The Vancouver Park Board is currently undertaking an initiative called VanPlay, which will result in a 25-year masterplan to guide the creation and maintenance of parks, community centres, and recreational facilities within the city. Community engagement around the “playbook” incorporates themes such as: community and vision, space and equity, ecology and nature, celebration and diversity, resilience and wellbeing. The “Phase 1 Engagement Report” was released last year, and it describes the technical progression of this “yearlong public discussion about the future of parks and recreation.” The whole project is anticipated to be complete by the summer of 2018.

The VanPlay conversation has got me thinking about the origins of the park spaces in which we learn, laugh, and play – and about about these spaces do (and sometimes don’t) afford residents and newcomers the opportunity to recreate and connect in safety, comfort and with peace of mind.

It also raises an interesting series of questions: what, exactly, is a park? Or at the very least, what do we need to ensure the creation of a good park? This, as you can imagine, leads to still other queries:

What sorts of features makes a park a park? Does a park need a playground? Do we need seats or benches in a park? Does a park require an abundance of grass, or does a little suffice? Can a beach be a park? Why is one park better than another? More importantly, why are some parks full of life while others are abandoned and desolate?

The Seawall as it runs along the edge of David Lam Park. Photo by Bobby Sanghera.

On February 12, 2018, B.C. Family Day, I decided to visit David Lam Park located near the south side of Yaletown. The park is located near a number of high-rise residential buildings, shops, offices, and the popular Roundhouse Community Centre. Residents and visitors make use of the lawns for gathering and picnics, or, depending on their age, get more active on the playground, tennis and basketball courts, or the prominent large field (whichs hosts soccer, volleyball and other team sports). Cyclists and pedestrians make use of the Seawall, sometimes stopping to gaze at False Creek, and the public art features located along its edge. During key weekends in the summer, the popularity of this park extends further as it serves as a key venue for the Jazz festival.

It’s this mix of uses that provides at least part of the answer to my questions.

A good park, it would seem, is so much more than just a mere place to have your lunch or a place to take an afternoon stroll. Considered in its most holistic sense, a park is an inclusive, layered, and diverse space that benefits when also surrounded by a range of other uses.

A panorama of David Lam Park. Photo by Dennis S. Hurd.

A park also works best when it aligns with the needs and desires of the users that interact within the dynamic space. The little things that make up the park, such as: benches, boardwalks, and even particular sightlines, must incite a feeling of yearning, appeal, and participation that incentivizes particular sentiments that are unique to each location.

That would imply that the success of such a place is ultimately determined through the various components that allow the park to be noticed, desired, functional, and comfortable. Jane Jacobs, in The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), argues that the fundamental requirement of neighbourhood parks is consideration for the arrangement of things that invite “liveliness and variety [which, in turn] attract more liveliness” (Jacobs, 98).

Jacobs goes on to describe four characteristics that are essential to the conservation of liveliness within a park: The importance of various focal points in the park (centering), the exposure to sunlight (sun), the implicit and explicit boundaries that makeup the park (enclosure), and, the characteristic I’ve been emphasizing, the organization and prearrangement of a park (intricacy) (103).

According to Jacobs, it is the grouping of objects in a park or, “[the] subtle expressions of difference” (104) that catch the eye of users operate as a stimulus that invites intrigue, exploration, and discovery. The experience of a particular space, such as David Lam Park, is an experience that is determined through factors that provide a measure of satisfaction – and, hopefully, happiness – to the user. This includes its many distinct features (including its intriguing public art along the shoreline, warm pavers and fountains, and mix of facilities), as well as the connections to through a space, the visibility and arrangement of features in the landscape, the nature of materials, the presence (and design) of supports such as seating, washrooms, and the variety of spaces that invite mutual uses amongst a diversity of users.

Public art along the edge of Yaletown Park. Photo by GoToVan.

