Focus Newton

Additional landscaping will improve key locations across Newton, including key parks, vibrant business areas, key transportation corridors and residential areas. Opportunities to engage community members in enhancing and stewarding natural areas will be expanded.

Implementing more art and placemaking throughout public spaces in Newton will contribute to interesting and vibrant public spaces. Opportunities for static installations such as murals, street banners, ground art, vinyl wrapping and sculptures will be explored, as well as performance and interactive art.

Locations that benefit most from art and placemaking may include hubs for people including cultural and business districts, key park nodes and paths, transportation hubs and civic amenity areas.

Decorative lighting will help create warm spaces that are welcoming to everyone, no matter the season. Commercial streets, transit stops, parks and other high traffic community destinations across Newton will benefit from additional decorative lighting.

Safety and cleanliness are key parts of making public spaces comfortable and well-used. Piloting a program to pair outreach workers and bylaws officers will help keep Newton spaces vibrant, as well as support vulnerable populations.

The City is committed to increasing service levels to clean litter and remove illegally dumped items throughout Newton. This includes increasing the frequency and expanding the areas of litter collection to reflect the needs of the growing community.

Large-scale cleanups will complement the City’s efforts, along with targeted enforcement.

The City will support residents in organizing community clean-ups by making additional resources available to groups and volunteers. The City will develop resources and opportunities for community members to make informed decisions around waste removal. This may include educational resources on waste removal or free sessions on community safety measures.

Family-friendly activities and programs help make Newton more lively and animate public spaces. More free family-friendly activities will be organized in Newton. This will include summer programming at parks and recreation facilities and through new partnerships with local groups and organizations.

Many international students call Surrey, and Newton in particular, home. The City can support and lead programs that cater to international students and help them develop deeper and beneficial ties to the community. Initial actions include outreach to share available recreation and library resources, as well as further engagement and coordination with community partners.

The City is committed to developing new programs and strengthening existing resources, that encourage social connection between residents. Such resources may include English language programs and mobile library services. Programs that encourage social connections may also activate outdoor spaces, such as safe streets at schools that are designated for walking and cycling during key pick-up and drop-off times.

The City recognizes that the greatest impacts can occur through community-led initiatives. The City will support residents who are interested in improving Newton and who may have innovative ideas. Examples include promoting Surrey’s grant programs and youth leadership opportunities.

To be functional and social, public spaces require comfortable places to sit together. A variety of seating options and locations throughout parks and activity hubs will help ensure that spaces are meeting residents’ needs and providing the opportunity for social connections. Seating options may take the form of picnic tables, covered tables and benches.

Newton’s public spaces and parks need to be welcoming for people of all backgrounds. The City will prioritize practical amenities to enhance comfort and access to public spaces. These include drinking fountains, washrooms and electric power (for programs and events) at key locations such as parks.

Newton’s indoor public spaces are also important spaces for the community. The City has a number of ongoing capital projects and upgrades that will help enhance Newton’s facilities. Additional improvements may include upgraded walking loops, small-scale renovations at Newton libraries and other civic facilities.

Quality of public space, comfort and access can be improved through wayfinding and signage, especially to improve experiences at key outdoor amenities such as greenways, major athletic fields and civic amenity hubs. Wayfinding may take the form of signage, kiosks, or other creative ground treatments and use of materials.

Walking and cycling must be a safe and healthy option for residents of all backgrounds and abilities to get around Newton. City investments can help enhance the comfort and safety of active modes of travel. This may include adding infrastructure improvements such as adding letdowns, new sidewalks, new curb bulges and pedestrian signals. Walking and cycling may be further enhanced by expanding the network of trails and paths in Newton parks.

While the City may provide active transportation improvements in the short term, additional consideration needs to be given to long-term transportation infrastructure and planning to support the growing Newton population. This includes rapid transit options such as introducing Bus Rapid Transit and planning for future SkyTrain. These options, along with additional transportation strategy work, will help address congestion relief in Newton and across Surrey more broadly.