plan.growrec~culture/park… · • in order to improve parks and expand the benefits to a wider...

LEES+AssociatesLandscape Architects and Plannersvictoria.ca/parks

What is a Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan?A shared vision for the City’s parks and open spaces which:

• Identifies key issues, opportunities, and constraints.

• Identifies community values, interests and needs.

• Provides strategic direction to the City over the next 25 years.

Why is the plan needed?• To ensure high quality, usable

parkland.

• To address changing demands.

• To create a shared vision for parks and open spaces.

• To focus efforts on aspects that reflect community values.

Plan.Grow.PlayInvesting in our parks and open spaces

BC LEGISLATUREBUILDINGS

GOVERNMENTHOUSE

HARRIET

BALF

OUR

WAS

HIN

GTO

N

GORGE

CECELIA

BURNSIDE

DO

UG

LAS

TOLMIE

FINLAYSON

QU

AD

RA

JACKSON

SUMMIT

JUTL

AND TOPAZ

HILLSIDE

SELKIRKARM

DO

MIN

ION

RAYNOR

CRAIGFLOWER

HER

EWA

RD

WILSON

ESQUIMALT

RUSS

ELL

CATH

ERIN

E

TYEE

HARBOUR

SONGHEES

KIMTA

WH

ARF

CHATHAM

GO

VERN

MEN

T

DO

UG

LAS

BAY

PANDORA

JOHNSON

BLAN

SHAR

D

ERIE BELLEVILLE

DALLAS

SIMCOE

MONTR

EAL

OSWEG

O

MEN

ZIES

QU

AD

RA

COO

K

DO

UG

LAS

ROCKLAND

FORT

RICHARDSON

YATES

BROOKE

ROCKLAND

LIN

DEN M

OSS

BUSH

BY

MAY

FAIRFIELD

DALLAS RD

HOLLYWOOD CR

ARN

OLD

FAIRFIELD

FOU

L BA

YKIPL

ING

RICH

MOND

GONZALES

TERR

ACE

OAK BAY

FOU

L BA

Y

RED

FERN

LEIGHTON

FERN

BEGBIE

FERN

WO

OD

FORT

GLADSTONE

RICH

MO

ND

BELM

ON

T

SHEL

BOU

RNE

BAY HAULTAIN

KINGS

RYAN

CEDAR

HILL

HILLSIDECOOK

CALEDONIA

KINGS

CED

AR H

ILL

COO

K NORTH DAIRY RD

DO

NCASTER

GOSW

ORTH

BLACKWO

OD

SUPERIOR

DO

UG

LAS

SELK

IRK

TRES

TLE

ROSS BAY

CLOVER PT

FINLAYSON PT

GONZALES HILL REGIONAL PARK (CRD)

SELKIRKWATER

UPPERHARBOUR

INNERHARBOURLAUREL PT

CAMEL PT

OGDEN PT

BEACON HILL PARK

TOPAZPARK

CRD RESERVOIR

ROSS BAYCEMETERY

MU

NIC

IPA

LITY

OF

OA

K BA

Y

MUNICIPALITYOF SAANICH

MUNICIPALITY OF SAANICH

MU

NIC

IPA

LITY

OF

ESQ

UIM

ALT

VICTORIAWEST

BURNSIDEHILLSIDE/QUADRA

OAKLANDS

FERNWOODNORTH

JUBILEE

SOUTHJUBILEE

ROCKLAND

GONZALESFAIRFIELDJAMES BAY

HARRISGREEN

DOWNTOWN

NORTHPARK


BackgroundReview

Spring 2016 Summer 2016 October 2016 November 2016

Community Engagement

Draft Vision, Goals, Objectives

and Actions

Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan

Public Review of Draft Vision,

Goals, Objectives and Key Actions

• The Draft Vision, Goals, Objectives and Key Actions are posted on the City’s website

• In-Person Open House and Workshop

• Online Survey and Feedback

Early 2017

Plan.Grow.PlayInvesting in our parks and open spaces

We are here!


What We Heard: Community ValuePhone Survey Support

Online Survey Support

Protect and highlight natural areas and environmental stewardship 98% 95%

Provide informal spaces for picnics and socializing 93% 89%

Ensure access to the water and promote marine recreation 92% 89%

Encourage community gardening and local food production 89% 76%

Beautify the community 88% 88%

Address climate change 88% 80%

Highlight the cultural heritage of the community 86% 71%

Improve safety 84% 69%

Create unique, attractive places 84% 87%

Expand the range of amenities and potential uses in parks 82% 72%

More organized events and festivals in parks 71% 61%

Provide dog off-leash areas and trails 70% 59%

Protect the environment• Victoria residents value the environmental

features, natural areas, and ecosystems within the City’s parks and open spaces and would like to see more of them.

Increase the diversity of park spaces• There is a desire for more diversity

in parks including social spaces and quiet, meditative spaces.

Improve play spaces• Spaces to play are important, particularly

for children and youth, but also places for families to play together.

Be inclusive and accessible• There is support for inclusive spaces

and designs that are accessible, multigenerational, and accommodate a range of abilities and needs.

Increase multifunctionality• Residents value flexible outdoor spaces

that can accommodate a range of uses.

Improve support amenities• Residents want improvements at existing

parks and open spaces to be a priority including adequate maintenance, washrooms, safety, drinking fountains, and other support amenities.


