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Streets and transportation
Arbutus Greenway: character zones
By City of Vancouver
View sketches of each character zone
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Zone 1
By City of Vancouver
Community gardens are a big part of the experience in this zone, while local parks provide a place a place to pause, relax, and play.
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Zone 2
By City of Vancouver
Named after the distinctive interurban power poles in this area, zone 2 provides a series of garden rooms for seating, public art, and native planting.
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Zone 3
By City of Vancouver
This area is defined by landscaped nooks for people to sit, relax, and enjoy the views to English Bay and the mountains.
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Zone 4
By City of Vancouver
The design for this zone adds more landscaping to the existing tree canopy to create a Pacific Northwest forest-like experience. Lookout points celebrate views of the North Shore mountains.
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Zone 5
By City of Vancouver
are a variety of seating area and informal landscaped areas.are a variety of seating area and informal landscaped areas.
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Zone 6
By City of Vancouver
This zone celebrates the existing Victory Gardens on the eastside of the greenway, using wildflowers and native plantings to enhance biodiversity.
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Zone 7
By City of Vancouver
Zone 7 features a variety of recreational opportunities, such as giant chess, ping pong, and bocce, and includes a small community gathering area at West 60th Ave.
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Zone 8
By City of Vancouver
A fully-accessible lookout tower with views to the Fraser River Delta and Vancouver Internation Airport is the major feature in this zone.
The Arbutus Greenway will be a defining element of Vancouver’s urban landscape as a vibrant and beautiful public space for walking, cycling, and streetcar.
The Arbutus Greenway is a future, north-south transportation corridor that will connect people, parks, and places from False Creek to the Fraser River.
It will reimagine a historic rail corridor and will provide a high-quality, accessible public space for walking, cycling, and rolling. It will be a destination that fosters both movement and rich social interaction – inspired by nature and the stories of the places it connects.
We have built a temporary path while we plan and design the future Arbutus Greenway. Come enjoy the space and explore the corridor!
What's happening
Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan amendments
We have determined that the area between West 1st Ave and West 5th Ave 
is not required for future greenway purposes. Therefore, we are recommending:
- Removing these lands from the Arbutus Corridor Official Development Plan (ODP)
(2.3 MB) - Amending the Regional Context Statement Official Development Plan Bylaw to reflect the proposed change to allow non-transportation uses
The proposed changes are supported by the Arbutus Greenway Design Vision (28 MB), which shows proposed greenway extension routes to False Creek and Granville Island. The Design Vision was approved by Council on July 11, 2018.
The changes are also supported by the Arbutus Greenway purchase agreement (5.6 MB). In this agreement, the above-noted extensions are referred to as the “Option Lands.” If these lands are rezoned, Canadian Pacific Rail has the option to repurchase these lands from the City of Vancouver.
Amending these bylaws will not change the current zoning.
Read the July 24, 2018 Policy Report (1 MB).
Sign-up to speak
A public hearing is scheduled in September. Request to speak at the meeting starting at 8:30am, Friday, August 24, 2018.
For questions about the proposed ODP amendments, email beverley.white@vancouver.ca.
Implementation Strategy
The greenway will be constructed in phases to accommodate funding strategies and changing circumstances. The implementation strategy (1.5 MB) guides the phased construction. Subject to funding, the first phase of construction (2019-2022) could include:
- Construction of a new southern extension to Hudson St Park on the Fraser River
- Construction of a northern extension to False Creek and the seawall via Pine St and West 1st Ave
- Detailed design and construction of Zone 3, from West 16th Ave to King Edward Ave
- Detailed design and construction of Zone 8, from Southwest Marine Dr to Milton St
- Short-term spot improvements to enhance safety and comfort
- Collaboration between City and Park Board staff on greenway integration with parks
Construction could begin in 2019, subject to availability of funding.
Get involved
Learn more about opportunities for public consultation.
Explore the Greenway
Explore the greenway and discover parks, neighbourhoods, and scenic views.
Find documents
Find related documents and background information.
Watch videos of the Greenway
Our YouTube playlist featuring the Design Jam, travel tips, and more.
