The park, designed bylandscape architects PFS Studio as part of an overall redevelopment proposal by Henriquez Architects and Westbank, will be comprised of a series of “concept areas”, tied together with connecting pathways. (The “7” here refers to the board number, not the number of concept areas).

These areas, with their design intent, are described below.

You can find the Park Board media release at the bottom of the post, along with links to our February 2014 post on the subject, and a full suite of concept images in the Park Board staff report, or on our flickr page.

1. Civic Centre Park

“The Civic Centre Park is at street level, and provides an introduction to the larger park area on the roof.”

2. The Upper Green

“The Upper Green is designed to be a large open lawn space with a lush treed backdrop, located on the upper level of the park. A fenced off-leash dog area is located nearby.”

3. The Commons

“The Commons is designed to provide a hub of activity next to restaurants and outdoor dining patios of the food hall. It is designed to encourage use throughout the day and evening, during all seasons and is designed with a variety of seating options for performances of different sizes, trees and landscaped areas for shade and seating.”

4. The Meadow Gardens

“The Meadow Gardens is a lush wildflower and grass landscape design for strolling and bird watching and will provide food and homes for birds and other pollinators. An adjacent community learning garden and support space would provide opportunities to work together to grow, share and learn about a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, beekeeping and other gardening pursuits.”

5. The Woodland

“The Woodland is envisioned as a lush urban forest with boardwalks and attractive seating areas. A diversity of understory plants, showcasing a diversity of pacific-northwest native flora, will create a green, restorative experience in contrast to some of the more active spaces in the park.”

6. The Pocket Park

“The Pocket Park is designed to provide a neighbourhood park at street level as well as lead people to the entrance to the larger rooftop park. The park will bring people together for a mix of active play and opportunities for social activities.”

Park Board Media Release

The Park Board’s official communique was distributed on Monday, July 10, 2018.

Park Board approves new 9 acre roof-top park for redeveloped Oakridge Centre

The Vancouver Park Board has approved the concept plan for a new nine acre public park, which will be the first of its kind in Vancouver, located partially on the rooftop of the mall and partially at ground level.

The new park will offer a unique experience for residents and will be a destination park for the rest of the city. It will feature six distinct park areas with a rich Pacific Northwest landscape and a balance of active and tranquil spaces. The new park will redefine what is possible for a landscape on top of a building. It will feature areas for contemplation, socializing and large gatherings and will have an 800 metre jogging and walking track.

“This new park will be a tremendous addition to the Park Board’s network of outstanding public parks with access for all. There will be something for everyone, from public spaces and a water park, to a woodland and a meadow,” said Park Board Chair Stuart Mackinnon.
In addition to the park, the redevelopment plan by QuadReal Property Group and Westbank Corporation will transform Oakridge Centre through the addition of 10 towers and three mid-rise buildings with commercial, office, and residential uses, including market and social housing. The plan calls for more than 2,600 residential units. Of those, 290 will be market rental and another 290 will be social housing.

A new civic centre, including a Park Board community centre will be provided by the developer at no cost to the City. The community centre will be co-located with a library and daycare, and will include a fitness centre, seniors centre with kitchen, youth centre and spaces for arts and culture.

More Information

• Park Board. Staff Report – Oakridge Centre Redevelopment – New Park Concept (July 10, 2018)
• VPSN. Oakridge Centre Redevelopment – Some Thoughts on the Proposed Public Space. February 2014

Update: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the park design to Henriquez Architects. We apologize for the error!

The solstice has arrived! The days, once darkened, will now be getting brighter again.

We’d for us to take this opportunity to wish you the very best of the season. With new parks and plazas coming online, and a renewed interest in animating and stewarding our urban spaces, it’s been an exciting year for public life in Vancouver. We’re looking forward to more good stuff in the year ahead.

In the meantime, we hope you have a chance to enjoy the brightly lit streets and exciting events taking place over the next few weeks, connect with friends and family, and enjoy the city during this special time of year.

Stay warm out there!

- The VPSN crew

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Public Space Aficionado

For those of you who are still struggling to find a gift for that special someone, we present our annual effort to resolve late-in-the-game gift-giving anxiety. There are lots of quick things you can do for your urbanist friends and family, so be sure to check out the 20+ ideas contained in our blog post. Peace of mind is just a few clicks away!

