC ST
New playground (11)
25
VENABLES ST
Better maintenance (8)
Feels unsafe (8)
PARKER ST
Poor drainage (6)
NAPIER ST
Grandview
Park
Mosaic
Park
13
184
WILLIAM ST
Feels unsafe(6)
Too much concrete (3)
Busy and loud (2)
18
Feels unsafe(6)
CHARLES ST
KITCHENER ST
Victoria
Park
Needs maintenance (3)
Nothing to do (2)
81
GRANT ST
Too much drugs
and alcohol (30)
34
GRAVELEY ST
Alice Townley
Park
E 1ST AVE
Garden
Park
15
E 2ND AVE
37
Nothing to do there (5)
E 3RD AVE
Feels unsafes (5)
McSpadden
Park
Needs maintenance (5)
E 4TH AVE
Update playground (9)
51 24
((
E 5TH AVE
Needs a facelift (6)
Washrooms (3)
E 6TH AVE
Feels unsafe (15)
Needs maintenance (4)
E 7TH AVE
W.C. Shelley
Park
Nothing to do (4)
E 8TH AVE
E
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IV
E
VE
DR
I
AL
ER
CI
CO
M
M
AN
D
DL
W
OO
CL
AR
K
DR
DR
I
IV
E
VE
25
Community Plan Boundary
Parks and Open Space
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
Favorite Parks: (number in circle
indicates # of votes)
Least Favorite Parks: (number in
circle indicates # of votes)
- 15 -
Greenspaces
GREENSPACES
Geography - Areas of Consideration for Present and Future Planning
• Parks & greenspaces located throughout the neighbourhood
What We Know
• There are 16 parks in Grandview-Woodland, and the average park size is 0.75ha (City average
is 2.88ha)
• At present there is no waterfront access in the neighbourhood - with Port areas fenced owing
to security considerations
• There are six school yards in Grandview-Woodland - which are accessible to the community at
various times of the day/evening
• 87% of Grandview-Woodland’s land-base is within a five minute (400m) walk to nature (parks,
school yards) (compared to the city-wide average of 92%). Key areas where access to nature is
greater than five-minutes is in the north-east, primarily industrial area
• Grandview-Woodland is considered “under-served” in terms of available park space per
capita (compared to the city as a whole)
• Grandview-Woodland has a number of identified “orphaned spaces” (under-utilized spaces)
that could be candidates for place-making improvements - these include the traffic diverter at
Adanac & Commercial and the boulevard along Grandview Highway (west of Commercial)
Key City Bylaws, Policies and Programs
• Greenest City Action Plan: Has a goal of ensuring that all Vancouver residents live within a
5-minute (400m) walk to nature. Further goals and objectives connect to the urban forest, the
creation of local food assets (such as community gardens and orchards)
• Park Board Strategic Plan - Shapes Park Board activities and approach to parks and park
facilities. Comprised of a number of goals and objectives, including “greener spaces” and
“local food systems”
• VSB Sustainable School Design - incorporate many sustainability features into new and
renovated schools. Features may include modifications to school yards and landscape features
• Street Tree Bylaw: Regulates the Vancouver Park Board’s care, condition, and management of
trees on boulevards and medians of City-owned streets
• Protection of Trees Bylaw: Affects all private property owners in Vancouver wanting to remove
a tree. Requires a permit to remove any tree that has a diameter (width) of 20 cm (8”) or
greater
• Greenways - Grandview-Woodland contains segments of three City-wide designated
greenways - one complete (the Central Valley Greenway, which runs parallel with the
Grandview Highway) and two proposed (Midtown Way Greenway, located near Woodland
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 16 -
Greenspaces
GREENSPACES
Drive, and Portside Greenway, which is anticipated to run along Powell Street). GrandviewWoodland is also home to Napier Greenway (at Britannia Community Centre), a small
neighbourhood greenway that functions as a popular gathering area
• Vancouver Food Strategy - An official plan that will help Vancouver focus on specific goals
and actions to improve our food system (including components realted to community gardens
and community orchards)
Things to Think About
• Given that park upgrades can be costly, what considerations do you think are important
in the prioritization of improvements in Grandview-Woodland? (e.g. ensuring everyone
has good access to nature? Ensuring equitable amounts of parkspace in different parts of
the neighbourhood? Ensuring all parks are of similar quality?)
• Are there specific park improvements that you think are a priority for the
neighbourhood? (e.g. missing features? missing programming? design considerations?)
• One way to create new open space is through street-to-park conversions (turning a
portion of a street into a plaza or greenspace). What do you think of this idea? Are there
places where you think it would work? Where it wouldn’t work?
