Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
false

They don't call it the most livable city in the world for nothing. Even the alleyways in Vancouver are community gathering places. That's because about ten years ago, the city of Vancouver launched an initiative aimed at converting garbage strewn alleys into "livable laneways."

false

The results, well, they sort of speak for themselves, says Jillian Glover at Spacing Canada:

According to resident Mike Klassen, whose home backs one of these country lanes, it has brought together his east side community. Neighbours are expected to maintain the space.

“It’s not a place where people feel they can dump their old couches and garbage,” he says in the National Post. “It became a gathering place for many of us over the summers. We’ve held barbecues there.”

Imagine if today’s alleyways all looked like this, backed by increasingly popular laneway homes and garages converted to artist’s studios or wo/man caves ;), with children meeting from around the neighbourhood to play.

In one of the world’s most expensive cities where space is at a premium, alleys serving as country lanes would be a much more effective use of space than the current single-purpose, service lane for garbage trucks and cars.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Green Lane Project says Memphis hopes to use cycling to connect low-income residents to jobs. Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space attempts to define the key ingredients of an inclusive city. And Mobilizing the Region reports that Connecticut plans to spend the equivalent of its entire annual federal transportation allocation expanding three miles of a single highway.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

New Camera Tech Hopes to Stop Drivers From Close-Passing Cyclists

If only policymakers could fully experience the pervasive problem of drivers passing too closely to cyclists perhaps they'd find a way to stop the deadly practice and get victims justice.

December 11, 2024

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Staying Put

Cities like Atlanta, Denver and Minneapolis provide blueprints for how transit can improve neighborhoods without pushing people out.

December 11, 2024

Do Tuesday’s Headlines Live in a 15-Minute City?

Find out how long it takes to walk to stores, restaurants and transit stops in your neighborhood with this Washington Post widget.

December 10, 2024

‘Trojan Horse’: NYC’s E-Bike Licensing Bill Would Fuel Anti-Immigrant Policing

Council members fail to address the e-bike registration bill's potential harmful outcomes.

December 10, 2024

Even at Slower Speeds, SUVs and Pickups are a ‘Big’ Problem for Pedestrians

Pedestrians hit by median-height cars have a 60 percent chance of suffering moderate injuries, but that figure rises to 83 percent when they are struck by a median-height pickup truck at that same speed.

December 10, 2024
See all posts