Arbutus Greenway

Opportunity

In 2016, the City of Vancouver purchased a 5-mile (9-kilometer) stretch of disused freight and passenger rail corridor.

As part of a 15-year project to create a multimodal greenway, the rails were removed and a temporary path for walking, cycling, and rolling was installed so residents could explore the route and consider its future potential.

Solution

Our team of engineers, planners, architects, landscape experts, designers, artists, and specialists examined how the permanent pathway can best integrate with communities and places along the route, as well as different mobility options.

The Greenway is being developed in eight “character” zones and will feature inviting landscaping, plazas and gathering spaces, urban agriculture, public art, and indigenous design. The project also looks to the future and plans to introduce a streetcar along the Greenway, encouraging even more of Vancouver’s growing population to leave the car at home.

Families, people with disabilities, and urban aboriginal peoples were consulted widely, with measures taken to hear from every relevant demographic. Their input incorporated into the design concepts.

As a City of Reconciliation, Vancouver sought designs that would recognize the history and cultural diversity of the lands, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. An Indigenous architect was part of our team.

Outcome

The new Arbutus Greenway offers spaces for clean travel, gatherings, physical activity, and enjoying nature and scenic views. It connects neighborhoods, green spaces, and popular destinations such as schools, libraries, and community centers from False Creek in the north to the Fraser River in the south.

The Greenway improves access to green spaces, parks and community gardens, and encourages physical activity, such as walking and cycling, as well as being outdoors: all good for health and well-being.

Vancouver’s commitment to 50% of trips in the city being taken on foot, bicycle, or public transit underpins the Greenway. Community hubs such as Harvest Table, designed for people to come together over urban agriculture and food, are dotted along the route, supporting inclusive and sustainable neighborhoods.