Granville Island – Vancouver British Columbia

Vancouver’s renowned mixed use shopping district including a public market, marina, hotel, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, community centers, theaters, art galleries, workshops, boat builders, waterfront restaurants, parks and playgrounds, water buses and….. an operating Cement Plant!

Granville Island’s road system is designed as a continuous “shared space”. There are no sidewalks and all surfaces are covered by the same pavers. Cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, market produce trucks and even cement trucks all co-exist at low speed.

The walking experience is one of vibrant diversity, with excellent signage, colorful buildings and no massive parking lots. on closer inspection, most of the buildings are either re-use of existing structures, or new, metal clad simple forms.

Many people arrive on Granville Island by water bus from other parts of Vancouver and these small vessels can be seen shuttling to and fro all day long.