Comments on: Stanley Park is Not Largest Urban Park in North America

By: Rick Gundrum

Rick Gundrum — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:20:25 +0000

I was born and raised in Vancouver (59 years old today)and I have seen most of the parks on your list as I have been in 7 provinces and 48 states. I have never “bragged” about the size of Stanley Park – only its beauty. It is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful “urban park” in NA. That is something to brag about!

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:43:29 +0000

you said that it's not surrounded by development

Only because the previous commenter said it was.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:40:45 +0000

ummmm, is it just me or does kim really have some sort of contempt for vancouver? case in point, the pacific spirit park (ubc) park debate, where you contradict yourself blatantly. you said that it’s not surrounded by development, implying that it wouldn’t be considered an urban park. so by the same logic, stanley park would not be considered an urban park either. and for the record, pacific spirit park is most definately surrounded by urban uses (residential, some commercial, and ubc-institutional) along the majority of its perimeter. i never comment on these things, and i always hate how they devolve into “who’s is bigger” matches, but kim, your tone is just so ridiculously snooty and toxic. it’s taking me back to 3rd grade: “NO, my mom said it was NOT the biggest park, and YOU’RE WRONG, and I’M RIGHT and YOU STINK.” and so on and so forth. therefore i really don’t feel bad making this kind of comment. and i’m sure the response (if this even gets posted) will be an angry and sarcastic freak-out.

By: deanna cintas

deanna cintas — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:24:27 +0000

Poor Forest Park getting overlooked in all of this. Well, I guess it was mentioned in the original list. Either way I am damn proud to be able to walk along city streets in NW Portland, head up a handful of blocks and be at one of many entrances to the HUGE, natural and beautiful Forest Park. I mean if you can get lost on one of the many trails of a park, that says something.

I was in Vancouver recently and experienced Stanley Park. Yeah it was nice, yeah it had some great views, but honestly it was too trimmed, too landscape/ front yard like. I wasn't as impressed as maybe I should have been. But yeah its pretty big.

Now what about the smallest park in the world. Does Portland, Oregon still take the gold on that one with Mill Ends Park? It is all of 2 ft diameter with a total area of 452 square inches you know.

just curious. oh and I love Portland. =)

By: Charles Landry

Charles Landry — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:59:25 +0000

One more for your list

Irishtown Nature Park, Located in Moncton NB

2200 acres

Charles Project coordinator City of Moncton

By: Doug

Doug — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:19:05 +0000

Actually, Stanley Park isn’t even the largest urban park In Greater Vancouver. Pacific Spirit Regional Park near UBC at 1885 acres isn’t technically part of Vancouver (located on the University endowment lands) but it’s administered by the GVRD and it’s completely surrounded by urban areas or water (UBC, Vancouver, Richmond).

By: erik

erik — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:17:03 +0000

I have never seen someone get upset and be emotionally affected by false information about park sizes. Is this called Park envy?

By: Bear

Bear — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:13:38 +0000

Actually, I think, very few of the parks in your list are URBAN parks. However, I will agree with you that Stanley is not the largest URBAN park in NA or even Canada. As a tour guide, taking tourist through Stanley Park, I would proclaim it as the World's largest URBAN park.

But it is very beautiful and you can't really blame Vancouverites for claiming it is the largest. After all Yankees have been claiming the US of A is the biggest, best, greatest, country in the world for years, yet everyone knows it isn't.

Is Stanley a natural park? Well, yes, as much as any park can be. What with the building of trails, scenic outlooks, etc. Natural in that the trees have not been planted by man. Yes, they were, at one time, logged off, but they regrew without replanting.

Someone noted that Stanley is city owned. It isn't. The land is owned, like all land in Canada, by Ottawa, ie; Federal Gov't. It is rented, by the city of Vancouver for $1.00 per year.

Also, for those of you who have visited Stanley, when you enter Stanley, along the SEAWALL, you don't enter from the city. On the Notrh side you enter from Devonian Harbour Park and on the South from English Bay Park.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:44:49 +0000

Edwin and Percy Warner Parks are twin adjacent parks in downtown Nashville which total 2684 acres.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:15:47 +0000

Oh. I hadn’t heard you were the clearing agent for urbank park sizes. Sorry about that.