DRAFT

2.3 Public Spaces & Places
Public spaces and places provide people with opportunities to gather, learn, relax,
and take part in recreation or leisure activities which promote active, healthy
lifestyles. They enrich the urban environment and are essential for the quality of
life of residents. Because urban areas contain less private open space than more
suburban areas, it’s important to provide sufficient public spaces and places for
people to enjoy nature and outdoor recreation, community gatherings, and
cultural offerings.
The Regional Centre has many great public spaces including the Dartmouth
Common, the Halifax Common, the Public Gardens, Point Pleasant Park, Halifax
Central Library, Dartmouth Sportsplex, the harbourfront boardwalks, and the
Citadel, among others. This plan builds upon the Centre’s strong public amenities
and encourages connecting parks and open spaces, community and cultural
facilities, green landscapes, and the trail network.
In the Regional Centre, it is important to create a connected green (parks, plazas,
natural areas) and blue (lakes, waterways and the harbour) network of parks,
pathways, open spaces and complete streets to foster healthy active living,
quality of life, and cultural identity. This plan offers guidance to ensure that the
public parks and open spaces support evolving community needs.
Objectives
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To protect and enhance the Regional Centre’s public parks and open spaces
for future generations.
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To consult and work with residents, organizations, businesses and other
stakeholders on parks programming and design.
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To grow the open space network in the Regional Centre and integrate it
within the broader municipality.
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To improve the access to public amenities, including water bodies and
community facilities for all residents.
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To accommodate a wide range of activities within the Regional Centre’s
diverse public spaces.
DRAFT
General Policy Directions | 15