Green Venture, the Barton Village BIA, Adele Pierre Landscape Architect and City of Hamilton’s Ward 3 are thrilled to be continuing the Depave on Barton. Over the past couple of weeks, the Boulevard at the corner of Emerald St N and Barton St E beside Hello Baked has been transformed by volunteers through the Depave Paradise program. Pavers line two small garden beds and will allow for a permeable and accessible seating area, featuring a gabion bench using broken pieces of concrete torn up by volunteers.
“The Depave projects provide multiple environmental benefits to the community: shading and air purification from trees, pollinator habitat in the gardens, stormwater infiltration through soils and permeable pavement. But most importantly, they contribute to a sense of well-being and community. A series of small gardens along a busy street that provide beauty, refreshment to body and spirit, and places to connect with friends and neighbours. As a landscape architect these small urban interventions are one of the most satisfying aspects of my work; converting areas of concrete and asphalt into living, breathing spaces.” – Adele Pierre, Landscape Architect.
The Depave on Barton project aims to create pockets of greenery and connectivity, while naturally diverting water from our sewer systems, reducing polluted runoff and cooling our city. Community members help create this green space that will introduce more native plant habitat and places to gather. In 2022, Green Venture and partners will be working to add 3 more depaved Boulevards to the Barton Village.
These projects contribute to a larger vision of a more pedestrian-friendly and well-connected Barton street. “The Green Venture Depaving project is once again driving urban renewal on Barton St. The Barton Village BIA is undergoing many changes, and finding creative solutions to increase green space is one of our many streetscape goals. We look forward to seeing the final product and seeing how it can inspire change not just in our area, but other like-minded neighbourhoods across Canada.” – Jessica Myers, Executive Director at the Barton Village BIA.
For more information or questions about the Depave on Barton program, email: depave@greenventure.ca