Arbutus Greenway Design Vision

Location: Vancouver, BC
Client: The City of Vancouver
Completion: 2018
Collaborators: BC Barrier Free Design

Hemmera

Lucent Quay

Maureen Smith Consulting

PBX Engineering

Urban Systems
DIALOG Services: Landscape Architecture

Planning & Urban Design

The Arbutus Greenway is a north-south transportation corridor that connects people, parks and places from False Creek to the Fraser River. The design envisions a vibrant and dynamic corridor for walking, wheeling, cycling, and a future streetcar line, that passes through eight distinct character zones. This project reimagines a historic rail corridor and provides a high-quality, accessible public space for walking, cycling, as well as space for a future streetcar route. It will be a destination that fosters both movement and rich social interaction – inspired by nature and the stories of the places it connects.

01/10

arbutus greenway design concept transit section vancouver carousel 01pdf — Intentional transformation In 2016, the City of Vancouver purchased the Arbutus Corridor from the Canadian Pacific Railway company.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 1 harvest table vancouver carousel 02 — The intent was to transform the narrow strip of land into a publicly accessible greenway.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 2 electric alley vancouver carousel 03 — The design concept de-industrializes the rail corridor by providing high-quality, accessible public space for walking and cycling, as well as planning for a future streetcar route.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 3 the vancouver carousel 04 — The Arbutus Greenway will be a journey, and also a destination.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 3 the ridge vancouver carousel 05 v2 — And provide opportunities to connect to larger city and community-building objectives, by strategically orienting public realm and transit infrastructure that ties the City together.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 4 woodland band vancouver carousel 06 — Its transformation stitches together a host of unique neighbourhoods, with pathways, social spaces for community gathering, edible landscapes and ‘wild’ natural spaces.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 5 kerrysdale pass vancouver carousel 07 — This multi-modal transportation route crosses Indigenous traditional travel routes creating an opportunity to represent a cultural journey through way-finding and public art.

arbutus greenway design concept vancouver carousel 08 — The greenway encourages movement along the corridor while providing magnetic spaces for rich social interactions and moments to pause and enjoy mountain views.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 7 marpole vancouver carousel 09 — And is connected from end to end with 8 zones that offer respite and are activated in ways that are specific to their immediate neighbourhood.

arbutus greenway design concept zone 8 lookout vancouver carousel 10 — Thereby highlighting the various neighbourhoods which it runs through.

Meet The Team

Esteban Matheus

Associate, Architect

See more team members

The Arbutus Greenway will be a destination which fosters both movement and rich social interaction - inspired by nature and the stories of the places it connects.

City of Vancouver Vision Statement