Background of the Neighbourhood Plaza at Main and 14th

The Neighbourhood Plaza at Main and 14^th was installed in spring 2018. The plaza features moveable seating, a bike share station, planters, an on-street mural and an adjacent bus bulb. It also contains a delineated bike lane as part of the 14^th Ave Bikeway and Vancouver’s first parklet, installed in 2011 adjacent to JJ Bean. The plaza is stewarded in partnership with the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association.

In the fall of 2018, an external consultant was hired by the City to evaluate the success of the Neighbourhood Plaza at Main and 14^th. The consultant found that the plaza serves as a welcoming and inclusive public space within the community and has played an important role in supporting social interaction. See the full findings in the Pavement-to-Plaza Wellbeing Assessment final report.

In 2020, a bus bulb (a sidewalk extension that bumps out the bus stop into the parking lane) was installed adjacent to the plaza during the pandemic as an immediate temporary response to the need for more queueing space. The materials used were temporary in nature and allowed the City to install the bus bulb quickly and at a lower cost.

In recent years, the plaza has been a popular spot for community-led and family-oriented events and activations such as concerts featuring local musicians and mini markets. For example, in 2022 there were about 22 community-led events at this plaza, and as of March there were already 22 community-led events scheduled for this year.