VANCOUVER -- Hoping to encourage residents to "return to community life," Vancouver installed its first temporary pop-up plaza in East Vancouver.
The plaza was set up on Friday at Fraser Street and 27th Avenue and has temporary seating for people to eat, visit and enjoy the outdoors while keeping a safe distance from others.
The city says it hopes to create more pop-up plazas around Vancouver in the coming weeks and locals can give their feedback on the new spaces online.
As well, the city installed four parklets in the Downtown Eastside to create more safe, outdoor space for people in that neighbourhood.
The parklets were created in partnership with local organizations. Two were built near Vancouver Coastal Health Clinics on Pender and Powell streets and another was put together near the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre. One is an extension of the Evelyne Saller Centre's parklet.
A fifth is being installed by the Gathering Place, which is on Helmcken Street.
The city says these parklets and plazas are its latest effort to support Vancouver's recovery during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, for example, the city announced some streets would have reduced speed limits to leave more space for cycling and walking.