The creation and conservation of our neighborhood parks needs to embrace these human-centered elements. David Lam is an excellent park, but not all of our parks are created to this standard. As we look to the future of parks in the city, it’s important to acknowledge that under-used or unloved park may have unique challenges to overcome. Not all parks can be made perfect, but the opportunity to create a long-range plan like VanPlay is also an opportunity to shed light on the things – big and little – that can help our neighborhood parks become ever more more inclusive and beloved.

Let’s do our part to make sure that all our parks are designed to respond to the needs of our neighbourhoods and their residents. You can learn about the VanPlay process by clicking here or visiting the next VanPlay Community Dialogue on April 10, 2018, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (the location is still to be determined).

UPDATE: We’ve been advised by the Park Board that the next VanPlay Community Dialogue is being rescheduled to May 2018 – final date and location TBD. Please visit their webpage and sign-up for updates about this and other VanPlay events.

Bobby Sanghera is an aspiring Urban Planner and is passionate about social planning. He has lived and worked in Vancouver his whole life and is fascinated with the growing concerns of his local communities.

References

References to Jane Jacobs are from the The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1961. p. 89 – 111.

Impromptu Water Display at David Lam Park

Poor David Lam Park can’t cut a break.

As we speak, half of David Lam Park’s main field (and with it: most of it’s functionality) is closed off due to construction of BC Hydro’s City Central Transmission Project. The park is the staging ground for drilling and installation of a crossing beneath False Creek that will connect a new substation in Mount Pleasant to ones downtown. Unfortunately, the work site isn’t even conveniently taking up one side of the field; it’s sort of awkwardly placed right in the middle of it. Construction is scheduled to be completed by early June, followed by the re-planting of sod and trees. I’ve been told that the annual outdoor Jazz Festival concert at David Lam Park will still take place at the end of June, whether crews are still on site or not. Festival organizers are adamant about keeping the space and will work around the construction zone if they have to.

It pains me to see a recently restored park get dug up like this time and time again. Just a year ago David Lam Park was the site of LiveCity Yaletown for the Olympics. During that time, the unsuspecting grass field was transformed into a (fenced) celebratory plaza of sorts, anchored by the monstrous Coca-Cola, Panasonic, and Samsung pavilions, and fueled by nightly concerts. But even before the Olympics began the park was closed for an extended period to get all of it ready.

And once it was all over, we did our best to remove those giant muddy footprints and return the park to its former self. In doing so, we were able to have it summer-ready for more inclusive annual events like the Jazz Festival and outdoor movie screenings. The volleyball leagues and pick-up soccer games came and went. We were even able to band together on a cold November morning and create a human art installation visible from a freakin’ satellite! There was a slight hiccup when hopes for a community garden didn’t materialize but that’s okay. All was well again.

But I guess I spoke too soon. I hope that BC Hydro can keep to their construction schedule because I’d just like my park back. I’m sure it misses just being a park too.

• Expanding Robson Square – Your Help Needed!

Public Space Ideas:

• Your favourite examples of public space animation?

Re-Cap:

• 350 Earth Art Event – Nice Footwork!

Get Involved – Project Meetings:

• December 1 – Volunteer Orientation Meeting
• December 6 – Urban Design Backgrounder Meeting
• December 7 – Transportation Issues Meeting
• December 13 – Public Space & Public Health Project Meeting

Recent Public Space Blog Articles

• November 24 – Cold Weather Public Space
• November 18 – City looks to takes strides on pedestrian safety
• November 17 – Tips for making Vancouver a more walkable city
• November 11 – Have your say on the Park Board’s proposed 2011 Operating Budget
• November 1 – More ATVs for Vancouver beaches?
• October 30 – Halloween Seabus Party – Ghoulishly Excellent!

PUBLIC SPACE ACTION

Expanding Robson Square – Your Help Needed!

Next Tuesday, November 30, a very important public space motion will be debated at City Council. We need your help with making some very positive noise about this one.

Councillor Suzanne Anton is introducing a motion to expand Robson Square by closing down Robson Street between Howe and Hornby. This would, in effect, pedestrianize the entire south side of the Art Gallery block and turn it into a larger public gathering place. For proponents of a downtown public square this is an extraordinary opportunity. And given that the site is currently closed off because of other construction, the timing is excellent.

