
- At 110 groups, Vancouver reported the most park groups and has the second highest rate of volunteers at about 22 per 1,000 people.
- Vancouver is one of 19% of cities with a standalone biodiversity strategy, one of two cities with a bird strategy, and one of 63% with a citywide park system master plan updated within the last 10 years.
- At 2 hectares of parkland per 1,000 people, Vancouver sits in line with other dense cities such as Montreal and Toronto.
- In 2019, Vancouver released the final report comprising VanPlay—the city’s park master plan that lays out a 25-year vision for parks that prioritizes equity, asset needs, and connectivity.
- The city is investing $4.5 million in upgrading 7 playgrounds, with a focus on risky play and social spaces for all ages.
- Vancouver has started construction on a new $13.8 million downtown park with an elevated walkway and cafe.
2
ha parkland per 1000 people
1262 ha total parkland
38%
of total parkland is natural area
482 total ha
11%
of total city land is parkland
11497 ha of total city area
38
Dog parks
36
Community gardens/urban farms
1.1
Parkland provision goal (ha per 1000 people)¹
21.6
volunteers per 1000 people
1400 total
110
community park groups
No
Policy to waive permit fees for groups with financial need?
Community grant program
$82
Parks operating budget per person
$52,800,000 total²
$143,700,000²
Total parks capital budget
$1,045,710
Total philanthropy/sponsorships
¹This is a citywide target. How this applies to neighbhourhoods and communities is determined using the Parks Asset Target in VanPlay. ²Increase from 2019 due to improvements in data reporting.
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