VANCOUVER’S PARKLETS

1. Urban Pasture:

1000-block Robson Street

Wood decking has been placed in the equivalent of two on-street parking spots, including benches and planters, outside the door of Café Crêpe. The parklet has opened up pedestrian space in the area. The wooden structure is lined with an angular bench for sitting and the planter box separates it from the traffic lane beside it.

2. Hot Tubs:

East 44th at Fraser Street

The Hot Tubs Parklet in the South Hill neighbourhood at 44th and Fraser features hot tub-style patio seating. Originally a temporary addition to the street, it is considered an excellent new feature for the area because many believe the neighbourhood gets less public art and amenities than other areas of the city.

3. French Quarter:

East 21st at Main Street

The French Quarter Parklet in the heart of Mount Pleasant is nestled into a parking spot in front of the Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France. It is designed as a resting place, with a bike bar, planters, benches, art wall and tables with umbrellas. It opens to the sidewalk with low-lying planter walls on the traffic side so views won’t be blocked.

4. Commercial Drive:

East 4th and Commercial Dr.

Three tables and benches beckon visitors to the Commercial Drive parklet, a wood and steel outcropping that creates a separation from the automobile traffic. The design takes esthetic clues from the interiors of Prado Café and Commercial Drive’s streetscape, with the materials creating a connection to Prado and the planters emulating the shapes of buildings on the street.

5. Parallel Park:

East 14th at Main Street

The parklet outside JJ Bean at Main and East 14th is a deck-like structure that creates a pod of dense seating. It extends the use of the sidewalk and takes up two parking spots, providing a sanctuary from the road.