• How best can environmental/ecological considerations (such as habitat) be included in
planning for the neighbourhood? Are there special ways that parks and greenspaces can
support these goals?
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 17 -
Greenspaces
PLAZAS & SQUARES
PLAZAS & SQUARES
Image [detail] by:
Elena Doyle Photography, 2012
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 18 -
Plazas and Squares
PLAZAS & SQUARES
Small plazas or public squares and other hard-surfaced gathering areas
What We Heard
• General support for public gathering areas throughout the neighbourhood. Specific
comments noted for the following:
»» New and existing plazas need to be supported with programming - such as outdoor
performances, buskers, street-carts (food carts or other vending)
»» Plazas, squares or and mini-parks should try to accommodate the free flow of
pedestrians and cyclists (note: other comments identified a need to ensure pedestrian
areas are free from cyclists)
• The area around Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain station is an important regional and
community junction. This is a prime opportunity for a better plaza - either on the north east or
south east side of the intersection - or both. Other improvements to the public realm (street
furniture, public bathroom) are also desirable in this area
• Other possible sites for plazas? The industrial area, an existing street rights-of-way, vacant or
under-utilized spaces
• There is considerable support for the completed Grandview-Park redesign - though some
disagreement over the inclusion of hard-surfaced plaza area and, in particular, the use of
concrete
• Napier Greenway (or Napier Square) is an important and well-loved part of the Britannia
complex. Some concerns noted about night-time safety, substance misuse, and the need for
the need for more waste and recycling receptacles
• Strong support for car-free events in the neighbourhood (albeit with some caveats around
parking, transit and business considerations). Interest in the idea of Commercial Drive as a
type of plaza
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 19 -
Plazas and Squares
12% 16%
52%
18%
PLAZAS & SQUARES
Improve existings parks
Create more community
gardens
12%
19%
62%
Plant more fruit trees
edible landscaping
12%
19%
61%
Please select the response that best reflects your support for the following ideas:
20%
40%
49%
51%
60%
eu
t
ra
l
22%
S
O tro
pp n
os gly
ed
O
pp
os
ed
0%
13%
N
Create temporary street
closures throughout the
neighbourhood
21%
80%
100%
or
t
St
Su ro
p ng
D por ly
on
t
't
or K n
N ow
/A
9% 13%
59%
pp
Close down a street block
to create a permanent
mini-park or plaza
23%
Su
Plant more trees along
13%
There were 581 responses
to this
streets and
in question.
parks
Geography - Areas of Consideration for Present and Future Planning
• Neighbourhood-wide opportunities for new plaza/square space
• Commercial streets - particularly where limited sidewalk width creates a “pinch-point.” Such
sites could be considered candidates for parklets (where one or more adjacent parking spaces
are repurposed to support pedestrian movement and/or the public realm)
• Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain - a key area where participants felt a more developed plaza
would be appropriate. This notion is supported by the Broadway Station Area Plan (1987), the
Broadway/Commercial C-3A Guidelines, as well as TransLink’s Commercial/Broadway Transit
Village Plan (2006)
What We Know
• Grandview-Woodland has four plazas, varying in size: Napier Greenway (or “Napier Square”
- part of the Britannia complex); Grandview Park (Cenotaph area & performance area);
Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain; and at the junction of Woodland, E 6th & Grandview
Highway. An additional plaza-style public space - the Columbus Monument - can be found just
outside of the neighbourhood boundaries (on the west side of Clark Drive & Grandview Highway)
• Other parks (e.g. Garden, Pandora, Victoria, Mosaic) have hard-surfaced areas that function as
a type of “plaza in a park”
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 20 -
Plazas and Squares
PLAZAS & SQUARES
• Many schools (e.g. Lord Nelson, Britannia, Templeton, Grandview) have hard-surfaced areas
that can function as a type of plaza space
• Though not formally designated as a “street-to-park” initiative, the reallocation of street
rights-or-way for parks or plazas has taken place in a number areas in the community,
including: Napier Square (formerly part of the Napier Street right-of-way), the western edge
of Salsbury Park (part of the Salsbury right-of-way), the western edge of McGill Park (which
utilizes half of the North Garden Street right-of-way), and two portions of McSpadden Park
(E5th and McSpadden rights-of-way). In 2011-12, the closure of a small slip street at Adanac
and Commercial created an opportunity for additional park/plaza space
Key City Bylaws, Policies and Programs
• Transportation 2040 - outlines policy to: create public plazas and gathering spaces throughout
the city (which could include the creation of pedestrian priority streets, the transformation
on-street parking spaces or underutilized street rights-of-way into mini-plazas or sidewalk
extensions, and the creation of plazas via traffic calming measures)
• TransLink - Broadway/Commercial Transit Village Plan - Focuses on enhancing the
performance of, and interaction between, the transit interchange and the local
neighbourhood
• Broadway Station Area Plan - drafted at the time of the Expo Line construction, the Station
Plan describes various considerations around land-use and community amenities in the vicinity
of the station
• Broadway C-3A and C-2C Guidelines - design guidelines created to shape the form and
nature of buildings (and related open space) in commercially-zoned areas in the immediate
vicinity of Broadway & Commercial
Things to Think About
• Does Grandview-Woodland need another public square? And if so, where do you think it
should go?
