TEAM on parks: halt Stanley Park logging, more parks in the east and 1.1 ha per 1000
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would halt logging in Stanley Park until an independent review is done, make temporary parks permanent, aim for 1.1 hectares of park per 1000 people, add parks on the east side, and plant and protect more trees on streets and city land.
PARK BOARD
Parks, Trees and Green Space: what the Our Positions says
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver wants the park system to grow with the city. The party says the Park Board should keep to a ratio of 1.1 hectares of parkland for every 1000 people, a target it says matches earlier City and Park Board policy, and should add green space where density is rising and on the east side, which it says has long had less. Temporary parks and spaces that already work as parks would become permanent parks.
Stanley Park gets its own promise. TEAM would halt the current logging there until a full scientific review and independent risk assessments are done, keep written records of each tree inspection, and allow only trees judged to be in immediate danger of falling by a provincially certified tree risk assessor to be cut.
Other items cover upkeep and trees across the city. TEAM would put garden and lawn care first, plant more trees on city land and street boulevards with the goal of healthy tree cover on every boulevard, and enforce upkeep bylaws on vacant lots and building sites. It would protect heritage buildings in parks, plan for climate change on beaches and seawalls, and improve bike access to parks without paving lawns or gardens. The party also supports gardens and urban farming, which this site lists in its safety chapter.
Park land, park trees and park maintenance are run by the Park Board. Street boulevards and private property bylaws are city matters, and park access for bikes needs the City's engineering staff, so several items need Council too.
THE PARTY'S NUMBERS
Figures in this chapter
Parkland per 1000 people that TEAM would aim for, which it says matches previous City and Park Board policy
The party's figure11 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
1.1 hectares of park per 1000 people
TEAM would protect and expand the parks and recreation system for current and future generations to serve projected growth, consistent with what it says were previous City and Park Board policies of 1.1 hectares of parks per 1000 people. Its pages say the Park Board would need its own planning, operations, equipment and maintenance resources to do this.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board plans and acquires park land, though Council approves the capital plan that pays for it.
Make temporary and de facto parks permanent
The party would designate existing temporary and de facto parks as permanent parks to protect them for generations to come.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board manages park sites and would lead any change in their status.
Halt logging in Stanley Park pending review
TEAM would halt the current logging in Stanley Park until a full scientific review and independent risk assessments are done, keep written records including documented tree inspections that consider ecological, wildlife and recreational values, and allow only trees judged imminently dangerous by a provincially certified tree risk assessor to be cut.
- Who has the power
- Park Board Stanley Park is managed by the Park Board.
More parks where density grows and on the east side
The party would add green spaces, recreation facilities and parks to address rising density and existing shortages, especially on the east side of the city, which it says has been historically underserved.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board plans new parks and facilities, with funding approved by Council.
Bike access to parks without paving green space
TEAM would keep parks green by working with the City's Engineering department to improve bike access to parks and beaches without paving over existing lawns and gardens.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The Park Board controls park land, while the streets that lead to parks are designed by City Engineering.
Better upkeep of gardens and lawns
The party would improve green space management by prioritizing the maintenance of gardens, cutting lawns, and keeping them clean and safe.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board maintains park gardens and lawns.
Enforce upkeep bylaws on vacant lots and boulevards
TEAM would enforce maintenance bylaws on vacant or under-construction private property and on boulevards, to make sure lawns are trimmed and litter is picked up.
- Who has the power
- City Council Property maintenance bylaws are city bylaws enforced by city staff.
Plant and care for the urban forest on city land
The party would increase planting and maintenance of the urban forest on city-owned land, including street boulevards, and plant new trees to support a healthy tree canopy.
- Who has the power
- City, with others This covers city-owned land outside parks, so it needs Council's support as well as the Park Board's.
Protect mature street trees and plant where there are few
TEAM would improve street tree management to protect existing mature trees and add new trees where they are lacking, with the goal of healthy tree cover on all city boulevards.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Boulevards are city land, so this needs Council's support as well as the Park Board's.
Keep and upgrade heritage park facilities
The party would retain, protect and upgrade heritage facilities within the parks and recreation system.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board maintains the facilities in its parks.
Plan for climate change in parks, beaches and seawalls
TEAM would assess and plan for the effect of climate change on the parks and recreation system, including beaches and seawalls, and protect and expand the tree canopy across the city to provide shade and support urban wildlife and ecology.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board runs beaches, seawalls in parks and park trees.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about parks, trees and green space
What would TEAM for a Livable Vancouver do about logging in Stanley Park?
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would halt the current logging in Stanley Park until a full scientific review and independent risk assessments are done, and allow only trees judged imminently dangerous by a provincially certified tree risk assessor to be cut (TEAM Parks and Recreation page).
How much parkland does TEAM want for Vancouver?
TEAM says it would plan the park system for growth at a ratio of 1.1 hectares of parks per 1000 people, which it says matches previous City and Park Board policy (TEAM Parks and Recreation page).
Would TEAM add parks on Vancouver's east side?
Yes. TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would add green spaces, recreation facilities and parks, especially on the east side of the city, which it says has been historically underserved (TEAM Parks and Recreation page).
What does TEAM plan for street trees in Vancouver?
TEAM says it would protect mature street trees, plant new ones where there are few, and increase planting and care of the urban forest on city land, with the goal that all city boulevards have healthy tree cover (TEAM Parks and Recreation page).
Would TEAM make temporary parks permanent?
Yes. TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says it would designate existing temporary and de facto parks as permanent parks so they last for generations to come (TEAM Parks and Recreation page).
Can the Park Board protect Stanley Park on its own?
The Park Board manages Stanley Park and controls its trees and maintenance, so commissioners could act on TEAM's logging promise. TEAM would also ask the City to acknowledge the board's exclusive authority over the park (TEAM Parks and Recreation page).
ON THE BALLOT
The TEAM for a Livable Vancouver candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- TEAM parks and recreation, learn more SAYS SO ITSELFTEAM for a Livable Vancouver · checked