Question 2

Question 2. In your opinion, how well is the delivery of parks and public spaces aligned with the type of growth and change taking place in Vancouver’s neighbourhoods?

Stephen MENON (200) – Not well. The gap is widest where population growth is the fastest.

The Broadway Plan, the Rupert and Renfrew plan will add tens of thousands of residents. Many will live in apartments without yards. Parks and community centres become their backyard, living room and cooling centres. Meanwhile, the 2025 Auditor General report found 72% of examined recreation facilities in poor or very poor condition as of 2022. We are adding people faster than we are renewing the essential places and programs needed to support these communities

The capital plan shows the problem too. Being named in a plan is not the same as being funded or scheduled. Residents deserve to know which it is.

What I would push for:

Plan parks with density, not after it. Park space, mini parks, plazas and facility renewal should be part of neighbourhood planning from the start, through community based planning.

Use every square metre. Mini parks, street end plazas, school grounds after hours and underused City land.

Be honest in the capital plan. Publish a clear list of what is being renewed, what is funded and what has a construction date.

Leonard VANDERSTAR (202) – Park and green space addition must be proportional to growth expansion on an area basis. On an immediate basis, our party will work to rescind authorization for the BC Hydro substation at Nelson Park and formally request that the British Columbia Utilities Commission deny the permit. We will also conduct a full review of the Burrard View Park food forest and fire pit with consideration for local neighbourhood needs.

Tamiko SUZUKI (206) – Not well. Vancouver’s population and density continue to grow, while more people are living in smaller homes with less personal space. This makes our recreation facilities and community centres—our vital “third spaces” beyond home and work—even more important for physical activity, social connection, and a sense of belonging.

Maintenance has not kept pace with increasing use, and inadequate funding has repeatedly delayed essential renovations, seismic upgrades, expanded childcare and seniors’ spaces, and the construction of new facilities. We cannot expect aging infrastructure to serve a growing population without sustained investment.

The 2022 Community Centre Strategy established an assessment and prioritization process, with community centres agreeing on a framework to guide the order of renovations and replacements. However, under ABC, that process was undermined by decisions that raised concerns about transparency and political influence. Renfrew Community Centre,
ranked second in the priority order, was dropped from the list while other centres ranked lower were moved ahead.

We need transparent, evidence-based decisions and a consistent commitment to agreed-upon priorities. A growing Vancouver needs properly maintained and accessible community centres, with long-term funding to renew aging facilities, expand services, and build new spaces where demand is greatest.

Summit AMBEAULT-WANNAMAKER (210) – The delivery of greenspaces in areas where it is needed most is lacking.

The Broadway plan, expected to bring thousands of residents to the corridor, lacks the allocation of new, suitable greenspaces, considering the growth.

The Vancouver Park Board must work in tandem with city council to identify gaps, and thus, advocate for the allocation of these essential spaces.

Shayla BIRD (211) – Not well. Vancouver is growing and becoming denser, but our recreational infrastructure has not consistently kept pace.

I see this firsthand in Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside, where community spaces and recreational facilities serve neighbourhoods with significant needs. Strathcona Community Centre, for example, provides far more than recreation: it offers childcare, youth and seniors programming, food-security programs and other community services. These facilities are social infrastructure, and we need to treat them that way.

I am particularly concerned about what this means for young people. As an educator, I know that recreation, sport and community programming give young people opportunities to build confidence, develop relationships and feel that they belong in their communities.

As Vancouver grows, our parks, pools, fields and community centres need to grow with it.

Cam ROTHERY (213) – Parks and public spaces are central to a healthy and properly served community. Due to Vancouver being a growing urban area the last thing the city should be doing is decreasing or removing the amount of space, infrastructure, and amenities available to the public.

Tyler PETERSEN (214) – Vancouver has not kept up in the creation of new community centres, parks, pools, and public spaces to support our growing population. We see that many existing community centres do not meet the needs of the communities they serve, as documented in the community centre strategy document released in 2022. We see in their most recent capital plan that ABC is not willing to make these investments in a fair and transparent way, as witnessed in their break from the Community Centre Strategy. Because of this, Renfrew Community Centre has been removed as a priority (where the Community Centre Strategy indicated it was the #2 priority for renewal).

