First the city of Vancouver claims to “ban” artificial grass, and now they won’t let you water a real lawn either! You just can’t win as a Vancouver homeowner… or can you?
First, let me address the COV’s stance on artificial grass as this is the most obvious solution to resolve all your natural lawn struggles. In 2016, the city implemented a bylaw (very loosely) banning artificial turf on private property. In response to rapid popularity of synthetic grass in Vancouver, the city tried to slow down the trend by issuing the bylaw. I totally get that, however their reasoning is completely incorrect, claiming that “The city does not deem artificial grass to have fully permeable characteristics”. What’s funny is that artificial grass is substantially more permeable than real grass when installed properly with an aggregate base. What we have learned over the years is that this so-called turf ban is barely enforced, but the bylaw that is enforced is the percentage of your property that is permeable. At the time of writing this in 2024 the city of Vancouver requires a minimum 30% of your property to be “permeable”, meaning that rain water can pass through the surface and percolate into the ground below. This would includes surfaces such as garden beds, gravel areas, lawns, etc. “Impermeable” areas include the footprint of your home, garage, and any concrete or paving stones in your landscape (which cannot exceed 70% of your total property). For whatever reason, the city falsely believes that artificial grass is considered “impermeable”, which means you need to keep a certain percentage of your landscape as natural free-draining areas (primarily garden space).
Okay now back to the watering bans… Again, artificial grass requires zero water so this would be the first choice for those who prefer a lush green lawn, however there are alternative ways to landscape with water-conservation in mind. For example, on city boulevards we have installed some low-maintenance rock gardens or ground cover plantings that are resistant to the watering bans. Using materials such as river rock, clear crush, pea gravel, mulch, stepping stones and a mix of drought-tolerant plants you can achieve a beautiful landscape that doesn’t require substantial water consumption. Ground cover plants such as Japanese spurge, Creeping Thyme and Irish Moss can fill landscape spaces nicely without much water, however if you need to walk on these areas it will require stepping stones, and it’s not super functional space.
In summary, artificial grass is your best bet as it’s aesthetically pleasing AND very functional, however it is advisable to keep at least 30% of your property “permeable” to avoid any issues with the city. We frequently try to help our clients navigate this “bylaw grey area” and we would be happy to help you too! Feel free to reach out to us, you can find our contact information here
