P art park, part science experiment, there's a lot more going on at Hinge Park than meets the eye.
Named for the bend in the Vancouver street grid at this point, Hinge Park was constructed as one of the amenities for the 2010 Winter Olympics athletes village. It served not only as greenspace, but also as a zero-energy water treatment plant.
The waterway that meanders through the park takes in rain water runoff, and the plants, insects, microbes, and other critters in the water slowly clean the water before returning it to False Creek near Habitat Island.
Aquatic plants, bushes at the water's edge, and contrived fallen logs help seed this place for nature, and make it attractive to birds and other small creatures that would benefit from the waterway. Knitting these elements together eventually forms a small natural ecosystem that improves the air and water quality for the people of Vancouver.
A children's water play area helps feed the wetland fresh water during dry months.
Birdhouses have been erected to attract songbirds.
By having the stormwater runoff system expressed as a wetland, it eliminates the need to bury pipes.