James Bay

Rockland

South Jubilee

North Jubilee

Fernwood

Victoria West

Downtown

Oaklands

HarrisGreen

Hillside/Quadra

Burnside

North Park

FairfieldGonzales

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000250Meters ¯

Parks

Federal Marine Ecological Reserve

Coastal Bluff

Older Forest

Terrestrial Herbaceous

Wetland

Woodland

• The natural areas and sensitive environmental areas are a vital part of the City’s landscape character and are essential to supporting biodiversity. They are also highly valued by the public.

• A majority of the remaining significant sensitive environmental areas are located within City parks and other public open spaces.

• There are four common gardens, six allotment gardens, and two community orchards. The public has requested more garden amenities.

Sensitive Ecosystems in Victoria

What We Learned:

Parkland

24% Natural areas32,753City owned trees

7 Raingardens


Amenity/Facility Average supply in comparison communities

City of Victoria

Baseball and softball fields 27 31

Outdoor basketball courts 6 9

Skateboard parks 2 1

Outdoor soccer/rugby fields 23 15

Outdoor tennis courts 25 25

Cricket pitch 1 1

• Compared to cities of a similar size, the City of Victoria is at or above average for most sports amenities, with the exception of skateboard parks and soccer/rugby fields.

• Public school grounds help fill the gap of soccer/rugby fields with 9 additional fields.

• In addition to formal sports, there are also 5 outdoor fitness locations.

• The main areas of the city that are not within walking distance of a playground include Downtown and portions of Rockland, Fairfield, and Burnside.

• School sites help address some of the gaps in the distribution of playgrounds.

James Bay

Rockland

South Jubilee

North Jubilee

FernwoodVictoria West

Downtown

Oaklands

HarrisGreen

Hillside/Quadra

Burnside

North Park

FairfieldGonzales

0 660 1,320 1,980 2,640330Meters ¯

School Playgrounds

Playgrounds

Playground 5 minwalking buffer

School Playground5 min walking buffer

Outdoor Fitness Equipment LocationsPlayground Locations and Access

What We Learned:

40 Playgrounds 1 Bicycle park


• Victoria is doing well in terms of its current quantity of parkland per capita with 2.65 hectares per 1,000 residents.

• The City is also well on its way toward meeting the Official Community Plan goal of having a park within walking distance of 99% of residents (see map).

• Approximate locations for eight new parks have already been identified in the OCP (see map).

• Parkland is also expected to be acquired through the development process.

Year PopulationCity of Victoria Parks and Open Spaces (hectares)

City of Victoria Parks and Open Spaces per

1000 residents

City Parks as a % of Land Base

2016 80,017 212 2.65 11%

What We Learned:

• The OCP outlines several priority park land acquisitions, including waterfront areas, large sites suitable for community parks, and areas around designated Urban Villages and Town Centres.

• Greenways, both existing and planned, provides good linkages between the City’s parks and open spaces.

• There is potential to improve the connection between parks and greenways.

• There is potential to incorporate more park-type amenities into greenways.


• Parks and open spaces are under pressure to meet the needs of an increasing variety of users, address changing trends in activities, and accommodate new uses that weren’t known or popular 10 years ago.

• Existing parks will need to become more efficient and multifunctional to accommodate new and more uses.

• In order to improve parks and expand the benefits to a wider range of people, municipalities are seeking ways to expand the range of parks and park amenities they provide.

Top 10 Activities – Adults0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

WALKING

BICYCLE

HIKING

RUNNING/JOGGING

SWIMMING

TENNIS

DOG WALKING

KAYAKING, CANOEING

SOCCER

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

BICYCLE

PLAYGROUNDS

SOCCER

SWIMMING

OTHER

HIKING

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

SKATEBOARDING

TENNIS

WALKING

Top 10 Activities – Ages 5–11

Top 10 Activities – Ages 12–170% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

BICYCLE

HIKING

SWIMMING

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

KAYAKING, CANOEING

SOCCER

RUNNING/JOGGING

SKATEBOARDING

WALKING

WINDSURFING/KITE BOARDING

Responses From the 2016 Community SurveyWhat We Learned:


• In addition to city-owned parks, there are over 40 hectares of other lands in Victoria that contribute to the green spaces, including regional parks and trails, schools, provincial lands, federal lands, and lands managed by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority.

• They offer a range of amenities including playgrounds, natural areas, trails, waterfront access, historic sites, gathering spaces, gardens, and unprogrammed open space.

James Bay

Rockland

South Jubilee

North Jubilee

FernwoodVictoria West

Downtown

Oaklands

HarrisGreen

Hillside/Quadra

Burnside

North Park

FairfieldGonzales

0 660 1,320 1,980 2,640330Meters ¯

schools

CRD

PROV

City Parks

• Several factors are increasing demand for special events and festivals including an increase in sports tourism, an increase in races for charitable causes, an increase in demand for “experiences” over activities, and the trend toward spontaneous, flexible activities.

• Special events and festivals provide benefits to the community including increased tourism, inclusive and multi-generational events, and supporting arts, culture and music in the community.

• The public engagement results showed that most residents are in favor of increasing organized events and festivals in parks (Phone Survey – 71%)

What We Learned:

plan.growrec~culture/park… · • in order to improve parks and expand the benefits to a wider...

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