1. What is your favourite public space in the city – park, plaza, street, community centre, library, etc – and why?
I’m very much a student of Vancouver history, and the places which were fought for and won by communities are some of my favorites. My favourite park is C.R.A.B. because it was fought for and won by residents of the DTES demanding access to a public space by the ocean. Similarly, the atrium at Woodwards with its basketball hoop, piano, Stan Douglas mural, and seating is wonderful and was hard fought for.I also have a special place in my heart for the Vancouver Public Library, because libraries are amazing. Free access to books, internet, and media, helpful research staff, for anyone, at all income levels… If libraries were proposed for the first time today, people would think it was totally radical. I think we need to fight for our libraries and for our library staff as they provide such an essential service to our communities.
2. In 2013, Vancouver declared itself a “City of Reconciliation”. More recently it approved its UNDRIP Strategy (2022). What role do you think public space should play regarding reconciliation?
I think that would start with a discussion with Host Nations. But for one, I’d support the construction of a healing lodge next to Crab Park for urban indigenous folks. Because parks have unfortunately often been in lockstep with displacement and colonialism, I’d work to address those grievances and I’d make sure any changes to the Charter are in compliance with UNDRIP. Too often public spaces are exclusionary to indigenous people, often in ways that settlers can’t see.Because connection to the land is so important I’d like to see public space used to work towards food sovereignty- this could be spaces for storing food, preparing it, and growing traditional food and medicines.
Working towards the indigenous demand of Land Back is something I will always work with others to achieve, because it means sharing decision-making power around land use among other things. I think public space can play a huge role towards reconciliation and addressing the legacy of colonialism.
3. If you could bring one new thing to the Council table on the topics of public safety and wellbeing in the Downtown Eastside, what would it be?
Housing First. This is proven to work and reduce crime and reduce substance use. When people have their needs met and feel a part of community, they are less likely to react with hostility. This community has been ravaged by constant criminalization, a poisoned supply of drugs, inadequate housing, and unending cycles of trauma. And yet it’s still a community. Having stable housing goes a long way to address mental health. I’m reminded of the “rat park” experiment.Combined with fighting for the province to raise social assistance rates, providing more shelter rate housing (and not less like ABC just voted to do), will mean less homelessness in our streets and our parks.
Having a separate entity that deals with mental health and wellness checks, like Indigenous-led peer-assisted care teams (PACTs) will not only reduce trauma but will also free-up some of the bloated VPD budget to be redirected to the services we need like parks. The VPD have said themselves that they don’t want to be in the business of mental health. We can’t police our way out of the homelessness crisis caused by the rental market.
4. How important is the democratic function of public space to you? How would you ensure public spaces like parks and plazas are accessible and inclusive?
The same housing system that creates homelessness, jacks up our rents, and pushes our friends and families out of town is the same system that only sees public space as something to be leveraged in the development process instead of a community commons.
So in some ways, I think taking that component away from the corporate sphere would go some way to maintaining the democratic function of public space. It starts in the design process too. Having disabled people at the table, having community stakeholders involved, and adopting a city-wide equity lens on councillor motions would all go a ways to making sure public space is inclusive. I also think that democracy is something we continually have to fight for, something we build, and there are ways we can increase public participation in the process of planning and designing our public spaces in more meaningful ways.
5. What piece of public art do you like the most? How satisfied are you with the City’s approach to public art? Is there anything you would change?
I’m a big fan of unsanctioned art, of community murals, and the stuff that Smokey D is doing can become what James C. Scott calls a “hidden transcript” – a confrontation between the powerful and the powerless. So it’s a little disappointing when they did a big anti-graffiti blitz called “Vancouver Beautification Day”, while at the same time celebrating murals which can often act as ‘artwashing’ in the aid of gentrification and displacement. I’d love to see more sanctioned spaces for community artists like Smokey D to do their work.
I’m loathe to spend too much time critiquing city-funded public art in general -because most of it is frankly rooted in a reactionary hysteria-, I still think things like the Spinning Chandelier are a bit tone deaf. But I don’t mind the poodle, I think it’s funny.
6. There are lots of ways that public space planning can support climate-related objectives, including: protecting and planting street trees; initiatives to support walking, rolling and biking; and the restoration and enhancement of local ecosystems. How do climate matters align with your public space priorities?
We need to meet and exceed our climate targets. If we don’t we’ll face worsening climate events, freak storms, deadly heat waves, and as things get worse, increasing food insecurity. We need to put the climate crisis front and centre in everything we do- including in the advancement of public spaces and community commons.It was really disappointing to see Ken Sim and ABC squash the West End Waterfront plan that includes mitigation efforts against climate change. I’m also deeply concerned about how the impacts of climate change are distributed in a way that reflects historic patterns of inequality. For example, how the East Side of Vancouver has magnitudes less shade and green spaces.
