From street hawkers to pop-up parks, from the New York High Line to Barcelona’s La Boqueria, urban acupuncture materializes in many different ways. Its principle, however, remains static in that it is seeks to re-energize communities through small-scale design innovation.

An antidote to more often prioritized, top-down, infrastructural change, urban acupuncture explores bottom-up, grassroots design that is both low-cost and low-impact. Requiring a detailed understanding of the communities it seeks to improve, planners are encouraged to identify gaps in services and potential connection points, all while remaining sensitive to the identity and needs of the neigbourhood.

In many ways, it is a more “philosophical approach to urban planning.”

“Sometimes just one stroke of creativity is acupuncture powerful enough to make progress,” states Jaime Lerner, a global proponent of the movement whose belief in urban acupuncture largely guided the city planning of Curitiba, Brazil in the ’70s and ‘80s.

This creativity serves as an opposing force to “industrious mediocrity” brought with rapid, homogenous development. Above all, however, it lends legitimacy to public spaces by encouraging increased use, and fosters understanding between city-dwellers in its desire to connect residents and blur the boundaries between work, play, and living.

Examples of urban acupuncture have spread across Vancouver in recent years, from City Studio’s “Keys to the Streets” campaign, to the creation of the “Robson Redux.” Both have successfully enhanced existing public space, encouraging greater use by and interaction between residents.

Traditionally, vulnerable communities have most benefited from urban acupuncture initiatives, Lerner’s Curitiba serving as a prime example. During his tenure as mayor, a severe gap in the provision of utilities was identified in the city’s surrounding slums. Believing that the perception of the problem was far greater than its reality, Lerner devised a way of threading electrical cables and water pipes along the handrails bordering the steep staircases of the favelas.

Charging nominal fees for use, residents of this part of the city found their day-to-day life quite improved, while the initiative’s planning and implementation provided the favelas, often overlooked by planners, a sense of legitimacy. Investments in time, planning and resources imbue neighbourhoods with a sense of pride, particularly when done through bottoms-up design. Often, projects encourage city-dwellers from elsewhere to visit and utilize newly revitalized public spaces, forging connection between those of disparate backgrounds and resources.

In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a neighbourhood often identified by its homeless population and drug abuse, this type of encouraged connection is invaluable. It discourages community outsiders from using labels such as “addict” to homogenize residents, instead allowing insight into the diversity and vivacity of the neighbourhood.

A fixture on Carrall Street since 2010, the Sunday Downtown Eastside Street Market is exemplary of urban acupuncture, providing such connections. Its recent application to move to a permanent location promises to increase its positive impact. An example of local entrepreneurship, the market allows as many as 200 vendors from the DTES to sell salvaged goods, which would otherwise be fodder for the landfill. Organized by a small group of volunteers and funded by the City of Vancouver, a concerted effort is made to ensure that the market is run efficiently, and that its integrity is not compromised by the presence of stolen goods.

It is, in many ways, an open-air thrift store.

Vendors, who are able to sell for free and avoid the purchase of an $800 street vending license, use the income to supplement social assistance. For many, the market supports the right of residents to work, while also recycling income back into the local economy.

Having applied to relocate to 58 West Hastings, the promise of a permanent home is an alluring prospect for the market. “By legitimizing and organizing activity that already takes place, the community shows that it is open to creating a better neighbourhood, and provides a way to keep the same neighbours without displacement of the low income population,” reads the DTES Street Market Operation Plan. The hope is to eventually increase the frequency of the market, an interest supported by many street vendors and community members.

With permanence, increased frequency and legitimacy, the market’s success as an instance of urban acupuncture will no doubt grow. Providing methods for connection between marginalized individuals and other Vancouverites, suffusing the local economy with income, and legitimizing the needs of the DTES through support from the City, will no doubt make the market a shining example of grassroots urban design.

On Monday, March 31, the Park Board meeting will be looking at lease extensions for Prospect Point Café and Stanley Pavillion, hearing a presentation on the Stanley Park Cherry Grove Memorial, and considering a proposal for a new community garden at Kingcrest Park, located in the Cedar Cottage neighbourhood. The proposed Kingcrest Community Garden will have 20 allotment spaces, demonstration and pollinator gardens.

Speaking of bees, Park Board Commissioners will have the chance to debate a motion on “The Pollinator Project” – which, if passed, would direct staff to “develop strategies for supporting pollinators in priority Vancouver parks and streets as part of the Biodiversity Strategy and Urban Forest Strategy.”

Also in the meeting, a report on the upcoming 2014 Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale – and a proposal to keep works from the current Biennale in place throughout the duration of upcoming festival. The installations in question are Dennis Oppenheim’s “Engagement”, located in English Bay; Bernar Venet’s “217.5 Arcs” at Sunset Beach; and, Freezing Water #7 by Ren Jun, located at Vanier Park)

There are two other motions on the docket as well. The first relates to the scaling back of Canada Post service delivery. If passed, it would direct the Park Board Chair to “write a letter to the Mayor indicating the Park Board’s concerns with Canada Post’s plan.” The second item will be familiar to friends of VPSN, and is a complementary motion to City Council’s recent move to develop a strategy of no net loss of greenspace.

On April 1, 2014, City Council will be meeting for both a regular session of Council as well as a Public Hearing.

On the morning Council agenda, one item of note for the democratic dimensions of public space: a motion regarding the Federal Bill C-23, So-Called “Fair Elections Act.” If passed, the motion would direct the City (presumably the Mayor) to “write a letter to Vancouver Members of Parliament, the Minister of Democratic Reform and the Prime Minister stating opposition to Bill C-23.”

