VPSN Public Space News & Events | 8 March 2010
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
VPSN NEWS
Public Space Network operations: now fortified with even more good ingredients
We've got some exciting things to report!
First of all, we've been doing some planning and development work and are pleased to announce that we've been able to bring on eight new coordinators to assist with our current activities. They are:
• Kari Dow - Urban Design
• Scott Erdman - Urban Design
• Natalie Ethier - Pedestrian Issues
• Heather Forbes - Surveillance & Security
• Michaela Montaner - Communications
• Mike Soron - Pedestrian Issues
• Simon Wong - Parks Advocacy
• Vincent Wong - Events
We're delighted to be able to have such fine talent join us in our efforts to improve Vancouver's public spaces. Our plan, in fact, is to double-up on all our Working Group Coordinator positions so that we can better manage the increase in opportunities for public space advocacy.
Also on the new and exciting front, we've been working hard with Biro Creative and Spoken Design on a review of our branding and communications portfolio. These fine folks are doing an audit of our various communications tools. As result of their input, we will be rolling out a series of changes in the next few months. Look for a revamped newsletter in early spring, and a new website in summer 2010.
Finally, spring brings with it our annual planning work. We are in the midst of some project planning activities and will be showcasing a number of our new and on-going initiatives in the next few editions of the ebulletin, and in a public event that will be held in the next month or so. Stay tuned - there's good things in store!
VPSN Goes Blog!
Over the last month we've slowly been populating a new feature in the VPSN communications arsenal: our "Exploring Vancouver's Public Realm" blog. We've been able to use this new feature to publish some one-off VPSN updates and also provide a forum for contributions from some of our PubliCity magazine writers and photographers. Through no real promotion on our part, the blog seems to be catching on, and we've seen a growing number of visitors to the site.
We'll be expanding the blog over the next few months and better integrating it into our other communications work. In the meanwhile, check out some of the recent articles that are getting attention on the site:
March 5 - Going for the Gold
For those with an interest in municipal infrastructure and how it gets used, it appears that we have, collectively, been caught with our pants down. One of our sources at Metro Vancouver ‘leaked’ us this revealing image...
March 3 - Yaletown Park is finally getting its art
As a part of Vancouver Biennale, Igor Mitoraj’s sculpture titled “Eros Bendato Scrippolato” was installed on Thursday morning, March 4, 2010 in Yaletown Park...
February 26 - The Gold Medal for Street Food?
With Olympic crowds animating city streets and venues, there has been a steady rumbling of Olympic-sized appetites roaming in search of food and drink. Despite all the foot traffic, the culinary options that have been set up as part of the 2010 Games are a bit of a mixed (feed) bag to be sure...
February 23 - Vancouver 2032 - Here and Now
Setting aside the pavillions and light-displays, the sporting events and red tents… one of the best shows on the street right now is: people. And there are lots of them – streaming around Granville and Robson, lined up here, there, there and elsewhere, and streaking – red-dressed and flag-waving – throughout the Downtown core and into surrounding neighbourhoods...
February 19 - The New Canada Line Culture: more urban, more engaged
With the Winter Olympics finally upon us, I’ve realized the Canada Line has the potential to foster a new sense of civility here in Vancouver. In recent weeks, I’ve noticed locals are starting to get the hang of urban etiquette. It’s a refreshing trend...
And hey, if you've got writerly (or artistic) skills that you'd like to put to use for this project, feel free to get in touch with us at publicity [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca. We're looking for creative, critically-minded folks that can help us to tell the story of Vancouver's public realm.
:: Find the VPSN Blog at http://vancouverpublicspace.wordpress.com
Call for Proposals - PubliCity 3 - Play in Public Space
While on the theme of publishing, the next issue of our soon-to-be-award-winning quarterly will be produced in spring 2010. For this edition of PubliCity 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.
Writers: We’re looking for short articles, editorials, interviews and other examples of quality wordsmithing for our next issue of PubliCity. If you’ve got some writerly chops, put them use with a crafty piece on Vancouver’s public space.
Artists and Visual People: Help us brighten PubliCity with your photographs, drawings, maps, and other graphic renderings.
Other stories/images: If you’d like to contribute but would prefer to be assigned a topic or write non-theme-related story please let us know. We’ve got some important story angles we’re looking to get covered, and are looking for help in filing these pieces. We’re also looking to supplement theme-connected stories with articles and images on other public space/urban affairs issues.
Want to submit to PubliCity? Please pitch your idea to the PubliCity editorial staff by sending a short synopsis of your proposed article/image. Email PubliCity [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca with your ideas by Monday March 15, 2010. If your pitch works for us, we’ll let you know by the middle of the same week. Complete submissions will be due by the end of March.
PubliCity 2 / The Art of Space is still available for purchase on line. Thanks to all of you who have been supporting the publication by buying a copy - at only $6 an issue it's a great deal!
VPSN Community Gardens
The cherry trees are exploding into showers of colour. That can mean only one thing: spring is here... and the 2010 garden season is almost upon us! The VPSN Community Gardens team has a bunch of projects on the go. Here's a couple of recent announcements:
Looking for a Landscape Architect!
