Vancouver wouldn't be half the city it is without its extensive roster of parks and gardens. Stanley Park is the centrepiece, one of the largest parks in any urban centre in North America. For many residents, the park is the heart that beats in the core of urbanity, the ecological holdout amid glass and concrete. Situated on a peninsula and surrounded on three sides by water, its popularity is both a blessing and a curse. After all, Vancouver's fame as one of the most beautiful cities in the world is tied to Stanley Park's popularity.
