Access to Nature | Vancouver residents
enjoy incomparable access to green spaces,
including the world's most spectacular urban forest
2020 Target
Every person lives within a five-minute walk (300 metres) of a park, beach, greenway, or other natural space, and we have planted 150,000 additional trees.
Today
Vancouver has been inspired by the sighting of grey whales in False Creek and Coal Harbour, the first in many decades, and the resumption of spawning by herring, after years of absence, in formerly industrial False Creek.
A large majority (71 per cent) of Vancouver residents live within 300m of a park or beach — 85 per cent, counting schoolyards. Vancouver has more than 200 diverse parks, and an estimated 1 million trees.
Challenges
150,000 trees could require up to 200 acres of land. Finding suitable locations for these trees in parks, along streets, and on private property will require innovations and possibly changes to zoning.
Your Ideas
How can Vancouver provide incomparable access to green spaces? We can expand our Green Streets program, require developers to provide calming planted areas in new construction, and develop more bike-friendly, pedestrian-friendly greenways. How could your neighbourhood have more green and growing spaces?
More information on Access to Nature
Your images
Green the City is a visual database of images and ideas submitted by you as we journey towards our goal of becoming the World's Greenest City by 2020. See the access to nature images you submitted