October 15, 2026

Car-Free Zone Wins Praise from Business Community

For the past two summers, Vancouver, BC, Canada, has piloted a pedestrian zone in the city’s Gastown district. The zone operated on Sundays from June through August.

The pilot tested changes to traffic circulation, cycling infrastructure, public seating, patio spaces, shared market stalls, and programming such as a public disco, flower market, and art battle.

A comprehensive review of visitor and business-owner impressions shows that the zone was well received by both groups. The business impacts include:

• Fifty-three percent of businesses reported higher or somewhat higher revenues on car-free Sundays, while 14 percent reported decreases.
• Half of businesses reported increased or somewhat increased foot traffic during the pilot.
• A majority (65 percent) rated the broader public space enhancements as positive, though views on operations and deliveries were more mixed.
• Seventy-two percent of businesses wanted the pedestrian zone to return in future summers.

Downtown Idea Exchange regularly covers data from projects across North America.

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