VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver park board is diving into parkour, setting up the city’s first outdoor obstacle course at Hastings Park.

The urban sport — which involves running up walls and jumping between structures — has been gaining in popularity in recent years.

Park board commissioner Sarah Blythe describes the course as one of the most exciting new projects planned for the revamped park.

“I’m always looking for new things for young people because I think we need to give them what they want in order to get them out doing stuff,” she said.

Blythe said after visiting Origin, an indoor parkour gym which opened last year on Main Street, she realized that young people are really into the sport, and it’s not just a fleeting trend.

The city’s parkour area will be outside, and Blythe said any liability concerns will be addressed similar to a an outdoor skateboard park with signs posted warning people of potential risks.

She added that parents like the sport because they don’t have to buy expensive equipment.

A BMX bike dirt jump area, street soccer, Ping-Pong and other recreational amenities are also part of the $10.5-million greening plan for Hastings Park.

The plan, which was voted on this summer, will be finished by fall 2014.

In June, city council approved the addition of 6.8 hectares of new park at Hastings that includes playing fields with lights in Plateau Park in the Empire Fields area in the southeast corner of the park.

Overall, the master plan for the east Vancouver park is to eventually increase green space to 30 hectares from 10 hectares.

ticrawford@vancouversun.com