:: Read More – Last Minute Gift Ideas

Winteraction – January 27, 2017 (Funding Available)

Our friends at Frida + Frank are pulling together an excellent event for late-January, which aims to animate public space at this colder, rainier time of the year. On Saturday, January 27 they are inviting local placemakers to create an intervention and get outside and embrace the rain. Interventions can be as simple as splashing in the puddles, or as wild as creating a rain activated art-piece. The intent of this day-long celebration is to spark discussion on how we can positively change the way we view winter.

You can join the Winteraction Facebook page to gather and share ideas. There’s also some funding available! Frida &frank is looking to provide selected projects with up to $250 to create winter activations in public space. Applications are due January 4 at noon.

:: Read the full Overview and Call for Proposals
:: For more information – email frida.and.frank@gmail.com
:: Apply for funding

Oakridge Centre – Initial Park Design Concepts (Deadline for Comments – January 2)

The Vancouver Park Board is planning a new park as part of the redevelopment at Oakridge Centre. It presents an interesting design challenge. The nine acre public park will be the first of its kind in Vancouver, located partially on the roof top of the mall and partially at ground level. One of the challenges that we and others noted back in 2014, is that the differentiation in levels may pose issues in terms of the overall access to, and utilization of the park. How might the design of the park account for these considerations? Some initial concepts have been developed and shared via open houses in early December. There’s also a survey online until January 2.

:: View the Design Concepts and Open House Boards (December 2017)
:: Share your thoughts via the Oakridge Centre Park Concepts – Survey

South False Creek Workshops (various dates)

The City of Vancouver is creating a new plan for the False Creek South area – a neighbourhood that stretches from the Burrard Bridge to Cambie Bridge. As part of this, they have created workshops devoted to different planning themes. Registration for the 2018 False Creek South workshop series is now open.

• Public Realm & Open Space, Wednesday, January 10 (5 – 8 pm)
• Transportation, Wednesday, January 24 (5 – 8 pm)
• Housing, Saturday, January 13 (9:30 am – 12:30 pm)
• Character & Urban Design, Saturday, February 3 (3:30 – 6:30 pm)

Sign up for public workshops and help the City and community create a renewed vision for False Creek South!

:: Register for a workshop – online here or by calling 604-829-2015.
:: Read more on the False Creek South Planning Program

Improving Democratic Space – Speaking at City Council (Deadline: January 31, 2018)

Good news! The City is looking for ways to improve the experience of speaking at council! The following is excerpted from their media release.

“Have you ever spoken at a City of Vancouver council meeting? Or did you want to but were put off by the process? If so, the City wants to hear from you.

As part of a comprehensive review of the Procedure By-law, City staff are engaging with the public, staff and Council to make it simpler and more efficient for everyone who speaks at City Council meetings.” In particular, they want to identify

• Challenges and barriers to accessing and speaking to Council
• Opportunities to improve public access and experience when speaking to Council
• The role of speakers in the decision making process
• Language and accessibility needs of the public
• Public and Council member conduct at meetings

The public survey is available until January 31, 2018 and focus group sessions will be held in early 2018 to further explore the challenges, barriers and opportunities to accessing and speaking at Council meetings.

:: Share your thoughts – Take the survey

Places for People – Wintertime Study (February 1 and February 3, 2018)

Interested in studying public life in the wintertime? The follow-up Downtown Public Space and Public Life Study has been scheduled for February 1 and 3, 2018. If you would like to volunteer, you can sign up for your shifts via Eventbrite.

The study is being conducted by Gehl Architects on behalf of the City of Vancouver to better understand how people use and spend time in Downtown Vancouver. The winter phase of the PSPL study will span forty different public spaces across the downtown.

Volunteer survey shifts are on February 1 and February 3, 2018. Shifts will be four hours long and will be anytime from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm. There is a required training session on Wednesday, January 31, 6:00-8:00 pm. (Location TBD).

:: Register to Volunteer via Eventbrite
:: Facebook Event Page

Volunteer Opportunities – Orientation

Put those resolutions into action! The VPSN is an all-volunteer, non-partisan organization that works to celebrated Vancouver’s public spaces. Our key activities include placemaking, research, and advocacy. If you’ve got some time to spare and want to lend a hand with the VPSN, why not drop by our next volunteer orientation meeting to learn more. It takes place January 15, 2018. Location TBD.

:: For more information, or to register – volunteer@vancouverpublicspace.ca