The evening’s proceedings will also include the Vancouver Public Space Network’s Annual General Meeting – a chance to recap our activities for 2025, share our aspirations for 2026, and hold elections for our Board of Directors. (But don’t worry – we’ll keep the official business to a minimum, so that there’s lots of time for mixing, mingling, and other fun activities!)

Join us on Granville Island! We’ll be starting the evening at 6:30 with our Annual General Meeting, taking place at the False Creek Community Centre. After that, we’ll be making our way to one of the local bars for a celebratory toast to the year ahead!

Both activities are FREE, but please register via our Eventbrite page to help us with planning!

In the meantime, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at info [at] vancouverpublicspace [dot] ca.

VPSN ACTIVITIES

Annual General Meeting & Collingwood Park Walk 
Tuesday, May 9

The VPSN Annual General Meeting is coming up next week! This year’s event takes at the amazing Collingwood Neighbourhood House (5288 Joyce Street, walking distance from Joyce Collingwood Station). Since the late 1980’s, CNH has been providing a safe space and an array of services to the surrounding Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood. We’re honoured to be able to hold our annual meeting in this important non-profit operated public space.

Our AGM agenda will include recap of our advocacy and project work over the past year, and provide a preview of our work ahead. As part of the activities, we will also provide an update on our finances and elect a new board of directors for the upcoming year.

Before getting down to business, we will also be taking a short walk through nearby Collingwood Park (5275 McKinnon Street), which is currently undergoing an important redesign process. Weather permitting, the walk will last approximately 1 hr, at which point we will head to Collingwood Neighbourhood House for the AGM.

• 6pm: Walking Tour – Meet at the corner of Euclid and McKinnon
• 7pm: Annual General Meeting – Program Room (2nd Floor), Collingwood Neighbourhood House
• Please register and read more details here. Both the walk and the AGM are free to attend and everyone is welcome.

VPSN Volunteer Meeting
Tuesday, May 16 @ 7pm

Our first volunteer orientation in some time, for new and returning volunteers. We’ve got some great projects in the hopper right now, and we’re excited to be hosting this upcoming orientation session (held online via Zoom). If you’d like to learn more about the Vancouver Public Space Network, or find out how you can lend a hand with our placemaking, research, and advocacy work, sign up for this.

• Follow this link to register for the volunteer orientation

Hold the Date – Placemaking Canada Gathering (Toronto ON)
June 11-12, 2023

Exciting public space events are taking place in Toronto this coming June, including the International Public Markets Conference (June 8-10), and the annual Park People Conference (June 21-23). In between these two events, is the fourth Placemaking Canada Gathering. The VPSN is proud to support this grassroots initiative linking together placemakers and public space advocates across the country. The 2023 gathering will include walking/biking tours, ‘open mic’ sessions, workshops, and networking sessions. The ultimate aim – building the Canadian placemaking movement!

Registration will be open in the next few days. Please mark your calendar and share the news with any placemaking contacts who might be interested in joining!

• More information via Placemaking Canada Facebook – placemaking-canada.ca

PUBLIC SPACE NEWS & ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Two New Greenways! Enhancing and Expanding the Greenway Network

In 1995, Vancouver approved it’s Greenways Plan – and with it, a series of designated car-free or car-light pathways that are intended to provide park-like connections for walking, rolling and cycling. Greenways also include improvements like expanded parks, increased landscaping, public art, and drinking fountains.

The network is slowly being built out and now includes popular routes such as the Central Valley Greenway, Comox-Helmcken Greenway, and the Seaside Greenway (along Pt. Grey Rd). In 2022, Council approved the Vancouver Plan, and a proposed “expansion and enhancement” of the existing greenways network.

Two new greenways processes are underway, both of which will provide critical improvements in the overall network. The proposed Bute Street Greenway will run from Sunset Beach Park (False Creek) to Harbour Green Park (Burrard Inlet), and includes a permanent design for Bute-Robson Plaza. At the same time, the City is also looking to design the Portside Greenway, a 7 km route following the city’s northern edge, spanning between Gastown, and running through Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise to the city’s eastern boundary. You can learn more about these public space improvements and engagement opportunities by following the links below.

