Vancouver Greens on clean streets: faster litter pickup, more bins, more trees

SAFETY AND WELLBEING · PAGE 26

Clean and Green: what the Platform 2026 says

Street cleaning and greenery fill page 26 of the Green Party of Vancouver's 2026 platform. The party says a clean city is a safe and welcoming city, and that the work starts with small tasks: picking up litter and debris and fixing minor damage before it grows. All of the page's commitments concern city streets, sidewalks and neighbourhood spaces.

For daily cleaning, the Greens promise faster action on litter, illegal dumping, graffiti and overflowing bins. They would add garbage, recycling and cigarette bins where many people walk, and clean streets more often near business districts, transit hubs, parks and schools. Against illegal dumping, the party would enforce the rules more strictly, especially against people who dump again and again, and give residents better tools to report problem spots. It also says it would work with businesses and property owners to keep public spaces clean.

The last commitment is about plants. The party would plant more trees, fund neighbourhood greening, and support community gardens, spaces for bees and other pollinators, and local volunteer care of green spaces. Street cleaning and garbage collection are city services that Council funds in its yearly budget. Tree planting is different. Under the city's Street Tree By-law, the Vancouver Park Board, a separately elected body, plants and cares for the trees along city streets as well as in parks, so the greening promise would need the board's work.

4 COMMITMENTS

What the party says it would do

1. Commitment to our shared public spaces

   The Greens commit to cleaner streets and greener neighbourhoods. The party says it would deal with litter, debris and minor maintenance problems early, to make public spaces cleaner, safer and more welcoming.

   Who has the power

   City Council Council funds street cleaning and street maintenance in the city's yearly budget.

   Source

   Platform 2026, page 26

2. Clean streets

   The party promises faster response to litter, illegal dumping, graffiti and overflowing bins, more garbage, recycling and cigarette bins in high-traffic areas, and more street cleaning around business districts, transit hubs, parks and schools.

   Who has the power

   City Council Street cleaning and public garbage bins are city services paid from the budget Council approves.

   Source

   Platform 2026, page 26

3. Holding polluters accountable

   The Greens would enforce the rules against illegal dumping more strictly, with a focus on people who dump again and again, build better reporting tools to find and fix problem areas quickly, and work with businesses and property owners to keep public spaces clean.

   Who has the power

   City Council Council makes the city's bylaws on dumping and property upkeep, and city staff enforce them.

   Source

   Platform 2026, page 26

4. Green neighbourhoods

   The party would expand tree planting and neighbourhood greening projects, and support community gardens, spaces for pollinators such as bees, and local volunteer care of green spaces.

   Who has the power

   City, with others Under the city's Street Tree By-law, the separately elected Park Board plants and cares for street trees and park trees, while Council can fund greening on other city land.

   Source

   Platform 2026, page 26

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions about clean and green

ON THE BALLOT

The Green Party of Vancouver candidates behind this