• Are there particular activities that you’d like to see take place in new or existing plazas?
What, if any, sort of programming do you envision for these spaces?
• Do you support the idea of reallocating road-space or parking spaces to create a plaza?
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 21 -
Plazas and Squares
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Image [detail]:
Ice Rink at Britannia by d∂wn on Flickr
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 22 -
Community Facilities
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Community Centres, libraries, neighbourhood houses - as well as other public or nonprofit community spaces
Opportunities to volunteer on
neighbourhood
What We
Heard initiatives
23%
35%
23%
12%
Opportunities for civic
7%
24%
18%
11% (including the
• General desireengagement
to see the Britannia
Community
Centre36%
upgraded and
expanded
facility, community services and recreation facilities). Support for the Britannia Master-planning
Level of civic engagement
11% occupy
7%community
23% centre (or 38%
18% services)
initiative.
Interest in seeing the
specific community
storefront space - versus being “tucked away”
Proximity of places of worship
61%
13% 12%and8%
• A need for further age-specific programs
services to support
Grandview-Woodland
children and
youth
seniors - and a need to ensure that they feel open and
Opportunities
tofamilies,
volunteer
on and 15%
Schools
28%
23%
35% 20%
23% 31%12%
accessible
to all initiatives
neighbourhood
• There
is a need
forfor
more
meeting places in the neighbourhood - facilities and rooms
Opportunities
civicpublic
Library services
7%
22%
37%
7%
24% those at Britannia,
36%
18%26%
11%
of varying sizes.
There are a few (including
Aboriginal
Friendship
Centre,
engagement
Kiwassa
Neighbourhood
House,
MOSAIC,
the
Legion);
however
more
are
needed.
Availability
of
public
Opportunities
to volunteer
on
16%
13% 23%
27%
9%
Level ofin
civic
engagement
meeting
spaces
35%
11%
7%
23%(or
38% 31%
18%
• Interest
seeing
the
community
centre
other facilities)
provide23%
space
for12%
a broader array
neighbourhood
initiatives
of
activities
such
as
tool
rentals/tool
library,
swap-meets,
community
workshop
space
Opportunities
for
civic
Availability
of youth
52%
8%13% 18%
14%
Proximity
of places
of services
worship
61%
12%
8%
7%
24%
36%
18%
11%
• Desire to see engagement
expanded library services in the neighbourhood - both at Britannia, and at other
Availability
of
health-care
branches serving
neighbourhood
12%residents
27%
34%
15% 9%
Schools
Level of civic engagement
services
7% 15% 23% 28%
38% 20%
18%31%11%
Community Centre &
Library services
7%13%23%
22%
37%
Proximity
of places of worship
61%18%
12% the
8%following
Neighbourhood
House are
13%
39% aspects
How
satisfied
or dissatisfied
you with
of 26%
Grandviewprograms
of public
Woodland’sAvailability
social sustainability?
544 people
responded
to this question.
