Reimagining Central Lonsdale

Lonsdale Great Street Project

Central Lonsdale is one of the North Shore’s most important main streets. A place where people run into neighbours, grab a coffee, pick up groceries, and feel the rhythm of the city at street level.

That’s the heart of the Lonsdale Great Street Project, a City of North Vancouver initiative designed to strengthen and revitalize Central Lonsdale as a vibrant neighbourhood main street.

Why this project exists

Central Lonsdale already has a lot going for it:

• Strong local businesses

• Consistent foot traffic

• A distinct character

• Multiple transit routes connecting to North and West Vancouver and Downtown

But it also faces real pressures that are hard to ignore:

• Rising rents

• Risk of small business displacement

• Not enough spaces to sit and gather

• An uneven walking experience along sections of the corridor

The point here is to help Central Lonsdale evolve in a way that protects what people love, while making it better for more people, for the long run.

A people-focused approach

The draft plan was shaped with support from Gehl, an urban design firm known for helping cities become more walkable, vibrant, and people-focused. That’s a useful lens for a main street, because great cities are often built one good street at a time.

The long-term vision

The plan’s vision is ambitious but grounded:

In 20 years, Central Lonsdale is the North Shore’s most loved main street. A lively, welcoming place where local businesses thrive, people gather, and tree-lined streets connect homes, shops, and mountain views.

That’s the kind of statement that sounds obvious at first. Then you realize it only happens if we make deliberate choices.

The goal

The goal is to enhance the street with thoughtful design for generations to come. The plan points to four core themes:

• Small business

• Design

• Walkability

• Public space

If you get those right, you don’t just get a “nicer street.” You get a stronger local economy, better daily life, and a place that feels like it belongs to the people who live here.

The plan in detail. Three big focus areas

1) Ensure businesses can thrive

A great main street needs a strong local business ecosystem, not just “retail space.”

Key ideas include:

• Ensuring a healthy, attractive business mix

• Supporting existing small businesses (relocation, subsidies, etc.)

• Highlighting and supporting long-standing businesses

• Attracting visitors from across the North Shore

The underlying message is clear. If local businesses don’t make it, the street loses its soul.

2) Enhance liveability through planning and design

This part is about shaping growth and street character with intention:

• Expanding commercial spaces (side streets, upper floors, rooftop decks, terraces)

• Encouraging active storefronts like cafés

• Ensuring thoughtful distribution of density

• Maintaining mountain and water views

• 
  

Design choices aren’t cosmetic. They shape whether a street feels human, welcoming, and worth spending time on.

3) Enhance access and public space

This section connects the street to everyday movement and gathering:

• Improving streetscape and building design guidelines

• Creating and cultivating new public spaces

• Enhancing access for all modes of travel: walking, cycling, transit, goods movement, and vehicles

• Activating spaces with local events

Main streets work when they’re comfortable to move through, and when they give people reasons to stay.

Council feedback and key clarifications

Council was generally positive on the Lonsdale Great Street report and spoke to the importance of thoughtful growth. Growth that respects local character, supports small businesses, and preserves a human-scale feel along the corridor.

Council also asked some tough questions and surfaced key clarifications:

• No changes to the OCP around density or heights

• No plan to close Lonsdale to vehicles

• Parking remains part of the mix, including 30-minute parking on Lonsdale and 1,000+ off-street spaces nearby

The process has also included public engagement since 2024. Future recommendations or updates would return to Council and the public.

My take

Lonsdale is a street for people and businesses. If we want it to thrive, we should be encouraging walkability, accessibility, and strong support for local shops and services. That starts with safety and access first.

At the same time, a great street needs balance. It still has to work for transit, goods movement, and practical access, including parking. The goal is to design the street so it works better for more people, more of the time.

A question to close

How do we help Central Lonsdale evolve while protecting the local culture?