With spring here, Vancouver residents have emerged from hibernation or descended from snowy mountain peaks to rediscover their city. Cherry blossoms, which did a remarkably good job at withstanding the elements, were the first major public space attraction for many. Yet soon, warm weather and sunny skies will draw Vancouverites to any number of the many beaches that grace our shoreline. It may be their (somewhat) natural context, the hedonistic activities that they are known for or their location along the city’s urban periphery, but Vancouver’s beaches are often under-recognized as important public spaces.

These beaches are hardly the only much-loved public spaces that are overlooked, however. Inspired by warmer weather and as a salute to Vancouver’s beaches, let’s tip our hats to five unusual, overlooked or (once) illegal public spaces from around the world:

Islands Brygge Harbour Bath: In Copenhagen, residents and visitors can cool off with a dip in a public swimming pool in the city’s harbour. While the area was formerly for heavy industry, the water (tested daily) is now clean enough to swim in: a testament to Copenhagen’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

At the Islands Brygge Harbour Bath, Copenhagen. Photo: webjay under Creative Commons 

Urban rock climbing in Stockholm: Not all public spaces are horizontal! Along the Danvikstull Canal in central Stockholm, climbers have free access to a 25-metre rock wall. It might not be the most accessible public space, but it’s certainly well used. Don’t look down!

Burnside Skate Park in Portland: In 1990, tired of rain and security guards shutting down their sessions, a group of skateboarders built a small, unsanctioned skate park under Burnside Bridge. Twenty-five years later, the space is legendary in the skate community and a template for skate parks under bridges in cities around the world.

Skateboarding under the Burnside Bridge, Portland. Photo: straightedge217 under Creative Commons

The Gum Wall: An “installation” that activates a space, Seattle’s Gum Wall is located in an alley near the famous Pike Place Market. It was cleaned in 2015, but visitors quickly began re-establishing the famous wall.

Gum Wall, Pike Place, Seattle. Photo: Caleb Phillips under Creative Commons

Eisbach River surfing: In Munich, surfers can catch a natural wave without ever leaving the city. A practice once illegal but fiercely protected by local surfers, surfing on the river is now sanctioned by the city. Beginners beware, though: while it may be open, it definitely isn’t easy!

There are many more unusual and well-loved public spaces out there. What are yours?

Top photo: Surfers on the artificial river Eisbach in Englischer Garten in Munich. Photo: Patrick Stahl under Creative Commons

All photos under Creative Commons license

Many North American Cities are struggling from age of automobile-planning hangovers. One of the most challenging symptoms of this affliction are the highways, freeways and train tracks built at the waters edge. Originally constructed in these locations to facilitate the movement of goods or afford a desirable view while users were car commuting, the usage of waterfronts has drastically changed in the last fifty or so years; now the movement of people to the waterfront is a more desirable use for socializing, active recreation and tourism. The question for city builders has become how do we move pedestrians and cyclists there? How do we make this a desirable experience despite the multi-lanes of vehicle traffic? Single lane utilitarian pedestrian bridges are often the leading (and cheapest) solution but miss an opportunity for creating a truly unique and inviting urban experience leading to the waters edge. Seattle took an alternate route.

Seattle is often known as one of the world leaders in sustainability through initiatives such as local grass roots activism. This is also reflected in the many cyclists throughout the city, bike lanes, bike share programs (as well as pick-up and drop-off helmet program), various bioswales, and numerous community gardens. One of these community gardens is called the Belltown P-Patch Community Garden. A P-Patch, a term specific to Seattle, is a parcel of property used for gardening (otherwise known as pea-patch). The P-Patch program started decades ago and has gained much momentum by inspiring a local movement of urban agriculture.

Today, Seattle has over 80 community gardens with thousands of volunteers actively involved. The land that Belltown P-Patch sits on today was purchased by the City of Seattle in 1993 and transformed into a community garden. Today the community garden is surrounded by residential buildings, high-rises, and a close walk to the City centre. This community garden is quite artsy, with many local artist enhancing the space through mosaic walls, stone paths, decorative railings and garden decorations. The three remaining cottages in the community garden are also used for meeting and educational rooms. It is a joy to wander through this garden, and experience the artistic taste of local artists, and the various vegetation and flowers planted here by the Belltown neighbourhood.

Evidently, Seattle is learning from other communities and cities about adapting themselves to increasing population densities by creating more greenspaces, rooftop gardening, and natural drainage system. More and more people are creating impromptu community gardens, a focal point for community engagement, ecological thinking through public education, and sustainable agriculture.