The Charleson Verandah

Vancouver's False Creek South neighborhood was built during the 1970s as a low-density community along the southern shores of Vancouver's False Creek. Situated on landfill previously occupied by industry, it is separated from the adjacent Fairview Slopes neighborhood by an arterial street (6th Ave.) and a rail right-of-way. As the bulk of the community was constructed on land belonging to the municipality, the City of Vancouver is investigating if and how additional density might be accommodated. To this end, this thesis explores a multi-modal transit route that acts as a catalyst and an armature for higher-density development in the Community Edge Zone through which the rail right-of-way runs. The proposal consists of rail and bike paths on grade, coupled with an elevated walkway/verandah into which pedestrian bridges connect across 6th Ave. It considers the relationship between grade, bridges, transit, pedestrians, bikes, and context.