We continue to support the proposal to remove the viaducts. The most recent technical report produced by City staff – and currently being deliberated by City Council – responds to a number of questions (particularly around road realignment, traffic flow and existing parks and gardens) that had been raised by residents earlier in the process. We think this document does a commendable job of further making the case for taking the viaducts down. Earlier this week, we wrote to Mayor Robertson and members of Council to say as much. The following is an excerpt of our submission.

…The VPSN has supported the removal of the Viaducts since the City first introduced this idea a number of years ago. We have participated on the NEFC Steering Committee, written previous letters of support, and have discussed this issue widely with our membership.

After reviewing the most recent staff report and documentation, we continue to support the removal of the Viaducts on the basis that this move will:

• Remove aging and overbuilt highway infrastructure from our city’s core area
• Enable significant public space improvements
• Better knit together the existing downtown, Strathcona and DTES communities and road networks
• Create new opportunities for urban growth and development that support the goals of compact, walkable neighbourhoods and the creation of new social infrastructure

We are particularly supportive of the further work that has been done to identify potential public space improvements, including:

• Expanded park area in Creekside Park, modifications to Andy Livingston Park, the replacement of existing skatepark facilities, the opportunity to achieve the “Georgia Steps”, and the creation of a Creekside Promenade
• An elevated park area that utilizes components of the Dunsmuir viaduct
• Improvements to active transportation facilities in the area
• Public space programming ideas that reference a range of uses that will appeal to the diverse interests and needs of Vancouver’s residents and visitor base

While we understand that the capital costs of removing the Viaducts will be a cause concern for some, we also understand that the City will be required to spend significant capital dollars regardless of whether or not the Viaducts are removed. (This isn’t a matter of paying or not paying – it’s a matter of when.)

We believe the City is being proactive and has taken the right steps to assess the implications and opportunities associated with removing this aging highway infrastructure. We don’t feel that the Viaducts should ever be upgraded. Simply put, the opportunity to improve the City though the creation of new neighbourhoods, better open space and more social infrastructure is infinitely more compelling.

1) Final Concepts for the Jim Diva (“Heart of Davie”) Plaza at Bute and Davie are being presented for comment on Thursday, October 22 (4-7pm) and Saturday October 24 (11am-2pm). Stop by the proposed plaza area and share your thoughts! | More info –

2) The Park Board is also holding an open house on Thursday, October 22 to review design options for a new park at Smithe and Richards. Drop in anytime between 4:30 – 8:30pm at the ArtStarts Gallery, 808 Richards Street. | More info –

3) Finally, Looking for other ways to engage? The City Council is also currently deliberating over the future of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.

A City staff report (PDF) has been prepared that outlines various technical considerations related to the decomissioning of this highway infrastructure. Several acres of new and improved park space are proposed as part of the discussion, as well as better neighbourhood connections, a “Georgia Wharf”, new housing and additional social infrastructure.

A presentation by staff took place on Tuesday, and members of the public were able to share their take on the removal of the viaducts starting today. Council is reconvening to hear from speakers on Tuesday, October 27. Review the report and share your thoughts by attending Council or sending your input via email – mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca.

We’ve been excited to follow the progress of the City of Vancouver’s re:CONNECT ideas competition. The future of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts has been a hot topic for the last year or so, and even surfaced a few times during the recent election debates.

Earlier today the City posted the entries that have been received. You can view them online and the vote for your favourites.

The follow is the email that was sent out by the Planning Department on the subject.

Just when you thought your chance to vote in Vancouver had passed, here’s another opportunity to have your say and help inform the future of our city.

The deadline for submissions to the open ideas competition re:CONNECT has come and gone and we’re thrilled by the response. In total we received 104 unique submissions from 13 countries (US, Mexico, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Slovenia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada). While the international response was wonderful, we were particularly pleased with the number of local entries, showing the great energy and creativity around this key city-building question (60% of the submissions were from Vancouver and 75% from Metro Vancouver).

Our exceptional jury of urban experts led by Great Streets author and urbanist Allan Jacobs, has done their hard work and selected winners and honourable mentions in the 3 categories (connecting the core, visualizing the viaducts, and wildcard), in both the fee and free streams and now it is your turn!

On-line voting is now open and will determine the “peoples choice” winners in each category (voting will run from today until November 25, 2011 (this Friday). If you have an interest in the future of the viaducts and our Eastern Core, we hope that you’ll study the entries on-line and help us select the winners! You can rank each entry out of five and comment on any or all of the submissions. This feedback will be used not only to award winners, but will also provide important feedback for the future of this area of our city.

