Boulevard gardening guidelines
Boost the character of your neighbourhoods and build up Vancouver's green space by beautifying boulevards (between the road and sidewalk), traffic circles, and street-corner bulges.
Our guidelines help you choose plants, consider food gardens, select ornaments and structures, and keep sidewalks and utilities clear.
Plants
Choose plants that flourish:
- In all seasons
- Without pesticides
- Under 60 cm tall where visibility is a concern (like in traffic circles, in corner bulges, and near curbs, intersections, driveways, and sidewalk edges) or under 1 m tall where it isn't a concern
Food gardens
Before planting a food garden on your boulevard, consider:
- The quality of soil and quantity of watering needed
- How to make the boulevard look good in all seasons
- The potential impact of neighbours and their pets
Ornaments and structures
Temporary structures and ornaments like raised garden beds or planters are allowed if they:
- Meet our clearance and measurement standards outlined in the Boulevard Gardening Guidelines (see below)
- Can be easily moved
- Don't interfere with access to sidewalks or visibility
Sidewalks and utility clearance
To make sure sidewalks and utilities are accessible:
- Maintain a clear path to sidewalks (if there are none, leave enough space so people walking don't have to go on the street)
- Give people enough room to access their parked vehicles
- Confirm where underground utilities are located, and avoid interfering with utilities
- Maintain a clearance of 1.5 m around fire hydrants, utility poles, and permanent structures so they are visible to first responders and utility workers
