What does it take to create and maintain effective private / public partnerships? The City of North Vancouver’s Parklet program is an example of how local businesses and the municipality can work together to create community spaces. After several prototypes, the City is exploring possible directions for the future of the initiative.
On Thursday November 7th 2019, Laurie Prange Martin’s BADM 466 (Managing Change) class visited Bean Around the World at 5th and Chesterfield in North Vancouver. This was an excellent opportunity for students to get a first-hand experience of the current, and most successful, parklet location. Students heard directly from Beans on 5th owners Annette Kim and Alexander Hayne about their experience as participants in the initiative, including the parklet’s contribution to vibrancy in the neighbourhood and to the success of their business. Annette and Alex also shared recommendations for the future of the program, including adapting the design to match the business partner’s aesthetic, and incorporating design solutions to make the parklet an all-season facility. The valuable insights gained during the community conversation will help to inform the students’ reports on how the city might manage business buy-in to strengthen and expand the parklet program.
Photos: Capilano University
