News.
Information about VPSN activities, events, efforts and happenings — and some other items of interest from around the Web, too.
From Olympics to Art Gallery moves, from viaducts to pedestrian corridors... Vancouver's public realm is alive with discussion and debate.
VPSN NEWS
• Public Space Network operations: now fortified with even more good ingredients
• VPSN Goes Blog!
• Call for Proposals - PubliCity 3 - Play in Public Space
• VPSN Community Gardens - landscape architects needed; March 22 garden meeting
• VPSN Volunteer Opportunities
OTHER EVENTS
• March 4 - 27 - The New Paradigm: Models, Diagrams, Proposals and Provisions ...
• To March 12 - False Creek, Heartbeat of the City Photo Exhibiton
• Tuesday, March 15, 2-3pm - World Tea Party
• Wednesday, March 24 - Think City / Vancouver Stories
• Friday, March 26 - The Drive to resilience: Commercial Drive
The next issue of PubliCity will be produced in spring 2010. For this edition, we’ll be looking at the connection between ‘play’ and public space. The idea of ‘play’ can be understood in all sorts of different ways and we’re looking for contributions that riff off of this. For example:
- Playing in Vancouver: no-fun city vs. Vancouver-is-awesomeness?
- Play spaces – from playgrounds to street hockey to outdoor chess boards to ?;
- Playful urban design/design that encourages play;
- The ‘rules of the game’ – understanding conventions about play;
- Street theatre, busking, performance artists… and others who play;
- Reflections on the big “O”-lympics and their impact on Vancouver.
With the 2010 Games in full swing, security matters have been a regular feature in local news. We've been receiving lots of requests for the CCTV map we did of the Downtown and Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods. The map can be downloaded here.
For more information on our surveillance camera research, you can all jump to our project webpage.
The Vancouver Public Space Network is making the transition to newer, friendlier web space… and we’re starting with a blog.
Over the next few months we’ll be revamping our entire website. One of the things we want to do, beside provide the great advocacy resources that you’ve come to expect, is allow a bigger space for our many contributors. At the same time, we also want to broaden our reach as well -- providing more information and coverage of the many and various public space initiatives undertaken by other groups, different levels of government and the public at large. The VPSN blog will feature observation pieces, editorials, reviews and artistic submissions from the same team that has been producing both the VPSN ebulletin and PubliCity magazine.
We’re looking to make the process an inclusive one too! If you’ve got something to say about Vancouver’s public realm, or feel passionately about urban affairs in this city, drop us a line and let us know. We’re looking to showcase folks who have an eye for urbanism and some writerly (or artistic) chops to boot.
Enjoy!
A nightime shot of the recently installed Monument for East Vancouver by artist Ken Lum. Part of the Olympic art program, the 60ft cross has generated quite a buzz since it went up at 6th and Clark earlier this year. Lum, incidentally, will be speaking as part of the Langara College Centre for Art in Public Spaces on March 3 at 7:00pm. (For details see our event calendar).
Photo: Yvonne Hii.
We’re also moving ahead with our Pedestrian Safety Project and will have more to announce on this initiative in the next few weeks.
For details on these and other Transportation projects, contact Karen Parusel – Karen [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
The VPSN is has continued to grow substantially over the last two years – more members, more projects, more excellent public space initiatives to implement. To meet the demands of this growth, we are in the process of expanding each of the our various working groups. We’re looking to create a few new work teams and ensure that each and every VPSN working group has two co-coordinators. This will effectively double the number of coordinators and enable us to be better at our various advocacy, education and outreach activities.
We are currently undertaking a call out for people interested in taking on a leadership role in the Vancouver Public Space Network...
Pathways as branches: the trails of this 8th and Fraser park form a tree-like pattern when seen from above.
Now companies that profit from filling the viewscape with giant ads will have to contribute to making the city more beautiful. A big public space high five to the Toronto Public Space Network, the Beautiful City Billboard Fee team, Spacing, illegalsigns.ca and ManifesTO!
:: For more on this excellent initiative: www.beautifulcity.ca
(1) Holiday party. Yay! Public space eggnog.
(2) Release of PubliCity 2: The Art of Space. Excellent reading.
(3) Guest presentation and slide show by John Steil, author of Public Art in Vancouver: Angels Among Lions.
We've rented the lovely Barclay Manor* for the evening and have the place from 6:00-midnight. Formal invitation to be posted shortly, but in the meanwhile...
* feel like contributing something festive to the snack table?
* have any good public space-related songs for our play-list?
* want to lend a hand with the planning?
If so, send us an email! - info [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
The gathering is open to friends of public space, volunteers, VPSN supporters ... and all the good people you know. We're still working out some details and will be sending updates over the next week or so.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
* Barclay Manor is located at Barclay and Nicola, in the heart of the West End. It's a satellite of the West End Community Centre, a heritage structure, and a fine place for a cozy gathering of public space aficionados.