Year 2017-2019 More here
As Vancouver’s population increases, the demands on its public realm have grown accordingly. To meet this shift, Gehl conducted the largest Public Space Public Life Study to date to inform and develop strategic directions for a people-first vision of the city’s public realm over the next 30 years. The plan was approved by City Council in 2020.
Gehl’s Public Space & Public Life Findings report and The Emerging Strategic Directions have been integrated into the City’s official Downtown Public Space Strategy.
Downtown Vancouver is lively and active, but the demands on its public realm are increasing with a growing population. In 2017, the City of Vancouver engaged Gehl to develop a framework for their ‘Places for People Downtown’ planning process. The aim was to create a downtown public space strategy to establish a complete people-first public realm vision that residents and visitors alike can enjoy. The strategy shapes Downtown Vancouver’s planning, ideas, and opportunities over the next 30 years, and is driven heavily by public participation and needs assessments.
To kick off the process, Gehl embarked on the largest Public Space Public
Life (PSPL) Study to date. The team trained 270 volunteers to conduct surveys across over 40 locations in the Downtown peninsula in the Summer of 2017 and the Winter of 2018. The studies consisted of both observational insights and intercept surveys
The Summer PSPL study revealed insights about how Vancouver is functioning well as a city for people, but also has potential to improve the quality of its public realm. The Winter PSPL Study revealed additional insights about the changes to public life that happen seasonally, and therefore, the importance of designing for a high quality public realm that can be enjoyed year-round.
Some of the most notable conclusions from the two studies include:
1. Vancouver is a walking city! The number of pedestrians per capita exceeds any other North American city, but the streets lack invitations for people to pause along the way.
2. A high quality public realm must adapt to the seasons. In the summer, Downtown is bustling with city life and many people choose to stop and stay in the public realm. In the winter, staying activity drops by 70%.
3. More free invitations. People are concerned about lack of affordability and want to see programming for all ages and abilities.
Based on the comprehensive PSPL study, the team developed a set of strategic recommendations to address not only the growth of the city, but also the challenges of climate change and sea level rise, changing demographics, new technologies, social isolation, homelessness, and prioritizing public spaces in an increasingly dense city. In 2018, Gehl presented the PSPL Findings and the subsequent ‘Emerging Strategic Directions’ to the client. These two deliverables were accompanied by a Public Life Data Collection Plan that outlines how to integrate public life data with spatial data to prioritize public life across city departments.
Following Gehl’s services, the City of Vancouver’s Places for People Downtown team continued to work towards a comprehensive plan, that included additional goals around health, equity and inclusion. In June 2020, the Vancouver City Council unanimously approved Places for People Downtown as a framework to guide present and future planning efforts across the Downtown peninsula, and to inform future strategic plans across the City of Vancouver in its entirety.
Foster a
vibrant Downtown public realm—all year, for all Lack of diversity in public space offerings, limited opportunities for everyday activities
has access to open space within a 10 minute walk...
not everyone has access to the types of open spaces they want
Not all residents are represented in the public realm and not everyone feels invited
Children, teens and older adults are especially under-represented when it comes to stopping and staying. Although children are present in parks that offer play facilities in a safe environment, shieldedin Downtown
