Water Street Pedestrian Zone

This summer, the Water Street Pedestrian Zone took place on Sundays from noon to 8pm between July 5 and September 6, 2026, in collaboration with the Gastown Business Improvement Society (GBIS) .

The decision for the 2026 pedestrian zone followed strong support from summer 2025 surveys, with 84% of public respondents and 81% of business respondents indicating they wanted the Sunday pedestrian zone to return. Programming was led by the GBIS with our support.

What's happeningGastown Public Spaces Plan approved

On April 22, 2026, Council approved the Gastown Public Spaces Plan (42.5 MB), a holistic vision and framework to guide future investment and renewal of Gastown’s streets and public spaces. Learn more about the Gastown Public Spaces Plan

2026 Water Street pedestrian maps
2025 Gastown Summer Pilot overview
Summer 2025 pilot maps
Weekly Sunday Water Street Pedestrian Zone

This summer’s car-free pedestrian zone was:
- On Sundays only, from 10am to 6pm (June 15 to August 31)
- On Water Street, from Richards Street to Columbia Street
Review details about Sunday vehicle access and traffic changes

Working with the Gastown Business Improvement Society

We worked with the Gastown Business Improvement Society (GBIS) and local organizations to create a welcoming, pedestrian-first experience every Sunday on Water Street.

Weekly programming and events

Each Sunday featured different types of programming to test how the pedestrian zone works with varying levels of activity—from large city-wide events to smaller community-focused days.

Gastown Sunday Set

Alongside community-led events, GBIS hosted the Gastown Sunday Set, a rotating series of free events every Sunday. Learn more about the event series

Improved neighbourhood access from 2-way Cordova

From June to September, temporary changes were in place to reduce traffic on Water Street and improve overall access for people living, working, and visiting the area.

Two-way traffic on Cordova Street

Cordova Street was temporarily converted to a 2-way street between Gore Avenue and Richards Street, with a new westbound lane.

Powell Street adjustments

Through-vehicle lanes were reduced on Powell Street at Gore Avenue, Main Street, and Columbia Street. Left-turn lanes were added to encourage commuter traffic onto Cordova Street while allowing local traffic to access Water Street.

Rush hour curb lane

The southside curb lane on Cordova Street (between Main Street and Richards Street) operated as a vehicle travel lane from 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday.

Download Traffic Circulation Map (1 MB)

Water Street public space enhancements

All summer long, seating, expanded patios, and plantings were installed at key locations to be enjoyed during the week and on car-free Pedestrian Zone Sundays.

Summer features along Water Street
- New and expanded summer patios for local businesses and their patrons
- A mix of seating options
- Wider sidewalks in some locations to create more space for pedestrians
- Placemaking elements at the east and west entrances, Maple Tree Square, and key points along Water Street
- Storytelling and cultural elements from Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations
- Open Streets permitting for shared market stalls, merchandise displays with point of sale, and live music adjacent to patios
- An eastbound painted bicycle lane from Richards Street to Alexander Street, with a westbound shared lane