The VPSN has been involved since the beginning – participating in workshops, presenting to the Citizens’ Assembly, and monitoring the way in which public space issues were being handled throughout the plan. (In the interests of disclosure, we’ll note that VPSN Director Andrew Pask was also the lead City planner for this initiative, so we were fairly certain that public space issues would be on his radar!)

In advance of the Plan going to City Council, our Board of Directors met to review the draft document. We prepared a letter outlining our support of key policy initiatives around complete streets, streets as places, and the creation of new and enhanced plazas and parks. An excerpt of the letter follows.

The Vancouver Public Space Network was a contributor to the development of the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan during the community plan team’s outreach on the topics of transportation and public realm. We’d like to briefly touch on parts of the plan which hold promise and which we feel will benefit current and future residents both in this area and of the city generally.Complete streets

Complete Streets

The VPSN has previously appeared before council to support Transportation 2040, the plan update to the City of Vancouver’s 1997 Transportation Plan. We are glad to see that the Grandview Woodland plan reflects Transportation 2040’s commitment to supporting active transportation through emphasizing complete streets in Grandview Woodland. The principle of complete streets ensures that the balance between different modes of travel, the varying needs of members of the community, and the role of the neighbourhood within the region can be addressed while also addressing the risks associated with using our roads.

Protected Cycling Facilitiesling Facilities

Given the important social, economic and environmental benefits of higher levels of cycling, and the significant mode share already found in Grandview Woodland, we commend the City’s continuing commitment to completing the City’s protected bike network to better connect cyclists with destinations like Commercial Drive. We urge the City to continue its work in mitigating conflicts between different road users while also building infrastructure that makes safe travel for all ages and abilities using active modes convenient, enjoyable and efficient.

Where possible, we also encourage the City to partner with local business owners and members of the community to continually gauge and quantify the impact in a holistic fashion, and to share this information as much as possible with the public and other neighbourhoods as we continue to pursue our Greenest City and Green Mobility goals.

Streets as Places

Given the important civic role they play, VPSN is heartened to see streets recognized as places.

This important type of public space has been undervalued over the past half century; major commitment will be necessary to renew it. Further, we support the development of the innovative “shared spaces” strategic streets. The fact that the plan also accounts for the potential that these spaces become car free is a resilient strategy. VPSN also finds the plan’s focus on placemaking encouraging. The gateway features are a smart way to encourage a greater sense of place, while the enhancement of streetscapes in shopping areas are likely to improve the public realm and support local merchants. We also strongly endorse the support for community initiated public spaces and look forward to the outcomes.

A commitment to increasing the number of street trees is a valuable first step; we recommend further setting a clear target in the number of trees planted to add clarity and certainty to this effort. The mention of laneways of places is also promising; similarly, we welcome a stronger assertion of the importance these spaces play in the larger overall vision of public space for Grandview Woodland, as well as the other contributions they might make to social life and local economic activity in the area.

Plaza and Park Improvements – Grandview-Woodland Plan.

Plazas and Parks

The emphasis on quality of plazas and other public spaces is another positive aspect of the plan. Quantity is not the only metric on which to measure the success of public space. In Grandview-Woodland, there is a need for more public space, but there is also great demand for greater quality in these spaces. Having noted this, we also find the commitment to create new plazas to be a very positive step as well. We hope that all five new plazas suggested in the plan come to fruition.

[…]

The long journey to this final draft of the Grandview Woodland plan is one more milestone in the broader unfolding story of this dynamic area. We welcome the opportunity to work with the City as it moves to put into action and bring to reality the ideas put forward in this plan.

Summer’s here and the weekend is only a few hours away. Weather aside, things are lining up nicely for some seasonal fun in the city’s public realm. Ready, set, go!

A few quick updates about some upcoming activities that you may be interested in:

• Robson Square Summer Plaza – Update on the 800-block!
• Starting July 5 – Lunch Meet! Long Table Action on Abbot Street
• Transportation Plan – Public Space Ideas
• Grandview-Woodland Community Plan
• St. George Street Rainway – Street Mural Painting

Robson Square Summer Plaza – Jazzing up the 800-block is just the beginning!

