Neighbourhood plazas

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Illustration of a street filled with people on the road protected from cars by traffic barricades.

The City created pop-up plazas through community partnerships. We partnered with business improvement associations (BIAs), local businesses, non-profit organizations and residents. Pop-up plazas provide space to eat, visit, rest, or enjoy the weather.

Objectives

Based on what we have heard and seen, these pop-up plazas are remaining indefinitely, and some will be upgraded into semi-permanent plazas with higher-quality, longer-lasting materials. These upgrades are intended to last 5-10 years. To ensure that these upgrades meet community needs, we are requesting input from Vancouver residents.

5th Ave and Ontario St Plaza

Thank you for your feedback. Staff are reviewing survey responses and

The City created pop-up plazas through community partnerships. We partnered with business improvement associations (BIAs), local businesses, non-profit organizations and residents. Pop-up plazas provide space to eat, visit, rest, or enjoy the weather.

Objectives

Based on what we have heard and seen, these pop-up plazas are remaining indefinitely, and some will be upgraded into semi-permanent plazas with higher-quality, longer-lasting materials. These upgrades are intended to last 5-10 years. To ensure that these upgrades meet community needs, we are requesting input from Vancouver residents.

5th Ave and Ontario St Plaza

Thank you for your feedback. Staff are reviewing survey responses and adjusting the designs accordingly. We will update you here once we have completed this work.

Kamloops St and Hastings St Plaza

Thank you for your feedback. Staff are reviewing survey responses and adjusting the designs accordingly. We will update you here once we have completed this work.

What is next

Staff will be engaging with residents and community for upgrades at 5th Ave and Ontario St Plaza and at Kamloops and Hastings St Plaza in June.

Learn more about past engagements and the latest construction updates.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Background: 

    Throughout the pandemic, the City partnered with community organizations to create 20 pop-up plazas in neighbourhood hubs throughout the city. Communities have embraced these outdoor gathering spaces to socialize, share a coffee or a meal, enjoy a small concert, or simply sit and rest as they run their errands. The City is committed to working with our partners and the broader communities they serve to improve and upgrade these outdoor gathering spaces, most of which are quite basic. 

    This survey will be open until June 30, 2022.

    Paper copies are available on request, and can be submitted by mail.

    Goals:

    As we make steps to have these spaces become semi-permanent*  fixtures in these neighborhoods, we're seeking ideas and suggestions from residents on how this plaza should evolve to better serve the community for years to come.

    Design Concept:

    The City will use community feedback from this survey to develop a concept design for this plaza. We will bring this design concept back for further public feedback in fall 2022. 

    * Semi-permanent upgrades are intended to be in place for 5-10 years.

    Take our survey
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Background: 

    Throughout the pandemic, the City partnered with community organizations to create 20 pop-up plazas in neighbourhood hubs throughout the city. Communities have embraced these outdoor gathering spaces to socialize, share a coffee or a meal, enjoy a small concert, or simply sit and rest as they run their errands. The City is committed to working with our partners and the broader communities they serve to improve and upgrade these outdoor gathering spaces, most of which are quite basic. 

    This survey will be open until June 30, 2022.

    Paper copies are available on request, and can be submitted by mail.

    Goals:

    As we make steps to have these spaces become semi-permanent*  fixtures in these neighbbourhoods, we're seeking input and direction from residents on how they want these plazas to evolve.

    *Semi-permanent upgrades are intended to be in place for 5-10 years.

    Design Concept:

    This is our design concept for how to improve this plaza:



     


    Highlights:

    • Features a nature-focused theme to expand the plaza into the nearby green space
    • This design adds:
      • More resilient furniture elements,
      • A garden walkway, 
      • An independent water hose connection to support the future community garden,
      • A small stage for music and dance programming, 
      • A storage chest for gardening and programming supplies
      • *NOTE: the community garden will be governed and maintained by our local community partners - the East Village Business Improvement Association, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation, and Ward Memorial Baptist Church
    Take our survey
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Background: 

    Throughout the pandemic, the City partnered with community organizations to create 20 pop-up plazas in neighbourhood hubs throughout the city. Communities have embraced these outdoor gathering spaces to socialize, share a coffee or a meal, enjoy a small concert, or simply sit and rest as they run their errands. The City is committed to working with our partners and the broader communities they serve to improve and upgrade these outdoor gathering spaces, most of which are quite basic. 

    This survey will be open until March 24, 2022.

    Paper copies are available on request, and can be submitted by mail.

    Goals:

    As we make steps to have these spaces become semi-permanent*  fixtures in these neighbbourhoods, we're seeking input and direction from residents on the types of upgrades or concepts these plazas should grow into.

    The City is planning to improve this Pop-Up Plaza at 18-Cambie to become a long-term, higher-quality Semi-Permanent* space.

    *Semi-Permanent upgrades are intended to be in-place for 5-10 years. 

    Design Concepts:

    There are two options for how to improve this plaza:

    Lounge concept of the proposed upgrades, showing custom feature furniture elements and upgraded picnic tables.

    "Lounge" Concept: designed to support casual use and gathering by neighbourhood communities. 

    Highlights:

    • Features custom furniture elements (e.g., a customized long seating and a play structure) to enable flexible seating and lounging uses

    Trade-offs:

    • In this design there is less space dedicated for hosting public events. As a result, this limits the size of the events that can occur in the plaza and suitably sized events could cost more to produce. Overall, the dedicated event space is smaller compared to the "Theatre" Concept 


    Theatre concept proposal, showing a stage added to the plaza for performances and event hosting, a storage container added, and some upgraded picnic tables.