The specific text of the motion requests that:

“[City] staff consult with interested parties, including the general public, TransLink, the Downtown Vancouver BIA, the Robson Street BIA, the Art Gallery, and the Province of BC to consider the feasibility of creating a major public square at the 800 Robson Street, with a permanent closure of the street in that block.”

The VPSN is 100% supportive of this motion. For those of you who have been following our work with the Where’s the Square? initiative will know that we’ve long had our eye on this space (as did many of the designers who submitted plans during our ideas competition). The south end of the VAG is the natural spot for a grand gathering place in the downtown, and the present motion would provide a fantastic opportunity to enhance an already vital public space, making it more accessible, more people-friendly and more vibrant than it already is.

We believe that this motion supports the efforts and interests of all three political parties represented at City Council. It presents an chance to take a positive step forward on a number of fronts. Public gathering places of this sort play an important role in supporting urban sustainability, public health and the local economy.

We need your help to make this happen! Please take a few minutes to contact City Council to let them know that they favour such a motion. A quick letter or email will make all the difference. Consider doing one of the following:

(1) Write to Mayor and Council and ask them to support the motion to permanently close Robson Street (between Hornby and Howe) and turn it into a public square. By post: Mayor Gregor Robertson and Members of Council, City of Vancouver, 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4. By email: mayorandcouncil [at] vancouver.ca. You can also send it to each of the councillors individually: [firstname].[lastname]@vancouver.ca. NOTE: Try to get your letter in as soon as possible.

If you want to write to specific members of Council you can also check out this page.

Please consider copying us on your correspondence – urbandesign [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

(2) Make a brief presentation to Council. If you have the time to present your thoughts in person, consider getting on the speakers list by contacting the City Clerk’s office. Phone: 604.873.7276. Email: mayorandcouncil [at] vancouver.ca.

Note: The motion will likely be referred to one of the Standing Committees of Council on Thursday, December 2. If you want to speak in person, plan on attending Thursday. The Clerk’s office will provide you more details.

(3) Pass the word on. Please let your friends, family and colleagues know about this important motion.

PUBLIC SPACE IDEAS

Your favourite examples of public space animation?

Hey, you’ve seen some cool stuff take place in public space, haven’t you? That crazy public art thing that you encountered on your travels? The book market where you scored that awesome novel that changed your life? The spontaneous flash mob gig that your friends dragged you to? That mardi-gras style street festival where you met those weird-but-friendly tourists who turned out to be so much fun? Ah yes, good public space memories! Good public space.

The VPSN is putting together a presentation of case studies and photo-imagery of the coolest public space animation, urban interventions, and used of city space that we can find. We’ve got examples we like to use… but we’re sure you all have some equally awesome ones that you like as well. Actually, we’re hoping that you might be able to share them with us.

What we’re looking for: Photos or illustrations of cool public space interventions and animations from your travels at home or abroad. Also, a brief description – a sentence or two – of where the photo was taken and what it’s of. We’ll credit you for your masterful documentation skills as part of our work.

:: Please send any images to andrew [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

RE-CAP!

350 Earth Art Event – Nice Footwork!

The Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) recently had the opportunity to join some 20 other cities across the world taking part in 350.org’s EARTH art project — creating a public art piece that speaks to the scale of the challenge we are facing with climate change. As part of an awareness raising venture linked to the upcoming climate negotiations in Cancun, 350.org struck a deal with a satellite company to take photos of each city’s art piece from 480 miles above the earth’s surface!

The VPSN teamed up with local artists, Josh Hite and Justine Chambers, who shared an interest in the 350 Earth message, and came up with the concept of a giant footprint – one that might just be large enough to be seen from space.

The footprint concept touches a number of themes that are closely tied to the issue of climate change: The image is a visual pun on the concept of an ‘ecological footprint’ – a concept that was developed at UBC and coined by Bill Rees in 1992, as a means of estimating one’s total demand of ecological resources. The art piece was conceived as a ‘shoe print’, and not a bare foot, to reflect the fact that we are living and acting in an urban environment, and that it is in this way that we leave a distinct mark in our wake.