For the second year in a row, the 800-block of Robson Street, between Hornby and Howe, will be closed to through traffic. Like the Granville Street pedestrian mall around the corner, the expanded Robson Square will play host to a variety of street level activities through to Labour Day.

The closure begins tomorrow, June 23, and coincides with the Jazz Fest (check out their schedule for an awesome selection of free shows at this site and elsewhere). A few weeks hence the installation of Pop Rocks – a very cool outdoor seating installation – will take place. And if that wasn’t enough, look for other fun activities – including VPSN-led laser graffiti, speakers’ corner and public karaoke installations – to animate the space over the coming months.

As many of you know, the VPSN is quite supportive of the expansion of Robson Square. Our survey last summer saw an overwhelming number of people support the creation of a larger public gathering area in this space… and the current closure gives us yet another opportunity to see how the space supports public life in the city.

That being said, we know that there are a lot of different opinions on the space… and we want to hear your side of things too. To this end, we’ll be doing some evaluation work throughout the summer.

Please take a moment to let us know what you think of the expanded space. Send your photos, ideas, thoughts, concerns and ideas our way – we want to hear from you!

:: Feedback – robsonsquare [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Starting July 5 – Lunch Meet! Long Table Action on Abbott Street

And speaking of street closures… can we invite you to lunch in July? LUNCH MEET is a new City-sponsored initiative that we’re running every Thursday of the month. The 300-block of Abbott Street will be transformed into a place for people, with a long table and music provided by local artists. Grab a bite to eat from a local business, food cart or bring your own lunch and meet a neighbour, friend or work colleague.

The event kicks off on July 5th and we’re looking for a team of volunteers to help with event-related activities. Most volunteer tasks are 1 hour in duration, and would take place from 10:30 am to 2pm.

:: Lend a hand – contact adam [at] vancouverpublicspace [dot] ca

Transportation 2040 Plan – Public Space Ideas

The City is in the process of updating their Transportation Plan. The new policy document, called Transportation 2040, will provide a vision for the next 30 years and guide transportation decision-making for the next 15 years.

The draft document has been released, and the City is looking for feedback on a range of ideas – everything from improvements to pedestrian areas, bike lanes, public transport and more. This is a great opportunity to weigh on a number of important ideas.

Among other things, there’s a chance to have your say on a few aspects specifically focused on public space. Including a series of strategies and actions around

• Enabling and encouraging creative uses of the street; and
• Creating public plazas and gathering spaces throughout the city.

You can read more on these and other ideas on the City’s webpage (see below). There’s also a survey you can complete in order to share your feedback.

Stay tuned for a VPSN event on these items as well. We’ve got a small event in the works right now and will be announcing details shortly.

:: City of Vancouver Transportation 2040 webpage

:: VPSN Transportation 2040 Activities – Info – quinn [at] vancouverpublicspace [dot] ca

Grandview-Woodland Community Plan

Are you a resident of the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood? Like to hang out on the Drive? Work in the hood?

Anyone interested in the future of G-W is invited to lend their voice to the Community Plan work that’s going on in the neighbourhood right now. There’s a Community Questionnaire and photo contest that is running through to the end of next week. Among the themes of planning work – public space (including parks, streetscapes and more).

:: City of Vancouver Grandview-Woodland Community Plan webpage

St. George Street Rainway – Street Mural Painting

The St. George Street Rainway Committee, the False Creek Watershed Society, the City of Vancouver Viva program and the Mount Pleasant Elementary School have partnered to create a street mural painting party and you are invited!

The community was consulted on the creation of this mural at various events and by door-to-door surveys (see a sample of this beautiful mural on the right!). Preliminary design work will happen on the 27th and on the 28th in the morning. Please join us on June 28 from 3:00 – 8:00 PM to paint the mural. The party will go from 6:00 – 8:00! Location: St.George Street, between E. 7^th and E 8^th Ave

:: More info – Shahirastgeorgerainway [at] gmail.com or City

Vancouver City Hall – Photo by Ken Stewart

A full slate of meetings at City Council and the Park Board this week – with lots to keep public space aficionados busy.