16%
13%
27%
31%
9% 31%
Schools
15%
28%
20%
9%
8%
7%
23%
18%
22%
39%
14% 37%
Range
of social
services
29%
35%
Availability
of health-care
Availability
of
public 7%12%
27%
34%
13%
27%
31%
meetingservices
spaces
Availability of childcare 11% 12%
16% 7%
Community Centre &
Availability of youth services
8%
18%
14%
Neighbourhood House
23%
39%
Affordability ofprograms
childcare 8% 12%
16%
8%
Availability of health-care
12%
27%
34%
services
Community Centre
&
Public
life
and
sense
9%17% 23%
Neighbourhood House
51%39%
of community
Community
Centre
&
facilities
Neighbourhood House
23%
39%
0%
20%
40%
60%
programs
Range of social services
11%17%12%
Affordability of childcare 0%
8%
Public life and sense
- 16%
23 -
8%
39%
d
ra
l
7%
tis
f ie
N
12% 29%16%
35%
7%51%
20%
12%
16% 40%
8%
d
Public life and sense
Grandview-Woodland
Community
Plan
Availability
childcare
of of
community
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
8%
7%
eu
t
9% 12%23% 16%
11%
is V e
s a ry
tis
f ie
d
D
is
sa
ti
sf
ie
d
D
Affordability
of childcare
Range of social
services
35%
Sa
29%
l
7%
Community Centre &
Neighbourhood
House
Availability of childcare
facilities
8%
19%
52% 26%
18%
10%
9%
9%15% 16%
52%
52%
18%
13%
15%
19%
27%
13%
18%
80%
100%
18%
10%
8%
52%19%
10%
18%
52% 27%
60%
9%
8%
Sa V e
t i ry
sf
ie
d
D
on
or 't K
N no
/A w
Community
Centre
&
meeting
spaces
Neighbourhood House
Availability ofLibrary
youth facilities
services
80%
Community Facilities
100%
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
• Kiwassa Neighbourhood House -identified as an important community asset (especially
for north-end residents and particular populations, such as local Chinese residents and
newcomers); however Neighbourhood House space is limited and program-funding is
constrained
• Aboriginal services - such as the Friendship Centre and Urban Native Youth Association - are
in need of campital upgrades and renewal
Geography - Areas of Consideration for Present and Future Planning
• Community wide - City facilities are intended to be easily accessible by all residents of the
neighbourhood
• Britannia complex - at Commercial Drive and Napier
• Hastings Street - Aboriginal services at Aboriginal Friendship Centre, UNYA
• Cedar Cove (north end of Grandview-Woodland) - identified by the community as an area
with limited services
What We Know
• Britannia Community Centre, built in 1976, contains 21,360 ft2 of programmable space approximately 1.1 ft2 per capita (city-wide average 0.7 ft2 per capita). The site has a number of
overlapping jurisdictional considerations and stakeholders - including the School Board, Park
Board, Library and City - as well as a non-profit Community Centre Association
• Grandview-Woodland is also served by three other community centres: Hastings (built 1956);
RayCam (1979) and Trout Lake (upgraded in 2012)
• Britannia pool and ice rink (built 1975-76) were built at the time of the original Community
Centre construction - and are also in need of replacement
• Upgrades to Britannia Community Centre needs to be balanced with other community centre
upgrades currently “in the queue” around the City
• Population specific services (childcare, after-school care, youth and seniors programs) are
heavily subscribed throughout the neighbourhood
Key City Bylaws, Policies and Programs
• Vancouver Public Library Strategic Plan - the current Plan identifies four strategic priorities:
Engage with Community, Inspire People to Learn, Build a Strong Organization and Become
Environmentally Sustainable.
• Vancouver School Board - in addition to the use of VSB schools for educational purposes,
facilities are available for non-profit and commercial users via the VSB Facilities Rental Office.
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 24 -
Community Facilities
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
• Britannia Strategic Masterplan - the Britannia Community Services Centre Society
ihas developed a new Strategic Master Plan. The Plan will be used to apply for capital
improvements funds
• Childcare Policy - focus on the provision of childcare services throughout Vancouver.
Additional regulations shape childcare operator funding, childcare design guidelines, and
agreements around the delivery of childcare services
• Community Care Facilities - guidelines on the design and distribution of Community Care
Facilities
• Social Policy Grants - fund a variety of non-profit services, including neighbourhood houses
Things to Think About
• How often, and for what purposes, do you make use of community facilities in
Grandview-Woodland?
• Are there missing services at these facilities? Things that we should be planning for in the
future?
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 25 -
Community Facilities
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
Image [detail] by:
Sarah Wenman
Grandview-Woodland
Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 26 -
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
Streetscapes, sidewalks, greenways, laneways.
What We Heard
• Strong community interest in better connections between the north and south parts of the
neighbourhood (i.e. linking across Hastings). Related interest in creating linkages to better
connect (a) Commercial (north of Venables) with the Hastings-Sunrise commercial area; and (b)
the south end of the neighbourhood (around Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain Station) with the
‘main’ part of Commercial Drive
• Aspects of architectural diversity and architectural heritage play an important role in shaping
neighbourhood character and defining streetscapes - in commercial areas, residential, and
industrial areas.
