Revitalizing the Vancouver Viaducts: Recommendations for Implementing Parks and Public Space Beneath the Georgia and Dunsmuir Street Viaducts in Vancouver, British Columbia

Abstract

The City of Vancouver has created guiding principles in attempts to create more park amenities and public space beneath the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts. In response to this, this report aims to evaluate two similar case studies within North America and identify successful aspects of their design and make recommendations that could potentially be incorporated into the Vancouver study site. The City of Vancouver is seeking to fill the intended space with a vibrant entertainment district that would combine both residential and commercial opportunities with increased parks and public spaces. The two case studies analyzed were the Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York and the West Don Lands in Toronto. The Brooklyn Bridge Park and West Don Lands provided excellent examples of design features that help create successful parks and public spaces. From environmentally friendly design to preservation of culture and heritage, these case studies helped this report identify successful design features that create parks and public spaces, which consistently attract a wide array of visitors. These case studies guided recommendations made in this report for the City of Vancouver to use in its future design plans for the proposed study area.