Sacia BURTON (215) – As our city continues to densify, with families living in smaller homes, more people are coming to rely on Vancouver’s parks as our communal backyards and our community centers as shared living spaces. Unfortunately, consecutive local governments have let real estate developers off the hook for the contributions they are meant to pay into maintaining our parks and public spaces, thus leaving our parks and especially our community centers in critical need of repair. Moving forward, both the Park Board and City Council must be stronger negotiators on behalf of all public space users.

Breanne SMART (216) – There has been disproportionate allocation of recreation and greenspace in areas of high development and density. Our city’s most socially and economically vulnerable neighbourhoods are the neighbourhoods with the least access to parks and public spaces, while our most affluent neighbourhoods enjoy the greatest access to natural space. There has been multi-million dollar gaps in funding for the Park Board to invest in the neighbourhoods that need parks the most. As our population grows, Greens are committed to ensuring that we are building homes alongside parks, public washrooms, quiet and traffic calming areas, and cooling resource centres.

John IRWIN (217) – I think that this could be better aligned with the growth and change we’re experiencing in Vancouver. In the Broadway Plan area for example, we should work with the City to create expanded and new parks by converting some street end areas into pocket parks as has been done in many locations, such as ‘Lilian To’ Park. The Park Board should continue to follow the 2022 Community Centre Strategy, which involved growth areas as a key criteria in determining which centres should be renewed and expanded first.

Amanda BAINS (221) – It is not keeping pace. Vancouver continues to add residents and density, but many neighbourhoods are still relying on aging community centres, overcrowded fields, limited aquatic facilities and parks designed for a much smaller population.

Parks and recreation infrastructure must be planned alongside housing rather than years after new residents arrive. Every major neighbourhood plan should include an assessment of park space, recreation capacity, childcare, public washrooms, tree canopy and accessibility.

The Vancouver Liberals are proposing a historic $1.35-billion investment in parks, recreation and pools because this infrastructure is not optional. It is essential to public health, community safety and quality of life.

Tom DIGBY (222) – There is a well known map of areas of the city that are underserved by parks and recreation. It corresponds to historically low income neighbourhoods. The park board always prioritizes these neighborhoods for upgrades, while maintaining a fair balance across the city. Renewals of General Brock park and Slocan Park, and the new park at Main/E7th are examples of this in practice.

Michael Robert CADITZ (226) – There must be no attrition of parks and green spaces in the name of “growth.” We will rescind authorization for the BC Hydro substation at Nelson Park and formally request that the British Columbia Utilities Commission deny the permit. We will conduct a full review of the Burrard View Park food forest and fire pit with consideration for local neighbourhood needs.

Tricia BARKER (229) – We have not kept up with the fact that we have an aging population. In fact, we often practice ageism in dealing with seniors in Vancouver. During my time as a Park Board Commissioner (2018-22) nothing was passed without examining how it would impact seniors and people with disabilities. We are not doing that anymore and are often putting a band aid on issues we should be correcting. Equity should always come before equality.

Dominic DENOFRIO (230) – Under the current ABC Park Board and City Council, it is not aligned well. We are not adequately planning new parks, community centres, recreation facilities (such as pools), or public spaces in the parts of our city that are growing the most rapidly. The River District, a rapidly-growing, high-density community in South Vancouver, has been waiting for a promised new community centre for nearly a decade – and no work has yet been completed. In addition, renewals of existing facilities are not being funded based on assessed need. OneCity Park Board commissioners would prioritize plans for new parks and public spaces in growing areas of our city (specifically in South and East Vancouver, and in the Broadway corridor), and prioritize renewals of existing facilities based on evidence, not political advantage.

Niknaz ALEMI (231) – I don’t think we’re keeping up as well as we should. Vancouver is growing and changing quickly, and as we add more housing and density, access to parks, green space and recreation needs to grow with it. The good thing is that we already have tools like VanPlay that look at population growth, park access, tree canopy, recreation needs and equity across neighbourhoods. I think we should actually use that work to guide where investment goes, rather than constantly starting from scratch. For me, parks and public spaces are essential infrastructure. They should be part of how we plan for growth from the beginning, not something we try to catch up on later.

Wah GEE (233) – I don’t think parks and recreation are keeping up consistently with neighbourhood growth. As more people move into a neighbourhood, they need parks, community centres and recreation programs close to home.

As a teacher and a member of Vancouver’s Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee, I care about what this means for children and families.

I support TEAM’s commitment to adding park space and improving recreation facilities as the city grows. I would look at program waiting lists, fees and how easily people can reach a park or community centre. Those measures would help us direct funding where it is needed most.