• Bute Street Greenway
• Portside Greenway

Coming up at Council next week – A People Focused Gastown

City Council will be discussing the future of Gastown at its next meeting. This is good news on the public space front, as both Maple Tree Square and Water Street represent important areas for improvement, and there are a number of other interventions which could enhance public life in the area.

The motion being deliberated calls for a “streets and public realm planning and design process for Gastown that brings in an external urban place-making lens and expertise …toward a bold vision to pedestrianize Water Street and make it carfree or car-light.” With further language referencing “an overarching goal being a more vibrant, people-friendly destination and the enabling of ongoing activations including patios, music, events, festivals and active transportation opportunities.”

• The Gastown discussion will take place on May 9-10. You can view the full text of the proposed Council motion here. To share your thoughts with Council, you sign up to share your thoughts in person or via phone, or fill out this online form to do so in writing.

West End Waterfront – Preliminary Designs

The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board have been working on a plan for the West End waterfront (roughly between Stanley Park and the Burrard Bridge). The Imagine West End Waterfront second round of engagement is now live on Shape Your City. Three preliminary design approaches have been developed to help guide the long-term plan. Each approach emphasizes and celebrates a different quality of the West End waterfront.

• Follow this link for more information or to take the survey (deadline May 21). Let the City know what you think of the preliminary design approaches and ideas for the 30-year plan.
• You may also want to check out a related page on West End commercial streets – which showcases some of the proposed improvements to Davie, Denman, and Robson Streets

OTHER EVENTS

Jane’s Walk
May 4-7

Inspired by author and urbanist Jane Jacobs, Jane’s Walks is an annual event that encourages people “to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.” Dozens of tours have been set up, including walks in Queen Elizabeth, sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7 (Rainbow), Hastings, and New Brighton Parks, strolls along the proposed Portside Greenway, and wanderings in several neighbourhoods, including Norquay, the West End, Main Street, Renfrew-Collingwood, and Mt. Pleasant.

• Jane’s Walk events are free, but registration is required. For more info, visit Jane’s Walk Vancouver.

Our 2023 meeting will take place in Renfrew-Collingwood, at the amazing Collingwood Neighbourhood House. Since the late 1980’s, CNH has been providing a safe space – and an array of important services – to the surrounding neighbourhood. We’re honoured to be able to hold our annual meeting in this important non-profit operated public space.

Our AGM agenda will include recap of our advocacy and project work over the past year, and provide a preview of our work ahead. As part of the activities we’ll also provide an update on our finances and elect a new board of directors for the upcoming year.

Pre-meeting Walk – Collingwood Park

Before getting down to business, we’ll also be taking a short walk through nearby Collingwood Park (5275 McKinnon Street), which is currently undergoing an important redesign process. If you’d like to join the walk, please meet at the corner of Euclid and McKinnon at 6pm. Weather permitting, the walk will last approximately 1 hr, at which point we will head to Collingwood Neighbourhood House for the AGM.

Registration

Please register here to let us know you’ll attend. Both the walk and the AGM are free to attend and everyone is welcome.

Time & Location

Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Collingwood Neighbourhood House
Program Room (2nd Floor)
5288 Joyce Street
7pm-8:30pm (Meeting)
6pm – 7pm (Pre-meeting walk, meet at Euclid and McKinnon)

Meeting Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible elevator to 2nd floor Program Room.

Wheelchair accessible, all gender, single occupancy washroom on second floor.

Free underground parking.

Mark your calendars! The VPSN Annual General Meeting is coming up next month!

Join us as we give a recap of our advocacy and project work over the past year, and provide a preview of our work ahead. As part of the activities we’ll also provide an update on our finances and elect a new board of directors for the upcoming year. If you’re interested in the city, its public spaces and placemaking opportunities, be sure to attend.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022 – New date will be posted soon
6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: TBD

The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome. Location details will be posted shortly. We’ll be holding the event in a public space, and will provide an online option.