We are looking for VPSN members who are certified landscape architects to help with a couple of design projects. We need your professional design acumen and skills to assist with turning Vancouver green.
Monday, March 22 - 6pm - Community Gardens Working Group Meeting
Join us to discuss projects and take steps towards more urban agriculture in Vancouver.
Meeting takes place in the main meeting room at 1200 Alberni Street. Meet at the main entrance at 5:45pm.
:: For more information or to lend a hand - gardens [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
VPSN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
As mentioned above, we have been in expansion-mode this last little while, doubling up our Working Group Coordinator positions so that we can better tackle the many interesting public space projects that exist. This past month we brought on eight new coordinators to help us with this work. We're looking for a few more.
This is a great leadership opportunity, and one that comes with the opportunity to learn lots while making a valuable contribution for public space advocacy in Vancouver.
In particular, we'd like to connect with any smart, committed, public-space enthusiasts who are willing to commit to taking on a leadership role for a minimum of one year in one of the following areas.
• Corporatization & Privatization- 1 new Co-Coordinator
• Democratic Spaces - 1 new Co-coordinator
• Greenspaces - Parks Advocate - 1 Co-coordinator
• Greenspaces - Guerrilla Gardening - 1 Co-coordinator
• Public Art - 1 Co-coordinator
• Mapping & Wayfinding 1 Co-coordinator
• Transportation - Cycling - 2 Co-coordinators
• Transportation - Public Transit - 1 Co-Coordinator
• Communications - 1 Co-coordinators
• Fundraising & Development - 1 Co-Coordinator
We also have three positions that we'd like to fill for our PubliCity magazine and blog:
• Managing Editor
• News Editor
• Photo Editor
If you think you might be up for the challenge, please let us know. To find out more about these positions, or to get the details for the next Coordinator orientation session, please contact Erin O’Melinn, VPSN Volunteer Coordinator.
:: More information – erin [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
OTHER EVENTS
A few of the fine public space events to be found on our events calendar:
March 4 - 27 - The New Paradigm: Models, Diagrams, Proposals and Provisions for the Coming Age
Featuring new work by artists Geoffrey Farmer, Devon Knowles, T&T, Ron Tran and Elizabeth Zvonar, The New Paradigm utilizes the context of The Pavilion as an oracle to present artworks that function as generative, reflexive tools that orient us towards our collective future. The role of creative work, whether it be craft, assemblage, collage or collecting is presented as a crucial element of extropy - the prediction that human intelligence and technology will enable life to expand in an orderly way throughout the universe. Produced by the Langara College Centre for Art in Public Spaces.
:: More information - www.langara.bc.ca/events/2010/100212-new-paradigm
Thru March 12 - False Creek, Heartbeat of the City Photo Exhibiton
False Creek lies in the heart of city, and like a pulse, has indicated Vancouver's growth into a world class city. Since 1978, Denis Bouvier has been documenting its evolvement from industrial hub, to residential area, to Expo' 86, and now to hosting the Olympic Athletes for the 2010 games. Auditorium Jules Verne, 5445 Baillie.
:: More information - www.rendez-vousvancouver.com
Tuesday, March 15, 2-3pm - World Tea Party
Join the fine folks from Centre A Gallery (1 West Hastings) as they continue with their celebration of gathering. Between 2-3pm they'll be at Pigeon Park holding a tea party at Pigeon Park (Hastings & Carrall).
:: For more information - www.centrea.org
Wednesday, March 24 - Think City / Vancouver Stories
Help celebrate our city and support Think City's third annual Jane's Walk event. Vancouver Stories is a cocktail party and silent auction featuring Vancouver products, services and experiences, along with stories past and present as told by Vancouver notables. Storytellers for 2010 include First Nations lawyer and Musqueam member Michele Guerin, recording artist Veda Hille, and architect and past Jane's Walk host Annabel Vaughan. Takes place at Heritage Hall.
:: For more information - www.thinkcity.ca
Friday, March 26, 10:30am-3:30pm - The Drive to Resilience: A creative dialogue on resilience in the Commercial Drive area
On March 26, the Spring 2010 Semester in Dialogue at Simon Fraser University will be hosting a creative and action-oriented dialogue on the resilience of the Commercial Drive neighbourhood. The dialogue will provide a venue for residents, community groups and representatives of local businesses to speak their mind and heart and to explore new and creative ideas for the neighbourhood. Takes place at The Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street (at Victoria Drive), Coast Salish Territory (Vancouver, BC).
:: For more information - 778-782-7917; drivetoresilience [at] gmail.com; thedrivetoresilience.wordpress.com
SUPPORT THE VPSN
The Vancouver Public Space Network is an all-volunteer, community-driven enterprise that works on advocacy, education and outreach pertaining to the city’s public realm. We depend on your contributions in order to undertake our projects and activities. Looking to lend a hand? Please consider making a donation or signing up for one of our volunteer projects. Thanks!
CONTACT
Vancouver Public Space Network
Box 2754 Station Terminal
349 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X2
General info: info [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
Newsletter Submissions: PubliCity [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
Facebook: VPSN Facebook Group
Flickr: VPSN group and photostream
Twitter: twitter.com/vpsn
— VPSN