    "Theatre" Concept: designed to support more frequent small-scale public events and performances in the plaza for neighbourhood communities. 

    Highlights:

    • Features raised seating, a platform/stage and dedicates more space for hosting public events and performances. Includes onsite storage for commonly-used event equipment that can be accessed by plaza stewards.  

    Trade-offs:

    • This design would enable small public events and subsidize event costs by investing in furniture that can be used to host events, likely resulting in more frequent programming. Overall, this design may make the plaza busier and will reduce the amount of seating compared to the "Lounge" Concept
    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Background: 

    Throughout the pandemic, the City partnered with community organizations to create 20 pop-up plazas in neighbourhood hubs throughout the city. Communities have embraced these outdoor gathering spaces to socialize, share a coffee or a meal, enjoy a small concert, or simply sit and rest as they run their errands. The City is committed to working with our partners and the broader communities they serve to improve and upgrade these outdoor gathering spaces, most of which are quite basic. 

    This plaza at 13-Granville is co-managed by the City and our community partner - the South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA). SGBIA is proposing improvements for this plaza that they will deliver later in 2022. 

    SGBIA's proposal will improve this Pop-Up Plaza to become a long-term, higher-quality Semi-Permanent* space. 

    This survey will be open until March 24, 2022.

    Paper copies are available on request, and can be submitted by mail.

    Goals:

    As we make steps to have these spaces become semi-permanent* fixtures in these neighbbourhoods, we're seeking input and direction from residents on the types of upgrades or concepts these plazas should grow into

    *Semi-Permanent upgrades are intended to be in-place for 5-10 years.

    Take our survey
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Feedback received from this survey will help us improve and expand the Partner-Led Placemaking Program for Pop-Up Plaza and Parklet stewards.

    Thank you for taking 5-10 minutes to complete this 3 question survey. 

    Questions or other feedback welcome at pop-upplazas@vancouver.ca

    This survey will close on Wednesday, November 17, 2021

    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Feedback received from this survey will help us improve and expand the Partner-Led Placemaking Program.

    Thank you for taking 5-10 minutes to complete this 8 question survey. 

    Questions or other feedback welcome at pop-upplazas@vancouver.ca

    This survey will close on Wednesday, November 17, 2021

    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    We want your feedback on pop-up plazas throughout the City. Ongoing monitoring, along with public feedback and guidance from the Provincial Health Officer, will help us improve these spaces over time. In addition, it will help us to determine whether any of these temporary plazas should remain in place after the recovery period.

    Your input will help to ensure these spaces are properly maintained, inclusive, comfortable, and serving the community. Your responses will be kept confidential.

    We will be receiving feedback until September 30, 2021. We appreciate your feedback and ask that you respond to the survey only once per location. 

    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This call for placemaking proposals has concluded.

    As part of the City’s Restart Smart Vancouver COVID-19 recovery plan, we have launched the Partner-led Placemaking Program | Community-Led Stream, a new program to support community-led design enhancements or amenities in the 2020 Pop-Up Plazas and Rain-Friendly Plazas.

    The City is now inviting interested applicants to submit an application by August 14, 2021.

    The following is an application form with details on how you can request up to $500 of financial support for specified placemaking projects. Make sure to review the details for more information about eligibility and specifics for each project (on page 2).

    Community-Led Placemaking will complement the Steward-Led Placemaking already improving eligible public spaces.

    Apply now!

    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    We want your feedback on the new rain-friendly plazas! Using the overhead protection offered by bridges, the City of Vancouver is trialing new rain-friendly pop-up plazas at four locations:

    • Cambie Bridge South at False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility
      (1890 Spyglass Place)
    • Cambie Bridge South at W 1st Ave (on the multi-use path)
    • Cambie Bridge North (north of Cooper’s Park)
    • Burrard Bridge North (south of the Seawall)


    Your input will inform the future of the spaces and help to ensure they are properly maintained, inclusive, comfortable, and serving the community. Your responses will be kept confidential.

    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    As winter approaches, we’re seeking public feedback on what to do with the pop-up plaza at Bute and Alberni. Starting next spring, the plaza will need to be removed to make way for City crews to upgrade critical water infrastructure and replace the existing water main below Bute Street. We would like to keep the pop-up plaza in place until the water works upgrades are complete.

    We’d like your feedback on how the temporary pop-up plaza has worked for you and what we should consider after construction is completed in the summer. Your responses will be kept confidential.

    Survey has concluded
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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Do you own or run a local business or non-profit organization near a pop-up plaza? If so, we want your feedback.

    Your input will be used to inform whether the pop-up plazas become long-term public spaces, and if so how they can be improved as well as how you can participate in the management and programming of them.

    Your responses will be kept confidential.

    Survey has concluded
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    We want your feedback on pop-up plazas throughout the City. Ongoing monitoring, along with public feedback and guidance from the Provincial Health Officer, will help us improve these spaces over time. In addition, it will help us to determine whether any of these temporary plazas should remain in place after the recovery period.

    Your input will help to ensure these spaces are properly maintained, inclusive, comfortable, and serving the community. Your responses will be kept confidential.

    Survey has concluded
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Page last updated: 20 Mar 2023, 09:16 AM