A group of about 30 residents, consultants and other stakeholders will gather Monday for a design charette to reimagine the look and feel of Douglas Street near Beacon Hill Park.
“This has got nothing to do with cruise ships. This has nothing to do with buses. This just has to do with people coming and going,” said Marg Gardiner, James Bay Neighbourhood Association president.
Over the past century the shape of Beacon Hill Park has changed, Gardiner said. While Fairfield evolved into a neighbourhood well integrated into the park, the same can’t be said of James Bay — even though Beacon Hill is the neighbourhood’s primary park, she said.
“The entrances along Douglas Street are the main entrances to the park for everybody — for traffic and pedestrians, and yet there’s not a friendly feel,” she said.
Gardiner noted that developments such as Capital Park behind the legislature exacerbate the need for a more pedestrian-friendly interface.
Tourists staying in James Bay also visit the park, she said.
“We have a huge tourist base that comes in, but approaching Beacon Hill Park by foot isn’t very friendly,” Gardiner said.
“The whole idea was to look at it to make the whole street more friendly, which does not change the vehicles on the street.”
However, there may be some recommended changes to the edge of the street where it meets the park.
“It’s really quite exciting how some small changes can make a difference as to your feeling about a place or as to the impact it makes on you as to how friendly it can be.”
The design charette, being held at the Royal B.C. Museum, is being facilitated by Cascadia Architects, which undertook a similar exercise for Douglas Street north of Belleville Street two years ago.
