CURRENT PROJECTS
Naming Committee: The Vancouver Public Space has been represented on the City of Vancouver Asset Naming Committee since 2011. The current representative is Board Chair Heather Forbes. We focus on ensuring asset and street naming projects celebrate the unique character of this place, and advocate against the influence of corporate interests in civic naming choices.
PAST PROJECTS
Upcycling Urbanism- In the summer of 2013, VPSN partnered with the Museum of Vancouver, Spacing Magazine, Makers Faire, Viva Vancouver and UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture to develop the Upcycling Urbanism project. Upcycling Urbanism consisted of a series of design workshops that asked the public to rethink the design of public space and how our urban environment, and the byproducts of a formal construction project, can be repurposed by residents. The project culminated in a design-build event in July where the public utilized over 400 giant polystyrene building blocks recycled from the construction of the Port Mann Bridge to experiment and create unique designs in the middle of Granville Street.
Main Street Mosey/ Harbour Hop: How cool would it be to say that you walked across an entire city, from end to end? Inspired by this idea, a group of strangers in Fall 2012 gathered for a communal stroll across Vancouver, to walk the entire length of Main Street, the city’s true north-south spine. Passing through a diverse cross-section of neighbourhoods, participants swapped stories and trivia while enjoying the changing cityscape. The VPSN followed up this successful event with a sequel in Fall 2013, the Harbour Hop. This time the urban hike travelled along Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet waterfront, from the Coal Harbour entrance to Stanley Park, all the way to New Brighton Park. Participants were treated to the many faces of Burrard Inlet, from sparkling seawall to gritty working port to leafy green residential streets. Stay tuned for future crosstown urban hikes coming soon to a neighbourhood near you!
Lunch Meet- The Vancouver Public Space Network expanded the opportunities for outdoor eating in Vancouver in the summer 2012 with an event called Lunch Meet in the city’s Crosstown area. Hundreds of people descended on to Abbott Street as Lunch Meet transformed one block of the street into a place for people, with a long table and music to bring people together to share in a communal outdoor meal each Thursday in July. Lunch Meet event invited people to eat lunch together, share a unique experience and start a conversation in a first step to building a community.
Keys to the Streets (in collaboration with CityStudio) -During the summer of 2013 the Polka Dot Piano became one of Vancouver most popular public music outdoor attractions. Carried out in collaboration with CityStudio’s Keys to the Street program, the VPSN painted a piano white with polka dots and installed it in a variety of public spaces including Robson Square and underneath the Cambie St Bridge. Both beginners and talented musicians performed solo and ensemble pieces, creating impromtu public concerts where friends and strangers connected with each other through the power of music.
Stick it to the Streets: How much music can be made with a pair of drumsticks and the street as the instrument? The Vancouver Public Space Network and friends descended on to Granville Street on June 26th, 2010 to “Stick It to the Streets.” As words can’t describe what transpired next, check out the footage here.
