Granville Street stays car-free through Labour Day weekend
Vancouver extended the World Cup pedestrian zone and eligible patios through September 6, letting restaurants ride the summer tourism wave.
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Granville Street between Georgia and Davie will stay closed to cars through the Labour Day long weekend, Vancouver City Council voted, extending a pedestrian-first pilot that transformed the downtown entertainment district during the FIFA World Cup.
Restaurants, pubs, and hospitality businesses that received temporary patio approvals can now apply to keep those outdoor spaces open until September 6, giving them a longer window to capture summer tourism after the World Cup ends July 7.
The original car-free experiment packed the street with patios, public programming, and fewer vehicles — proving popular enough that Mayor Ken Sim said residents and visitors wanted the momentum to continue. "Granville Street has been full of energy, local businesses are seeing more customers," he said in a statement.
The city will spend the rest of summer collecting data on pedestrian activity, transportation, business performance, and public feedback before deciding the street's long-term future. Council also directed staff to explore temporarily reinstating the zone in November for a potential Christmas market, gathering additional operational and economic data during another busy season. Robson Street at Granville remains closed to vehicles; Georgia and Davie stay open for cross-city access.
