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Streetscape Enhancement Program
Coquitlam’s Streetscape Enhancement Program is enlivening streetscapes and public spaces across the community in 2023, 2024 and 2025 with public art, feature lighting, street furniture and other new amenities.
The improvements are targeting neighbourhoods not undergoing redevelopment, along with key business areas and City gateways.
The City is working with local businesses to select and coordinate the projects, which are funded by $900,000 from the Land Sale Reserve Fund as well $435,000 from a Destination Development Grant from the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Staff are also exploring Corporate Partnership opportunities for the program to expand the impact.
Enlivening Coquitlam’s Streetscapes
The enhancements delivered through the program encourage community connection and pride, promote outdoor living, support tourism and economic development, and improve safety.
New street furniture, architectural features and public art attract people to outdoor spaces and business areas, while feature lighting helps make streets and public spaces more vibrant, walkable and safe at all hours of the day.
Staff Reports
- 2024 and 2025 Initiatives January 13, 2025 Committee-of-Council meeting (PDF)
- Proposed 2024 work plan June 17, 2024 Committee-of-Council meeting (PDF)
- Proposed program Dec. 12, 2023 Committee-of-Council meeting (PDF)
- Implementation update July 31, 2023 Committee-of-Council meeting (PDF)
- Proposed implementation plan May 8, 2023 Committee-of-Council meeting (PDF)
Enhancements
Eight new murals will be delivered through the Streetscape Enhancement Program:
- Tree of Life (A Passage in Time): Blending time and colour together in a landscape that celebrates the Maillardville area, the mural was painted at 928 Brunette Avenue (at Zara's Hair and Beauty Salon). Painted by Laura Kwok.
- Artful Connections & Inspired Community: Painted at 952 Brunette Avenue, on the side of the Opus Art Supplies building, the mural is a celebration of the unifying potential of art, transcending language barriers and bringing together people from diverse backgrounds. Painted by Lay Hoon Ho in collaboration with emerging artist Angie Quintanilla Coates.
- Through the Looking Glass: A vibrant Alice in Wonderland-inspired scene was painted on the Place des Arts Renaissance building (1120 Brunette Avenue) by a team of youth, led by an experienced mural artist (Jocelyn Sanchez) to support the Summer Theatre Troupe’s outdoor performance of Through the Looking Glass.
- The Ripple: At 1198 Pinetree Way, next to Spirit Square, the mural calls attention with a Coast Salish spindle whorl face at its centre, ringed by protective “ripples” that feature the area’s plants and animals. Painted by the Raven Tacuara artist collective.
- Ancestral Legacy: An Indigenous-themed mural was painted on the exterior of Town Centre Park Community Centre (formerly the Innovation Centre). Designed by Raven-Tacuara Collection (Amanda Hugon, Stephanie Anderson and Facundo Gastiazoro) and the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation team. The design concept was completed in fall 2023 and the mural painted before the centre’s renovations were completed in 2024.
- Paperback Dream: Celebrating the power of imagination fueled by reading, a large-scale mural was painted on the north way of the City Centre branch of the Coquitlam Public Library (1169 Pinetree Way). The piece, designed and painted by artist Carolyn Wong (Seeroro), will serve as inspiration for more enhancements planned for the library later in 2025.
- There is Always Good in the World: A new mural welcomes visits to the Getaway Youth Centre outside Poirier Community Centre (630 Poirier Street). Designed by youth led by artist, Laura Kwok, and created during a community painting session, the mural is a product of a partnership with United Way British Columbia’s Hi Neighbour initiative.
- Pathways and Passages: Located on the SOCO Development (308 Alderson Avenue), this new mural is an abstract exploration into pathways and the process of making choices. Designed and painted by artist Sarah Delaney, the markings on this mural reference paths that humans and animals follow on land, the flights of birds in the air, and elements of nature dancing together.
- Year-round feature lighting on boulevard and median trees along Brunette Avenue was installed and designed to align with the seasonal lights at Mackin Park.
- With input from area residents and business, tree lighting in the City Centre neighbourhood was installed, improving visibility and safety during the darker winter months. This includes boulevard and median tree lighting on Glen, Pacific, the High, the pedestrian walkway through Spirit Square Park across from City Hall, and along sections of Pinetree Way.
- Illuminated sign letters spelling out Coquitlam were installed on Lougheed to greet visitors to the busy commercial area in west Coquitlam, one of the City’s gateways.
- Bike Racks: Unique bike racks were installed, spelling the words EXPLORE at the Coquitlam Public Library (City Centre Branch) and RIDE at the Burquitlam SkyTrain Station. The brightly painted steel letters serve multiple functions by bringing vibrancy to the streetscape and allowing visits to safely secure bikes, scooters and other micromobility devices. Six additional standard bike racks were also installed along Glen Drive, three at Westwood Street and three at Pinetree Way.
- Flora Lounge: Installed on the west-side of the High Street, two sculptural benches with tabletops encourage people to pause and connect while visiting local businesses.
- The Heights: Inspired by 1960s mod design, three custom benches with the words The Heights will be installed along Austin Avenue. The benches are a product of a successful collaboration with the Austin Heights Business Improvement Association.
Murals, street furniture and plantings together will add vibrancy and pride-of-place to the following sites:
- Coquitlam Public Library, City Centre Branch: An additional accessible entrance facing Pinetree Way was opened in 2024, with external wall decals and ground painting inspired by the Paperback Dream mural, colourful modular furniture and new plantings in the plaza area between the library and Henderson Mall are being added in early 2025.
- Hobbis Way and Clarke Road: Ground painting and a public art installation, Welcome Home by Studio Huizenga, will support place-making on the street corner, in addition to the existing planters and benches. Inspired by the timeless act of welcoming someone with a vase of flowers, Welcome Home features two oversized vases topped with kinetic floral sculptures that move with the wind.
- The plaza will be closed for painting, with no pedestrian access, starting mid-April.