• Some of the favourite places for walking in the neighbourhood (and the reasons why):
»» Commercial Drive: diversity of shops and eclectic flair; the opportunity to bump into
friends and neighbours; festivals and celebrations; the rich public life
»» Lakewood Drive: book exchange and traffic calming features
»» Victoria Drive: cherry trees and heritage homes (noted elsewhere: the small scale
retailers that dot the street);
»» 6th Ave: older Elm trees; community spirit
»» Lily and Rose Streets: narrow streets and elegant gardens
»» Wall Street: views of the Northshore, Ports and downtown
»» Charles Street: mature trees and greenery
»» Salsbury Drive: heritage architecture
• Key arterials such as Hastings (between Clark and Victoria), Broadway, Powell, Dundas, East
1st and Nanaimo were identified as areas that could use improvement (e.g. for potential
pedestrian and public realm enhancement, for initiatives to manage the intensity of traffic,
and as potential sites for future neighbourhood growth and development)
• Additional community interest in traffic-calming improvements to Victoria Drive (recently
downgraded from an Arterial to a Neighbourhood Collector) and Venables Avenue (identified
by the community as a potential greenway)
• Safety considerations were noted at various points throughout the neighbourhood - with
particular emphasis on areas where residential and industrial land-uses are found side-by-side
• As a ‘secondary network,’ laneways and alleyways were identified as an opportunity for
improvement: as an alternative way to get around the neighbourhood, and as a possible site
for markets commercial activity (in commercial or industrial areas), artist space and street art
• Britannia Community Centre was specifically identified with respect to wayfinding challenges
and overall site legibility
• Suggestions were provided around the opportunity for signage and walking tours connected
with area arts & culture, commercial, heritage and other features
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 27 -
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
TRINITY ST
Trinity
Park
McGill
Park
MCGILL ST
22
ETON ST
CAMBRIDGE STT
Cambridge
Park
OXFORD ST
Oxford
Park
DUNDAS ST
TRIUMPH ST
Pandora
Park
Are there
any streets in
GrandviewWoodland that you
particularly enjoy
walking along?
417 people responded
to this question.
PANDORA ST
FRANKLIN ST
55
E HASTINGS ST
E PENDER ST
60
Woodland
Park
TURNER ST
Templeton
Park
E GEORGIA ST
Salsbury
Park
ADANAC ST
VENABLES ST
25
PARKER ST
NAPIER ST
59
28
19
Mosaic
Park
28
WILLIAM ST
Grandview
Park
CHARLES ST
21
KITCHENER ST
Victoria
Park
158
GRANT ST
4246
66
23
GRAVELEY ST
54
54
Alice Townley
Park
E 1ST AVE
E 2ND AVE
Garden
Park
E 3RD AVE
E 4TH AVE
McSpadden
Park


E 5TH AVE
35
E 6TH AVE
E 7TH AVE
60
W.C. Shelley
Park
E 8TH AVE
Community Plan Boundary
Parks and Open Space
n=417
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
IV
E
DR
EN
GA
RD
DR
EW
IV
E
OO
D
DR
IV
E
SE
M
LIN
DR
LA
K
E
VE
IA
OR
CT
VI
E
IV
DR
I
DR
IV
RY
AL
BU
LS
SU
ER
CI
CO
M
M
LA
ND
W
OO
D
CL
A
RK
DR
DR
I
IV
E
VE
29
O
M
I
NA
NA
E BROADWAY
ST
Favourite Streets (number in line
indicates # of votes)
Least Favourite Streets (number in
line indicates # of votes)
- 28 -
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
TRINITY ST
Trinity
Park
McGill
Park
MCGILL ST
ETON ST
CAMBRIDGE STT
Cambridge
Park
Busy traffic
Powell/
Dundas
Dark empty lots
No street life
Poor lighting
Traffic
Big trucks
4
DUNDAS ST
25
10
OXFORD ST
Oxford
Park
7
TRIUMPH ST
Feels isolated
Light industrial area
empty at night
Prostitution/
predatory johns
55
Pandora
Park
FRANKLIN ST
Pedestrian
crossing
9
PANDORA ST
6
15 E HASTINGS ST
E PENDER ST
Unsafe at night
Woodland
Park
9
TURNER ST
Templeton
Park
Park unsafe at
night, drinking Salsbury
E GEORGIA ST
Park
Busy intersection
Blank industrial
buildings
ADANAC ST
6
9
VENABLES ST
10
28
PARKER ST
Pathways too dark
Youth hanging out
NAPIER ST
9
E 5TH AVE
E 6TH AVE
SE
Community Plan Boundary
E 7TH AVE
E
E 8TH AVE
IV
DR
M
IA
OR
CT
VI
E
IV
LIN
DR
IV
W
E
OO
D
DR
IV
E
VE
195
AL
D
ER
CI
M
CO
M
E 4TH AVE
Skytrain area at night
Drug and alcohol use
Aggressive pan-handling
People loitering
Traffic too fast
RI
DR
AN
D
DL
W
OO
E 3RD AVE
McSpadden
Park
Drug dealing
IV
E
E
IV
DR
E 2ND AVE
Park unsafe
at night
W.C. Shelley
Park
K
E 1ST AVE
Garden
Park
LA
KE
Unsafe at night
10
CL
AR
GRAVELEY ST
Cars speeding
Unsafe at night
8


KITCHENER ST
Aggressive
pan-handling
People loitering
17
Alice Townley Park
60
GRANT ST
24
Unsafe at night
CHARLES ST
Drug and alcohol use
Groups loitering
Park unsafe at night
DR
25
Victoria
Park
EN
Drug and alcohol use
Poor lighting
Unsafe at night
WILLIAM ST
GA
RD
Too many cars,
not enough
pedestrian crossings!
