More parklets, curb-side patios planned for some Vancouver streets
Posted June 30, 2018 7:57 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Parklets — tiny parks — and small sidewalk adjacent patios have started popping up in Downtown Vancouver, all with the blessing of the city.
To paint a picture, these are essentially patios that are built over a few parking spaces, usually right next to restaurants.
The move first began as an idea from a former Vancouver mayor — Sam Sullivan.
“He envisioned a Montreal-styled city,” Ian Tostenson with the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association explains. “It creates an ambiance in the city. And it creates business opportunities for those restaurants that can’t put a patio on.”
He says patios can be pretty good for small businesses.
“Patios are really important. Patios probably increase the revenue on a sunny day for a restaurant by about 30 per cent.”
However, while Tostenson applauds the addition of these new seating areas, he admits there are some challenges.
“… Always in British Columbia, there’s a lot of red tape and regulation. Sometimes it takes so long to get the approvals that the summer’s gone.”
He says the parklets and patios are being rolled out strategically, so don’t expect Robson and Davie streets to be lined with them.