7. The city’s shopping streets have been hard-hit in recent years – and face further threats under the current ‘tariff war’ with the US. What will you do to support our ‘main streets’ and shopping areas?
We have tenant protections for renters, we should have tenant protections for small businesses. We’re losing community hubs, local businesses we love, to huge 300% or 500% rent increases. I know BIAs represent small businesses but we can go further, like a mechanism for them to deal with their landlords. The city has also explored the idea of legacy businesses, something that has an intangible effect on the community. Often, a business that is a vital cultural asset isn’t seen as one, such as food assets in Chinatown. Often there is no support for succession planning when an owner retires.The same speculative pressures that price our friends and families out of the city exist for small businesses. We should look at slowing that speculation that sees financial instruments and REITs buying up huge amounts of commercial real estate to maximize their profits at the cost of community. But addressing the housing crisis will also make our main streets more vibrant. Having people be able to live and work in our communities will bring life back. We need people who work in cafes, restaurants, delis, dry cleaners, and mom and pop shops to be able to live near where they work. Both for their quality of life, and for the impacts on the climate from long commutes. We need our seniors to be able to age in place, and young people be able to raise a family here. Restaurants, bars, and local shops are part of our communities as well.
8. In May 2020, City Council approved a goal of transforming 11% of road space into “people friendly public space.” What are your thoughts on the implementation of this ‘road reallocation’ direction? Would you change anything?
As a lifelong advocate for pedestrian safety that number seems low. But when it comes to implementing it, council needs to have courage to go all the way. The Water Street pilot for example is now only going to exist on Sundays with a huge cost of installing and removing street furniture and turning Cordova Street two-ways for just one day a week. What’s the point? This council travelled to Montreal and marvelled at the car-free streets there, but then lack the political courage to do that here. We need to move towards more public parks, more public transit, and putting our huge amount of public road land to good use.
9. The City is currently moving ahead with the dissolution of the elected Park Board. How do you think Vancouver’s parks should be governed and stewarded?
COPE strongly opposes Ken Sim’s unilateral attempt to abolish the democratically-elected Park Board. I will fight to defend the Park Board local democracy, because our democratic institutions matter. This will mean that it’s easier for city council to sell off our public parks and amenities to investors and billionaires, instead of needing support of both the Park Board and City Council. Sim promised to protect more temporary parks and make them permanent under this plan, but Ken Sim could do that now with council alone. Why doesn’t he?Ken Sim is backed by billionaires and landowners. He attacked the Integrity Commissioner. He was willing to split his own party just to push ahead with breaking his word on the Park Board. Why?
ABC cannot be trusted with our Parks or our City. Vancouver is overdue for major investments in our social infrastructure, especially our pools and community centres. Quality recreation facilities keep us healthier and build the social connections that help us lead fulfilling lives and care for the environment that sustains us. With housing costs rising, we need affordable and accessible programs more than ever.
Ken Sim says scrapping the Park Board will save $70 million over the next decade. That’s $7 million per year. The annual operating budget for the City of Vancouver is over $1 billion and the 4 year Capital Plan for infrastructure is about 1.4 billion or 350 million per year. At 0.7% of the budget, $7 million is comparatively a drop in the bucket compared to the VPD swallowing up almost 21% of the budget. That’s been increased by almost $100 million per year since the VPU helped Ken Sim to win.
And many of the quoted “efficiencies” do not require elimination of the elected Park Board. A significant number of the identified issues are Engineering. They only require better communication and cooperation between the Park Board and Council.
10. Creating, maintaining and programming public space takes resources. Does the City do enough to fund placemaking and public space initiatives? Is there anything you would do differently?
No, we don’t do enough. Part of the problem is that everything is under-funded because we’re letting the rich get away without paying their fair share. Public spaces are part of that.We have to look at our budget priorities, as I mentioned above. I’d take a look at the Community Amenity Contribution system which, on paper is good, but too often seems like the city has become addicted to them as a revenue source instead of planning the city we need. COPE has proposed a Mansion Tax to build public housing on public land, but that ongoing revenue could also be used to fund things like placemaking. A 1% progressive property on mansions on their value beyond $5 million would bring in a significant amount of revenue which could end the homelessness crisis, fund public housing projects, and fund public spaces.
We need to invest in our commons. We don’t need more walled gardens, paywalled amenities, and everything being run for the profits of the rich. Public parks, recreation facilities, and libraries show a model of how we can make Vancouver work for Vancouverites. Let’s prioritize it.