Submissions range from the beautification of the viaducts, to their re-use as open space or other uses, or their partial or complete removal and replacement. The ideas illustrate development, open space and even naturalized futures. The visions range from the practical and pragmatic, to the futuristic and whimsical. Submitters appeared to be inspired by everything from water and nature, to our urban past and current housing challenges, to volcanoes, horses, corn-dogs, and knitting yarn!

All of the winners will be announced at a public event on December 1, 2011. Stay tuned for more details on this event.

Deadline approaches for ideas competition on future of viaducts and Eastern Core

Only two weeks remain to enter the re:CONNECT ideas competition, which is open to anyone with inspiring and innovative concepts for the future of Vancouver’s viaducts and Eastern Core.

The competition is part of the City of Vancouver’s ongoing review of the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts and strategic planning for the Eastern Core, which stretches from Northeast False Creek to Clark Drive. Registration deadline is November 2, and entries must be received by November 4.

Citizens and design professionals are encouraged to think big and bold about the possibilities, taking inspiration from transformative urban projects such as New York’s High Line, a linear park built on a decommissioned elevated rail track and Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon, where an elevated highway was removed to create an urban recreation space featuring a day-lighted stream. 

The opportunity to offer ideas for shaping Vancouver’s future has sparked interest around the world. Since the launch of re:CONNECT in late September, over 70 registrations from more than a dozen countries have been received.

While no decisions on the future of the viaducts are being made through re:CONNECT, the City welcomes inspiration and fresh views to help inform future planning.

The competition is divided into two entry streams — free and fee. Both streams will accept submissions in three categories: Big Picture, Viaducts, and Wild Card.

The free stream is directed toward people from any background. The fee stream, while open to anyone who wishes to enter, is directed more at design professionals such as architects, engineers and urban planners. This stream requires an entry fee and will include a monetary award for winning entrants.

Winners from both streams will have their ideas presented in post-competition literature that will be made available online and to Vancouver City Council and profiled at a public forum.

An independent design jury, made up of renowned international and local urban experts, will choose the winners in both streams. A People’s Choice Award will also be given in each category with the winning entries decided by public online voting, which will be open from November 21-25.

Winners will be announced at a public forum on December 1.

To enter or for more information: vancouver.ca/reconnect

A report on the subject will be in front of Council next week and can be viewed here.

As part of the proposal, there’s also discussion around the potential to create new public space(s) around the gallery, including a public plaza and the possible closure of Cambie Street between Georgia and Dunsmuir. Exciting stuff that, in our mind, builds upon the work that’s been done on the expansion of Robson Square.

We’ll be reviewing the report and making further comment shortly. In the meanwhile, here’s the City’s press release:

Report proposing downtown cultural hub, possible Vancouver Art Gallery relocation, public plaza coming to council

A staff report coming to Vancouver city council next week proposes setting aside two acres of 688 Cambie Street (the former Greyhound Bus depot and Olympic Downtown Live Site) for the development of a cultural hub and public plaza, which could include the relocation and expansion of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

“The exciting thing about this proposal is that it’s not just about the potential for a new cultural space, but also about the design and use of public space downtown,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “This site was the home for the Olympic Downtown Live Site and Four Host First Nations, and we want to create a lasting cultural and economic legacy from the success we saw during the Games.

“We have an opportunity to create a hub of cultural and economic activity in a unique and evolving part of downtown, while also developing a new space for the public to enjoy. That could include a new public plaza and even a possible closure of part of Cambie Street, which would create a vibrant public space as an Olympic legacy.

“These ideas will all be discussed as part of the consultations we’ll be kicking off, and I look forward to hearing from the public about them.”

The report, which will go to council Thursday January 20, recommends that the City reserve two acres of 688 Cambie for up to two years for cultural use. During this time, city staff would work with the Vancouver Art Gallery to develop a strategy that meets the future needs of both the Gallery and the City. The City would commit two acres of the lot at 688 Cambie, which is currently a surface parking lot, for a new Gallery if the VAG can develop a rigorous business plan, demonstrate broad support from the cultural community and the public, and provide evidence of its ability to successfully raise the required capital and operating costs.

The report to council proposes examining the potential for a public plaza fronting on Georgia Street, which would create continuity between the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza and 688 Cambie. There will also be discussions with other cultural groups like the Vancouver Concert Hall and Theatre Society, who have expressed interest in using the site for a concert hall and theatre.

The City will also undertake an extensive community consultation and public input process from the cultural community and general public on the Gallery and the use of the site at 688 Cambie.
“This proposal is a very positive step forward,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “The VAG is one of the most important cultural institutions in our city and it has made a compelling case for expansion and relocation. I want to recognize the patience and dedication the VAG has shown over these past few years – it has been a long process to arrive at this juncture but we now have a framework to move forward.

