Gastown: From Pilot to Possibility

Gastown. It’s a name that evokes Vancouver’s historic beginnings, cobblestones, steam clocks, heritage façades, and a blend of locals, tourists, artisans, and shop-owners. But beneath all that charm lies a neighbourhood in flux, asking for more walkable space, more life on the street, more opportunities for connection. Enter the Gastown Public Spaces Plan, City of Vancouver’s bold push to make these desires real, not just in ideas, but in physical interventions.

This past summer, the Gastown Summer Pilot temporarily transformed Water Street to test out opportunities for the Public Space Plan design work and further permanent work for Gastown, including paving, planting and site furnishings. At the heart of the Summer Pilot are newly installed timber seating, planters, a gateway feature, Indigenous art, street activation and a collaborative vision.

The Gastown Public Spaces Plan was conceived to reimagine and transform Gastown’s streets into more accessible places while preserving the area’s heritage character and supporting local businesses and residents. This design is a collaborative effort between Gastown Business Improvement Society (GBIS), City of Vancouver, Hapa Collaborative and Urban Form Associates.

Landscape designer Joe Fry of Hapa Collaborative explains: “The goal was to reimagine and transform Gastown’s streets and public spaces into more people-focused, accessible, and vibrant places while preserving the area’s unique heritage character and supporting local businesses and residents.”

By focusing on Water Street, the city responded to long-standing calls for improved pedestrian and multi-modal access at the neighbourhood’s core. As Joe puts it, this project was about testing “how streets like Water Street can function beyond just vehicle corridors,” and setting a precedent for how other neighbourhoods might evolve in the future.

“Planters and planting design played a key role in shaping the experience along Water Street, Maple Tree Square, and Powell Street,” Joe explains. They helped define space and enhance visual identity by introducing colour, softening the hard urban fabric, and creating seasonal interest. Beyond aesthetics, the planters served as buffer zones—encouraging pedestrians to move beyond their usual comfort zones and engage more fully with the shared street environment—and they created protected space between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles across these corridors.

Because the project was designed to be flexible, the modular planters provide an easy and flexible way to reconfigure space for pedestrians, bikes, cars and for car-free events. They could be shifted to accommodate programming and events, from everyday patio dining to large-scale moments, including Grand Prix weekend. At that scale, moving them was challenging, but the adaptability proved its value.

Another layer came through the integration of Indigenous art wraps, an outcome of collaboration between the City of Vancouver and Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and artists from the respective local Nations. Their presence grounds the streetscape in cultural context, reflecting the living history of the land and inviting visitors to engage with place-based storytelling. The artwork is meant to demonstrate opportunities for future integration of cultural expression that will continue through consultation with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh throughout the Public Space Plan.

Working within a historic neighbourhood like Gastown required careful consideration of its unique character. Visual cues, like curb drops, typically help define spaces and guide both pedestrian and vehicle movement. Altering these established zones to create functional pedestrian areas, while still accommodating loading, parking, and vehicle circulation, presented a complex design problem. Additionally, ensuring a safe and comfortable experience for cyclists within this shared space added another layer of complexity to the overall approach.

At Water and Cordova, a gateway feature was introduced as a vertical marker. Its purpose: to create a sense of arrival and invite people into Gastown as they step out from Waterfront Station. Placement and scale were carefully considered to respect heritage sightlines, creating a prominent visual landmark intended to attract visitors into Gastown as they exit Waterfront Station.

For Green Theory, the project centred on manufacturing and delivering the planters and the gateway tower that anchored the new streetscape.

The planters were engineered for modular flexibility, allowing different configurations to suit specific corners, patios, or event uses. Standard aluminum sheet dimensions guided fabrication to minimize waste and ensure durability. Larger installations were created by combining modules, and the Indigenous art wraps were applied seamlessly across surfaces for a cohesive look.

Colour was another consideration. Green Theory worked closely with the design team to source unique powder-coating finishes that aligned with the project palette and visual identity.

Joe reflects: “Green Theory was highly supportive and responsive throughout both the design process and construction phase. The team went the extra mile to source unique powder coating colours that aligned with the project requirements. They were actively engaged on-site, working closely with the construction team and making every effort to meet the project’s tight timelines.”

The success of the planters also highlighted the potential of modular systems in future projects. Their ability to be reconfigured, scaled up, and integrated with other elements like seating or art makes them an effective tool for shaping adaptable public spaces in Vancouver and beyond.

Early feedback has been positive. Pedestrians have seen the street transform into a vibrant city zone. “We hope that these changes encourage both locals and visitors to experience Gastown as a more welcoming, walkable, and vibrant destination,” Joe says. The integration of greenery and art has made the space feel more layered, and the new layout has given people more room to linger and connect.

This pilot is just the beginning. Data and feedback from the summer will inform how the Gastown Public Spaces Plan evolves in its next phases. Priorities already identified include more comfortable and permanent seating, accessibility standards for the physically and visually impaired, resilient outdoor dining and patios, better lighting, and higher-quality materials.

For Joe, the lessons extend beyond Gastown: “Hopefully this will help demonstrate the value of enhancements of public streets that address pedestrian comfort and safety, and the value of investment in public life in our cities.”

For Green Theory, the project is proof of how modular planter systems and custom urban furniture can act as catalysts for change, tools for shaping adaptable public spaces that grow with community needs. It's showing how much a street can shift when design prioritizes people first. It’s a reminder that the public realm isn’t static: it can be flexible, experimental, and deeply rooted in cultural context.