A big thank you to the 100+ volunteers that joined us at David Lam Park on an unseasonably cold and snowy morning last weekend to help with the project. While the satellite had some difficulty penetrating the clouds, we got some awesome aerial photographs from both the nearby condo towers and from a float plane that did a fly-by for us.

:: Check out the images on the VPSN Flickr page

GET INVOLVED – PROJECT MEETINGS

December 1 – Volunteer Orientation

A monthly orientation meeting about the VPSN’s mission, what we do, and how we do it. Open to the public. Takes place at SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings St.

:: RSVP to erin [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca to receive room information

December 6 – Urban Design Backgrounder Meeting

Our last Urban Design Working Group meeting was a roaring success. One of the outcomes of that session was a follow-up gathering for volunteers who are specifically interested in working on one of our foundation documents/backgrounders on urban design and public space, or, one of upcoming position papers on current urban design ‘issues’. If you have a knack for research or writing, consider coming out to this session and lending a hand.

:: To RSVP and get meeting details – scott [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

December 7 – Transportation Issues Meeting

It’s been a while since we’ve had a Transportation Working Group meeting that convened folks interested in walking, biking, public transit and more. This is it! If you’ve got interests in any or all of the aforementioned issues, or ideas about other connections between transportation and public space, please join us as we brainstorm some new projects and reenergize some of our current work

:: To RSVP – demian [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

December 13 – Public Space & Public Health Project Meeting

The VPSN has recently assembled a project team of volunteers who are interested in the connection(s) between public health and public space. Part of our work will be scoping out and developing a set of backgrounders to explore the points of overlap between these areas, as well as other advocacy materials and creative activities to help promote a healthy urban environment.

:: For meeting details or more info – andrew [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca.

RECENT PUBLIC SPACE BLOG ARTICLES

November 24 – Cold Weather Public Space
The last few days have seen the mercury drop to a near-record cold in this city. Not the sort of cold that phases folks from Calgary, Montreal or other parts of the country, but chilly enough to cause some locals the sort of pained expression normally reserved for a Leafs game or discussions of Tea Party politics….

November 18 – City looks to takes strides on pedestrian safety
A well-designed pedestrian environment improves public health, and public safety, increases the animation of public space, and improves the overall sustainability of the city. For these and other reasons, we were pleased to see Mayor Gregor Robertson introduce a motion at last Tuesday’s Council Meeting calling for improved safety for pedestrians.

November 17 – Tips for making Vancouver a more walkable city
Last month a few members of VPSN attended a seminar entitled “Walking the Talk” that was facilitated by Walk21′s Dr. Rodney Tolley. Dr. Tolley is one of the giants in sustainable transportation research and has written a number of influential articles and books such as “The Greening of Urban Transport: Planning for Walking and Cycling in Western Cities” which is well worth a read!

November 11 – Have your say on the Park Board’s proposed 2011 Operating Budget
The Parks Board has published the proposed changes for their 2011 Fees and Charges (with appendix) to help balance the city’s projected $20 million deficit. There is a general 4 per cent increase across the board to all fees and charges, which translates to increased admission and usage charges…

November 1 – More ATVs for Vancouver beaches?
All things considered, Vancouver’s beaches are pretty safe spaces. They’re particularly well used during the summer months, and the actual layout of the spaces – wide tracts of sunny sand – enables a form of natural person-to-person surveillance. Folks people watch and look at — and out — for one another. Had she been asked, Jane Jacobs might have called the formula “eyes on the beach.”

October 30 – Halloween Seabus Party – Ghoulishly Excellent!
Tonight’s iteration of the annual event saw us animate the Seabus for a ride over to North Vancouver, wander over to the amazing new public pier for a dance party, and then return to Vancouver. Two hours of condensed public space excitement for the low price of a single-zone transit ticket.