In this edition:

• Parks – New Festival, Food Carts, User Fees and Park Naming
• Neighbourhood Planning – Grandview-Woodland, Marpole, West End, Downtown Eastside
• Elections & Finances – Eight Candidates in Trouble
• Riot Review and This Year’s Stanley Cup
• Rezonings – Marine Gateway, The Rize, 1^st & Victoria, Howe & Drake… and others

Parks Board – New Festival, Food Carts, User Fees and Park Naming

Monday starts with a Parks Board meeting that will consider, among other things, the possibility of a new Sarah McLaughlin led festival in Stanley Park called “Voices in the Park,” the expansion of the city’s food carts program (with new seasonal carts proposed for a number of parks), a report on user fees and charges (most fees will stay the same, but modest increases are proposed for VanDusen and a few other facilities), and a new policy for naming parks.

The naming policy calls for “more public engagement, more flexibility, and more efficiency” and proposes that park names be evaluated “by considering historical, cultural and geographic elements.”

Neighbourhood Planning – Grandview-Woodland, Marpole, West End, Downtown Eastside

The City is about to embark on four new neighbourhood planning exercises. In Marpole, Grandview-Woodland and the West End the new plans will replace older Local Area plans that date back to the 1970s and 80s. These plans will pull together an array of themes – housing, transportation, parks and public realm, heritage, culture, etc – taking city-wide policy and scaling it down to the neighbourhood level.

In the Downtown Eastside, the neighbourhood will be getting a comprehensive plan that looks at neighbourhood change, the social impact of development pressure and opportunity to improve the lives of residents in the area.

The four planning exercises are intended to be broadly collaborative in nature and will feature a number of opportunities for community participation. Reports on these respective planning processes are in front of Council this week in two separate meetings – with the DTES plan on Tuesday’s City Finance and Services agenda, and the other three neighbourhoods on deck at Wednesday’s Planning, Transportation and Environment meeting.

Elections & Finances – Eight Candidates in Trouble

All candidates who ran for Mayor, Council, Parks Board or School Board were required to file Campaign Finance statements by March 19. Not all of them did – and now stand to get dinged with a $500 fee unless they’re able to apply to the Supreme Court (!) for relief. Most of the eight that are named in the staff report ran as independents. One of them even won an election debate. The matter will be before Council on Tuesday.

Riot Review and This Year’s Stanley Cup

Later on Tuesday, at the City Finance and Services meeting, City Manager Penny Ballem will be giving a presentation on the Stanley Cup Riot Review, along with an overview of planning for this year’s possible playoff celebrations.

Rezonings – Marine Gateway, The Rize, 1^st & Victoria, Howe & Drake… and others

Monday sees the first of a number of rezoning discussions take place at City Council. Architect James Cheng’s Marine Landing proposal (Cambie and SW Marine) is third on the agenda. The proposal calls for a mixed-use development consisting of two towers (31 and 24 storeys respectively) containing market and rental housing, ground-level retail, and two at-grade artists studios. Public realm enhancement along Cambie is part of the discussion. Additional public benefits have been secured through Development Cost Levies ($2m) and for public art (approximately $700K), and further community amenity contribution (CAC) of $5m is included in the proposal.

Later in the week, on Thursday, an earlier public hearing is being reconvened to hear input on a number of items, including the proposed rezoning associated with The Rize development at Kingsway and Broadway. The speakers list for this one is l-o-o-n-g and the proposal has become something of a controversy in the neighbourhood. Read our earlier post on the subject for more details.

Two other rezoning-related items appear in the docket this week. At Tuesday’s regular Council meeting applications related to proposed developments at East 1^st & Victoria (supportive housing) and Howe & Drake (a 41-storey tower) will be considered. Council will be reviewing the proposals and deciding whether or not they should be referred to public hearing.

Get Involved

To find out how you can register to speak on any of these items, check out the City Clerk’s “Speaking to Council” webpage. If you want to present on a Park Board item be sure to visit the Board webpage for details.