Providing easy access to nature is crucial for the health and wellbeing of city-dwellers, as well as for the sustainability of our planet. To make it easier for non-driving residents of Metro Vancouver to get to hiking areas, I have proposed a policy solution: Nature-Oriented Transit Villages (NOTVs). These urban centres would be densely built neighbourhoods on the edge of the region, adjacent to popular trailheads. They would anchor transit lines and improve ridership efficiency, while allowing more people to enjoy the beautiful nature that our region has to offer.

Using data on the location of trailheads, rapid transit stations, land-use, and the urban containment boundary, I conducted a suitability analysis to find three potential locations to implement this urban planning initiative. The results show that the North Shore Mountains are a clear favourite, due to the ample density of hiking areas and proximity to rapid transit stations.

A more robust analysis could use a more sophisticated model of access to transit using General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data. Furthermore, conducting a sensitivity analysis once the bugs with the ArcGIS Pro Suitability Modeler are fixed would be key in confirming the findings of this paper. Future research could benefit from looking into the environmental impacts that would result from intensification near the edge of the region. Once more research is done on the topic, municipalities could hold public engagement sessions to get more input and ideas from Metro Vancouver residents.

References

Kleinschroth, F., & Kowarik, I. (2020). COVID‐19 crisis demonstrates the urgent need for urban greenspaces. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 18(6), 318.

Maller, C., Townsend, M., Pryor, A., Brown, P., & St Leger, L. (2006). Healthy nature healthy people:‘contact with nature’as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health promotion international, 21(1), 45-54.

Walker, J. (2011). Human transit: How clearer thinking about public transit can enrich our communities and our lives. Island Press.

Zelenski, J. M., Dopko, R. L., & Capaldi, C. A. (2015). Cooperation is in our nature: Nature exposure may promote cooperative and environmentally sustainable behavior. Journal of environmental psychology, 42, 24-31.