Britannia at night
10 Grandview
25 Park
Mosaic
Park
Are there any areas
you feel unsafe
in GrandviewWoodland? What
makes you feel
unsafe?
O
M
I
NA
NA
E BROADWAY
ST
Unsafe Areas (number in
circles indicates # of votes)
Parks and Open Space
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 29 -
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
Geography - Areas of Consideration for Present and Future Planning
• Neighbourhood-wide - overall need to ensure vibrant connections and pathways throughout
the community. Particular interest in creating strong north/south linkages
• Commercial Drive & East Hastings - key commercial streets (and major destination areas for
residents and visitors to the neighbourhood)
• Britannia Community Centre - pathways as identified areas of improvement for site design
• Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain - the busiest transit interchange in the region and a major
point of entry into Grandview-Woodland
• Key arterial streets - Clark Drive, East 1st, Broadway, Nanaimo, Powell (and others) - which
present opportunities for public realm improvement, safety-related interventions, additional
growth
• Greenways - current or future City-designated greenways (see “What We Know”) and
neighbourhood greenways
• Laneways & Alleyways - potential areas for improvement and beautification; possible use for
commercial space; artist studios and galleries
What We Know
• Greenways - Grandview-Woodland contains segments of three City-wide designated
greenways - one complete (the Central Valley Greenway, which runs parallel with the
Grandview Highway) and two proposed (Midtown Way Greenway, located near Woodland
Drive, and Portside Greenway, which is anticipated to run along Powell Street). GrandviewWoodland is also home to Napier Greenway (at Britannia Community Centre), a small
neighbourhood greenway that functions as a popular gathering area
Key City Bylaws, Policies and Programs
• Greenest City Action Plan - contains goals and targets around a number of areas connected
to streets and pathways, including: green mobility (encouraging a switch to more sustainable
modes of transportation); access to nature (ensuring parks and greenspaces are within a 5
minute walking distance); the planting of 150,000 new trees; the creation of new local food
and edible landscaping opportunities
• Transportation 2040 Plan - among key directions are policies and actions that aim to make
walking safe, convenient, comfortable, and delightful. The intent is to ensure streets and
sidewalks support a vibrant public life and encourage a walking culture, healthy lifestyles, and
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 30 -
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
STREETSCAPES, PATHWAYS, CORRIDORS
social connectedness. Specific actions centre on making streets safer for walking; ensuring
sidewalks are unobstructed; accessibility; weather-protection. Also policies to strengthen the
public realm - for example, by providing places to sit and other street furniture, improving
lighting, enhancing accessibility features, and encouraging creative uses at the street
• Street & Traffic Bylaw - regulates traffic and the use of streets; - including the placement
of street furniture. Other bylaws govern the Street Distribution of Publications (including
newspaper boxes) and the placement of signage (the Sign Bylaw)
• Street Tree Bylaw - regulates the Vancouver Park Board’s care, condition, and management of
trees on boulevards and medians of City-owned streets
• Design Guidelines (various) - Provide guidance on architectural and open-space
considerations and neighbourhood character in a number of different parts of GrandviewWoodland
Things to Think About
• What’s your favourite street to walk on in Grandview-Woodland? And why?
• While many streets in Grandview-Woodland were identified as great places to walk,
several - including Nanaimo, Broadway, Clark, parts of Hastings, E 1st - were not.
Given that these are major streets and play a role in the larger city-wide and regional
transportation network, what sorts of opportunities do you see for making them more
pedestrian and community friendly? Should this be a priority?
• One of the objectives of planning work is create better linkages between (a) different
parts of the neighbourhood; (b) different community facilities (e.g. parks, community
facilities, commercial areas). Are there key links that you feel need to be made? And
if so, how might they be strengthened? (In other words, how can we make these sorts
of connections more interesting or more enjoyable - and thus encourage people to use
them more?)