Interested in joining the board? Contact our Chair, Paola Qualizza, for more information: info@vancouverpublicspace.ca.

Image: The VPSN’s Karaoke Kiosk event at Robson Square, August 2012.

This past year has seen a mix of activities for the VPSN. In spite of the challenges posed by COVID, we’ve been focused on a number of public-facing initiatives while also doing a fair bit of internal work, including refreshing the VPSN’s values and and principles, retooling our organizational structure to better support volunteers, and recommitting to activities that support public space equity and inclusion on the unceded Musqueam, Tsleil-waututh and Squamish land on which Vancouver is located. We’re looking forward to sharing this work as part of the AGM activities.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021
6:30pm-8:30pm
Online

BONUS BIRTHDAY FUN!

It’s the VPSN’s 15th Anniversary this year, and to kick off the AGM, founder Andrew Pask will be giving a recap of placemaking, advocacy and research highlights from the last decade-and-a-half. If you’re learning about the VPSN’s work for the first time, it’ll be a good opportunity to learn a little more about what we’ve been up to since getting our start in 2006. For long-time friends and supporters, this will be a nice chance to take a stroll down memory lane. A full agenda will be circulated prior to the meeting.

2009 AGM – in Alexandra Park

LOCATION & RSVP

Although we would dearly love to hold this year’s AGM in one of the city’s public spaces, we’ll be taking things online to comply with health protocols. If you’d like to attend, please register via our Eventbrite page so we can send you the link to join virtually.

CALL FOR BOARD MEMBERS

We’re looking for a few new board members to help support VPSN activities. This is a volunteer position, with monthly work focused on supporting VPSN organizational development, projects, advocacy-related activities, and more.

The VPSN is committed to recruiting a diverse and representative team of public space champions from across the city. Indigenous people, people of colour, all genders, LGBT2Q+ and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are looking to assemble a team of collaborative place-makers that bring a variety of perspectives and life experiences related to the design, programming, use, and stewardship of public space. Some prior experience with the VPSN is helpful, but not required.

For more information on joining the board, please contact Board chair, Paola Qualizza: paola@vancouverpublicspace.ca.

Lead Photo: VPSN’s 2012 LunchMeet Event on Abbott Street.

Our upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 6:00pm. As a registered non-profit, we use this meeting to review our previous year’s work (2017 fiscal year), discuss the plan for 2018-19, and elect our Board of Directors.

We also like to use the event as an excuse for a old-fashioned picnic in the park… and we’ll be holding court in one of the city’s excellent greenspaces with some picnic goodies. This year’s AGM will be taking place at Hinge Park. We’ll meet near the stone circle/seating area (mid-park).

Interested in joining the Board? Our Directors are responsible for governance issues related to the Network – shaping organizational positions, and helping to manage projects of varying sorts.

In related news, we are also looking for additional support in some key areas. Board membership isn’t a requirement to take a leadership/coordination role with one the following portfolio areas, but we are looking for people with practical experience and demonstrable subject matter expertise.

• Streets as places
• Open space (park and plaza) design
• Pedestrian issues
• Civic buildings

For more information on the Board of Directors and/or coordinator roles, please email Paola Qualizza, Chair, at paola [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Photo: VPSN’s Lunch Meet long-table event on Abbott Street. Summer 2012.

Originally published July 29, 2018

This year’s AGM/BBQ will be taking place on Sunday, July 23, 2017 – at 2pm.

Stanley Park – 3rd Beach | Map

New Location – Beecher Park – 1255 Springer Avenue, Burnaby | Map

(Look for us on the east side of the park, just north of the creek.)

Rain location – TBD

The meeting is open to all, but to help us with planning for the event we’d ask that you send us a quick email to confirm if you plan to attend.

The formal meeting part of the day is will include a presentation of our Annual Report, as well as nominations and elections for our Board of Directors.

Anyone in attendance can participate in discussions, but note that voting on resolutions, motions, and the election of the Board is limited to members in good standing.

Immediately following the conclusion of the AGM, we will convene the first meeting of the new Board of Directors.

And from there – more park time fun!