The afternoon’s Public Hearing is devoted to proposed bylaw changes coming out of the recently passed Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan. Under consideration are amendments to the Downtown Official Development Plan, the Downtown Eastside

Oppenheimer Official Development Plan and the Single Room Accommodation By-law, as well as various sections of the Zoning and Development By-law.

Next day, Tuesday, April 2, 2014, there’s a full agenda for the Planning, Transportation and Environment meeting of Council.

First up, a presentation and discussion on the Mayor’s Engaged City Task Force, and the final report and recommendations that emerged from their work. The VPSN wrote to Council in response to the Task Force’s earlier “Quick Start” report, and will be providing commentary on the final document as well. Stay tuned for that!

Next up, a series of reports on City grants for both Community Services (including neighbourhood houses, service agencies and other groups) and arts and culture organizations. If approved, the City will be investing approximately $6.5 million in operating, capital, project, childcare and rent subsidy grants for over 130 service agencies, as well as an additional $7.5 million in operating and project grants for arts and culture groups.

And to round things out, Council will be considering the Marpole Community Plan – the third of four current neighbourhood-scale planning initiatives. Like the recently passed West End and Downtown Eastside plans, this was also initiated in 2012. There are specific chapters on a number of public space items – streetscapes, parks and open space, public benefits, and more. The VPSN is currently reviewing this document and will be providing commentary to City Council in advance of the meeting. Check back on the blog to read our feedback!

Want to speak to any of these items? To find out how you can share your feedback with Council or Park Board – in person, or in writing – visit the City’s Council webpage.

On Monday, March 10, the first public hearing will consider three projects, including the proposed Oakridge Centre rezoning and development. There’s a lot to be discussed on this latter item – higher buildings, new park and plaza space, and key transportation considerations – and it promises to be a lively debate. (Some of the public correspondence is already on-line, and in case you missed it, we outlined some of the public space-specific considerations in a blog post on February 19.)

The following day, Tuesday, March 11, the regular sitting of Council sees a full suite of items.

Curious about how much Mayor and Council took home as pay this year? The 2013 Council Remuneration and Expenses report details salaries, travel and other expenses.

Following that, there’s a number of Motions being proposed in the meeting, including:

• Protecting Vancouver’s Public Green Space – which, if passed, would direct City staff to develop a policy of no net loss of public green space. Interestingly, this idea was proposed by former Park Commissioner Spencer Herbert (now an MLA) back in 2007. It didn’t pass back then, so it will be interesting to see how the discussion goes this time around. (The VPSN wrote in support of the motion back in ’07 and plan to offer our support this time as well). We’ll share more on this item in a few days time.

• Develop an Art Cart Programme – a motion aimed at expanding street vending opportunities for locally made arts and crafts.

• Traffic Safety and Increased Traffic Volume – 4th Avenue West of Macdonald – The Pt. Grey Road active transportation corridor has created some changes in local traffic patterns. While the City is monitoring these impacts, there are reports in some corners that southbound left-turns onto 4th Avenue are becoming more challenging. This motion looks at the possibility of installing traffic signals to respond to these concerns. (Of interest to sustainable transportation enthusiasts: it’s proposed that funding for these signals be “found within found within the up to $6.0 million budget previously approved by Council for Phase 1 of the completion of the Seaside Greenway and creation of the York Bikeway.”)

• Proposed Service Cuts on TransLink Bus Route 49 UBC/Metrotown Station – as part a program of “service optimization,” TransLink is considering changes to the 49 UBC/Metrotown Station bus. This would eliminate key transit service to Champlain Heights, “a community which includes a high proportion of seniors, young families and people with disabilities who rely on transit service to work, go to school and complete essential daily tasks.” The proposed Council motion would direct staff to advise TransLink that the City “opposes any reduction of service” on this route.

Lastly (at least for our update), Wednesday, March 12 features a key City Finance and Service and Services Committee meeting – one which will see Council deliberate over the Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan, an ambitious neighbourhood-scale policy document that will set out land-use directions, social and cultural policy, and public realm considerations for the next few decades. The VPSN is currently reviewing this document and will be presenting our take on it very shortly.

Interested in letting Council know your thoughts on any of these items? Follow this link to find out how you can have your say (either in person, or via letter/email).

On March 12 2014 the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Plan is going before council. The plan sets broad policy goals for this complex and fascinating community that spans from the heritage communities of Gastown, Victory Square, Chinatown and Japantown, to the industrial spaces of Clark Dr and shady streets of Strathcona and Kiwassa, for the next 30 years.

Now is the time to read the draft plan and share your thoughts!

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Register to speak at Council on March 12; write an email to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca
• Attend the VPSN’s DTES plan review session at 7pm, March 4 2014.
  For details of this event please email stewart@vancouverpublicspace.ca

At this informal session we propose to discuss the impacts of the plan on public spaces in the DTES. Following this session we will draft a brief position statement and provide speaking points to any that may be interested in standing up on March 12 on behalf of public spaces in the DTES.

Please come prepared to discuss the public space aspects of the plan. Note this is not an ‘official’ city consultation event. If you cannot make this event we welcome your comments for inclusion in our work by email.

Further reading:

• City of Vancouver Official DTES local area plan (2014)
• DTES Local Area Area Profile (2013)
• A short history of the DTES (2005)
• Carnegie Community Action Project (summary position)
• Strathcona Business Improvement Association (summary position)

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.