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 31 -
Streetscapes, Pathways, Corridors
PUBLIC REALM FEATURES
PUBLIC REALM FEATURES
Image [detail] by:
Elena Doyle Photography, 2012
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 32 -
Public Realm Features
PUBLIC REALM FEATURES
Street furniture (such as seating, tables, bike racks, wayfinding signage, street vending,
public art, water fountains, public bathrooms, and more…
What We Heard
• More public seats, benches and public bathrooms are needed. This is particularly important to
ensure the neighbourhood is age and family friendly
• Install better, pedestrian-scale lighting in parks, on streets (in residential areas especially)
and laneways - particularly where safety concerns have been noted. Pedestrian-scale lighting
in and around industrial areas (and the ‘seams’ where industrial and residential land-use is
adjacent to one another
• Ensure that the design of Grandview-Woodland’s public realm is age and ability friendly and
accessible to all
• Public and street art lend colour to the neighbourhood - and more of it would be welcome.
Ensure that quality is a key consideration
• Wayfinding concerns were raised with respect to two areas: (1) Britannia Community Centre
(related to a desire for greater ease of movement through the complex); (2) Broadway/
Commercial SkyTrain (focusing on helping visitors to find their way to Commercial Drive)
• Grandview-Woodland has a number of key (“grand”) views, including:
»» The view of the Ports and North Shore Mountains (notably from Commercial and from
Cedar Cove)
»» Views of the downtown (from notably from Britannia, as well as parts of Lakewood)
• Grandview-Woodland is a very-bike friendly neighbourhood - and bike-racks are well-used.
Having bike racks located throughout the neighbourhood is important
• Concerns raised about litter - both in terms of the need for more litter cans, but also the
desire for more litter pick-up and street-cleaning
• Vancouver is a rainy city - opportunities to strengthen weather-protect elements would be useful
• Ensure that sidewalks have clear paths for walking - and work to ensure that they are not
cluttered with too many signs, newspaper boxes and other features
• A difference of opinion: some people like the eclectic nature of Commercial Drive - and don’t
want to see too much consistency in its “look” (including the look of public realm features).
Others like the notion of a common “look” in public realm features
• Mixture of opinions about street vending - with many participants saying they liked the
presence of informal vending, and other expressing concern over it
• Related to this: general support for street food vending, though some concerns expressed
over potential impact on existing restaurants. General support for patios. General support for
busking and other street performers
• Strong support for the presence of street trees throughout the neighbourhood - particularly
streets with older trees and a continuous tree canopy
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 33 -
Public Realm Features
Performance spaces
15%
33%
Buskers and street
performers
14%
38%
34%
11%
31%
10%
PUBLIC REALM
FEATURES
17%
34%
33%
Public art in the
community
Festivals and special
events
Nightlife
22%
13%
43%
33%
9%
27%
9% 9%
31%
15%
33%
34%
11%
Performance
Festivals Presence
and spaces
special
of
22%
8% 14%
35% 43%
32% 27%8%
events
street art and graffiti
Buskers and street
38%
31%and 10%
Overall, how satisfied
are
you
with the14%
following
aspects of arts
culture
performers
15%
33%
34%
11%
Performance
spaces
Galleries
26%
37%
18%
Grandview-Woodland? (561 people responded to this question)
Publicand
art in
the
Buskers
street
17%
34%
33%
9%
14%
38%
31%
10%
community
Studio spaceperformers
for artists
18%
33%
13%
24%
Public art
in the
Nightlife
13%
33%
17%
34%
community
Presence of tagging
22%
22%
Presence of
8% 14%
35%
Nightlife
street art and
graffiti 0% 13% 20%33%40%
N
/A
d
or
w
no
K
62%
29%
10%
13% 13%24%
D
on
't
V
er
y
V
18%24%
Sa
ti
er
y
Sa
N
20%
18%
sf
ie
eu
t
tis
f ie
52%
33% 37% 13%
12% 19%
22%
18% 22%33%
0%
18% 8%
32%
d
ra
l
d
sf
ie
is
sa
ti
18%
26%
Create more community
Presence
tagging
gardens
Studio
spaceof
for
artists
Plant more fruit trees
Presence of tagging
edible
landscaping
Improve
existings
parks
35% 37%
12% 16%
D
Studio space for
artists
Galleries
31%
9%
33% 9% 9%
29%
13% 10%
31%32%
9% 8%
9%
60%
80%
100%
D
is
sa
tis
Improve existings parks
26%
8% 14%
f ie
d
Galleries
Presence
of
street art and graffiti
in
40%
60%
12% 19%
22%
22%
12% 16%
80%
100%
29%61% 13% 10%
52%
18%
Su
pp
or
t
St
Su ro
pp ng
D
o ly
on rt
't
or K n
N ow
/A
ra
l
51%
