McBRIDE PARK: Project Background

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MCBRIDE PARK

PLAYGROUND RENEWALThe Vancouver Park Board is working to improve the user experience of McBride Park through three key initiatives:

• Renewal of the existing playground • The addition of a community garden • Converting Waterloo St. between W 4th and W 5th in to green space to unite both sides of the park.

Each of these elements are in support of goals in the City of Vancouver Greenest City 2020 Action Plan.

The creation of a new community garden supportsthe Greenest City Goal #10: Local Food, as well as #6: Access to Nature. Reducing the distance from farm to plate, also reduces our ecological footprint by cutting down on the use of fossil fuels. Community gardens also provide an opportunity for neighbours to work together, for gardening education, and increase access to a nutritional food source.

Goals

COMMUNITY GARDEN

PARK EXPANSION

Goals

Goals

Renewal of the existing playground, and the addition of natural play elements supports the Greenest City Goal #6: Access to Nature. Improving the city’s green spaces, makes people more likely to use them, which benefits their physical and emotional health. These spaces also contribute to our sense of community by creating places for recreation activities, for children to play and for neighbours to meet and socialize.

Closing this section of Waterloo St. to unite both sides of McBride Park supports the Greenest City Goal # 4 Green Transportation, as well as #6, Access to Nature. A path would be maintained to allow cyclists and pedestrians to move through the park, encouraging alternative modes of travel by creating a safer, and more inviting environment.

McBRIDE PARK: Playground Renewal

1. PLAYGROUND RENEWAL

SECTION

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Natural elements for play and informal seatingClimber and slide circuit

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Disc Swing

3 Grass mound with wildflowers4 Spinning net climber

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New Playground ConceptA new playground is coming to McBride Park soon! The play area will move slightly west, away from the field house to improve pedestrian movement. The playground will be nestled amongst existing trees and incorporate natural elements, such as boulders, logs and a grassy mound - all increasing seating and informal play opportunities. New play equipment will replace outdated existing structures with fun and challenging opportunities that are meant to appeal to a wider age range and ability.

Construction will begin this fall, and the new playground will be complete before the end of 2015!

BOB LILLY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

McBRIDE PARK: Community Garden

Native plant & berry patch

Natural materials

Individual and communal plots Seed saving and themed beds

collaborative gardening area

individual garden bedsnative plants &

berry patch

accessible gardening area

gathering space

Accessible pathways and beds

Communal spaces

Community Garden ConceptThe Vancouver Park Board wants to increase food assets as part of the Local Food Action Plan. The non-profit, Village Vancouver has developed a proposal for a new urban agriculture project at McBride Park. The 300 square metre garden will incorporate features and spaces aimed at creating social and ecological benefits to the neighbourhood. The initial concept includes the following features that will be further developed if the project is supported by the community and approved by the Park Board:

• Wheelchair-accessible garden beds and pathways• Communal gardening areas• Individual plots for garden members• Native plants and berry patch• Small shed for storage of tools• Inviting communal gathering area with seating for the public• Garden beds with various themes to support educational and art-based programming• Pollinator-friendly plantings

McBRIDE PARK: Waterloo St. Conversion to Park Land

Uniting McBride Park Currently the two sides of McBride Park are separated by Waterloo St. between W 4th Ave and W 5th Ave. This is an area of approximately 1,000 square metres of asphalt and gravel . It separates the east side of the park, where sports field are located from the west side of the park, where the playground, tennis courts and more passive lawn areas can be found. Mature maple trees line both sides of this section of Waterloo Street, creating shade and an inviting corridor.

The Park Board is exploring the opportunity to close this section of Waterloo Street to vehicular traffic and unite both sides of the park through conversion to green space. This initiative would increase McBride Park by approximately 1,000 square metres, improve pedestrian safety as people move between sections of the park, and increase the amount of vegetation in the park leading to greater capacity for storm water infiltration.

At this point, we are only asking for preliminary feedback to see if respondents are open to exploration of this opportunity. If we receive a positive response, traffic studies will be completed to assess impacts on the neighbourhood and further public consultation regarding the street closure and park expansion will take place.

Existing Park Condition

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Proposed Park Condition

3. Field House

1. Playground

2. Tennis

3. Field House

1. Playground

4. Baseball Diamond

2. Tennis

5. Proposed Community Gardens

6. Expanded Park Space with Active Transportation Corridor

6. Pedestrian Enhancements

4. Baseball Diamond

5. Existing Gravel Shoulder

3. Field House

1. Playground

2. Tennis

4. Baseball Diamond

5. Proposed Community Gardens

3. Field House

1. Playground

2. Tennis

3. Field House

1. Playground

4. Baseball Diamond

2. Tennis

5. Proposed Community Gardens

6. Expanded Park Space with Active Transportation Corridor

6. Pedestrian Enhancements

4. Baseball Diamond

5. Existing Gravel Shoulder

3. Field House

1. Playground

2. Tennis

4. Baseball Diamond

5. Proposed Community Gardens

Concept Image