The Downtown Vancouver BIA initiated the closure of Granville Street to vehicle traffic and turned it into the tournament's signature public gathering space, with restaurants and bars along the closure reporting sales above expectations through the group stage. Issue 5 identified this as the model precisely because the district initiated and organized it rather than waiting on the city, meaning the district holds the asset. The test of that claim is what happened after July 19. A closure that reverts the week the tournament ends was a city permission with a district logo on it. A closure that becomes seasonal, or permanent, or returns on a defined calendar is district-controlled inventory a sponsor can buy into for 2027. For North American districts watching, the specific document to request is whatever instrument authorizes the closure and who holds renewal authority under it.

Watch: Current status of the Granville closure, and the post–July 19 foot-traffic curve along it against the 2025 baseline.

Source: Plat Street Issue 5 BO-F-3; Downtown Vancouver BIA, reporting continues