Project context
Jonathan Rogers Park is a 1.4-hectare neighbourhood park in Mount Pleasant. The park serves an increasingly dense area with limited green space. It requires updates to meet future demand while remaining welcoming and accessible for all.
We are planning improvements to the eastern half of the park, focusing on amenities and accessibility. The improvements will follow inclusive design principles and will support safety, climate resilience, and sustainability.
The park was identified as a priority for improvements through several city-wide plans and strategies.
Key improvements include:
- A renewed playground designed for children of all ages and abilities
- A fenced dog off-leash area
- Improved site accessibility
The project will keep the community garden and open space including the ball diamond for recreation, socializing, and community events.
VanPlay: Vancouver’s Parks and Recreation Services Master Plan provides both short- and long-term guidance for the development and management of the city's park system. According to VanPlay, Jonathan Rogers Park is in an area of low park space per capita and high demand for low-barrier recreational opportunities. The strategy emphasizes the need for equitable access to parks and recreational services in underserved neighborhoods.
Broadway Plan: The Broadway Plan is a comprehensive plan to guide growth in housing, jobs, shops, services and amenities in the areas around the Broadway Subway. Jonathan Rogers Park is within the Broadway Plan area, and the park improvements will help to support the anticipated growth in this neighbourhood over the next 30 years.
People, Parks and Dogs Strategy: The People, Parks and Dogs Strategy provides a framework to deliver well-planned and designed parks that accommodate park users, with and without dogs. Through mapping and analysis, the strategy identified areas of Vancouver that are deficient in off-leash area access as well as six neighbourhoods, including Mount Pleasant, to be prioritized for new and renewed off-leash spaces. Mount Pleasant has the highest density of dogs in relation to off-leash space in the city and with the projected growth that the Broadway Plan could bring, this neighbourhood could see its dog population increase by up to 82% over the next 30 years.
Sport Field Strategy: The Sport Field Strategy guides city-wide sport field development, management and maintenance decision-making in Vancouver and provides a basis for ongoing capital and operating plans and budgets. Through the strategy, the sport field and baseball diamond at Jonathan Rogers Park were reclassified to support neighbourhood spontaneous use and will no longer be formally permitted.