60%
80%
100%
pp
or
Su
ra
l
eu
t
100%
t
S
Sutro
pp ng
D
o ly
on rt
't
or K n
N ow
/A
- 34 -
22%
80%
49%
40%
N
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
20%
S
O tro
pp n
os gly
ed
O
pp
os
ed
0%
60%
21%
eu
t
13%
51%
59%
40%
N
S
O tro
pp n
os gly
ed
O
pp
os
ed
20%
Close down a street block 0%
9% 13%
to create a permanent
mini-park or plaza
61%49%
Sa
N
13%13% 23%22%
Create temporary street
closures throughout the
neighbourhood
Sa
tis
tis
f ie
f ie
V
V
er
edr
d
y
y
S
S
D
Da
at
on
otni
is
s'tf
't
f ie
iK
ed
K
d
no
no
w
w
or
or
N
N
/A
/A
ra
l
eu
t
sf
ie
ra
l
d
N
is
sa
ti
is
sa
ti
is
sa
tis
V
Create temporary street
Plant more trees along
closures throughout the
streets and in parks
neighbourhood
59%
62%
9%
12%13%
19%21%
er
y
D
V
Close down a street block
Plant
more
fruit trees
to
create
a permanent
edible
landscaping
mini-park or plaza
23%
19%
D
er
y
D
gardens
f ie
d
D
is
sa
tis
Create
more community
There were 581
responses
to this question. 13%
12%
streets and in parks
eu
t
sf
ie
f ie
d
Plant more trees along
d
Please select the response that best
your40%
support
for the
following
0%reflects
20%
60%
80%
100% ideas:
Public Realm Features
PUBLIC REALM FEATURES
Geography - Areas of Consideration for Present & Future Planning
• Street furniture - neighbourhood wide, with particular emphasis on commercial high streets
(Commercial Drive and East Hastings)
• Public Art - throughout neighbourhood, with potential to highlight key areas of cultural
activity, including industrial areas
• Lighting - throughout the neighbourhood - and particularly in areas where safety concerns
have been identified
What We Know
• Public bathrooms are located at Britannia Community Centre (library and community centre),
as well as the following parks: Garden, Grandview, Pandora, Victoria, and Woodland
• There are approximately 30 poster cylinders located in Grandview-Woodland (utility pole
‘wraps’ where the community can place posters and other notices)
• Outdoor information boards are located in a number of places, including Britannia, Pandora
Park, Ladybug Community Garden (E 8th & Commercial), Beckwoman’s (on Commercial Drive)
• There are an unknown number of bike racks located in the neighbourhood - mostly along
commercial streets, and near parks and schools
• Seats and tables can be found in all neighbourhood parks; seating on commercial streets
tends to be co-located with transit stops
• There are 10 public drinking fountains located in the neighbourhood. The majority are located
in parks, while others can be found at Britannia Community Centre and on Commercial Drive
• Two street vendor permits have been assigned to the neighbourhood - both located at
Broadway and Commercial (one for street food, the other for handicrafts)
• There are two registered view-cones that cover parts of Grandview-Woodland:
»» looking north from Commercial and E 15th
»» looking north from Trout Lake
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 35 -
Public Realm Features
PUBLIC REALM FEATURES
Key City Bylaws, Policies, Programs
• T
ransportation 2040 - the new Transportation Plan has a variety of objectives aimed at
promoting sustainable modes of transportation. Various actions aim to make walking “safe,
convenient, comfortable, and delightful” and to make cycling “safe, convenient, comfortable,
and fun for people of all ages and abilities”
• Street & Traffic Bylaw - regulates traffic and the use of streets - including the placement
of street furniture. Other bylaws govern the Street Distribution of Publications (including
newspaper boxes) and the placement of signage (the Sign Bylaw)
• Street Tree Bylaw - regulates the Vancouver Park Board’s care, condition, and management of
trees on boulevards and medians of City-owned streets
• Vending & related permits - food carts, street vending, busking and patios are regulated by a
permitting process managed by the City’s Engineer Department. Note: street vending is also
regulated by the Street Vending Bylaw
• Street Furniture - is managed by the Engineering Department and, in parks and community
centres, by the Park Board
• Public Art - is supported by various programs administered by the City’s Cultural Affairs
Department and the Park Board
Things to Think About
• What do you think of “what we’ve heard”? Which of these items resonates most strongly
with you? What are your public realm priorities?
• Are there particular areas of the neighbourhood that are most in need of additional
public realm features? If so, where? Are there areas that are well-served?
Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
Parks and Public Space Backgrounder
- 36 -
Public Realm Features