“This council has been a strong supporter of arts and culture – we did not make a single budget cut to the arts last year. We have a world-class arts and culture scene in Vancouver and we’re going to do everything we can to take it to the next level.”

The council report can be viewed here.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world… a crowd gathers for New
Year’s celebrations at Mrs Macquerie’s Point in Sydney Australia.
Submitted by VPSN member Lisa M.

A late year greeting to all of you from the gang at the VPSN. This is it: day 365 of 2010 and we’re a mere few hours away from a brand new year. We hope you’re having a grand time with you various celebrations.

We wanted to take this opportunity to send you out a quick thank you for all your support this past year. 2010 has been an exciting one for us – and a busy year for public space related issues in the Vancouver. We had the opportunity to be involved in a great number of initiatives, and it’s been fun take this holiday period to reflect on the public space ‘scene’ in Vancouver over the past 12 months.

This time last year, Vancouverites of all political stripes were gearing up for the Olympics, planning a range of activities. In addition to some pre-Games advocacy work around Olympic gathering areas, corporate signage and the deployment of surveillance technology, the VPSN also launched our blog during the 1^st month of 2010 – using it to report out on urban issues – starting with the Game’s related transformation of the City. Since that time, we’ve seen our readership grow in leaps and bounds… and it’s been a great tool to connect with residents of the City about civic affairs issues.

2010 was also a big year on the active transportation front. The Olympic transportation plan marked a watershed moment for shaping urban mobility during the Games. But that was only the start! The Vancouver Courier recently declared their ‘Newsmaker of the Year’ to be the bicycle – no small tribute to the many initiatives that have taken place concerning the humble two-wheeler this year. Chief amongst these was the installation of the Dunsmuir viaduct separated bikelane in the Spring of this year and the more recent opening of the Hornby Street separated lane. These weren’t controversy free, to be sure, and yes, the process could have been handled better… but regardless, we feel that they will help to put Vancouver on the path to a more sustainable, healthful future.

Pedestrian issues have also begun to come to the fore and we’ve been working to support these where possible. There been an increasing focus on improving the pedestrian experience, the walkability of neighbourhoods, and attending to issues of pedestrian safety. And with the City focusing on “green mobility” as part of its Bright Green Future initiative and planning to develop a new Transportation Plan in 2011, this positive trend will only continue. Our prediction? 2011 will be to pedestrian issues, what 2010 was to the bicycle. Just watch what happens when the international Walk 21 Conference landing in town in November.

Animating the city’s public spaces has always been part of our strategy to focus attention on the public realm. This year was no exception! In the summer time we transformed Granville Street into a giant percussive ensemble with our Stick it to the Streets event. Later in the year, we were pleased to roll out two of our annual favourites: in September we participated in our third Park(ing) Day celebration – that international day of parking space reclamation (this year we had sites in Davie Village and at City Hall). Then in late October, we had our annual Halloween transit party – a massive costumed take-over of the Seabus. And then in November we managed to get 100 folks together on Vancouver’s coldest, snowiest day, to make a giant ‘ecological footprint’ as part of an international public art project.

In 2010 we continued to wear our advocacy hats on all aspects of Vancouver’s public space policy – from arguing against the deployment of surveillance cameras in schools to raising the alarm over new forms of corporate advertising, from to registering concern with increased fees for community-based events, to taking a stance against the proposal to extend the municipal vote to corporations.

We’ve also weighed in on site-specific spaces as well – we participated in the discussion around moving the Vancouver Art Gallery, developed new community gardens, completed an ethnographic film on Yaletown Park, and focused a considerable amount of resources towards advocating for a sufficient quantity and quality of public space (and other public benefits) as part of the development of Northeast False Creek. And of course there’s another item we’re very excited about: the push to transform the 800 block of Robson Street into a public square (a move that was recently supported by all three municipal parties!)

This was just a sampling of some of the things we were involved in last year. As with all our projects, the aforementioned initiatives gave us the chance to work with fantastic volunteers, amazing community organizations and stellar people in local government, schools and universities and the community at large. It’s an honour for us to be able to collaborate with Vancouver’s many excellent space-makers and urban enthusiasts. 

* * * * * 

VPSN Coordinators also took the first weekend in December to plan out some of our activities for 2011. Here’s a sneak peek of a few of the many things you can expect to see over the next 12 months:

• Where’s the Square II – stay tuned for our summertime animation of Robson Street – with a fantastic food-themed event.
• Vancouver Votes / Public Space Manifesto – 2011 is election year, and as with the last municipal contest, the VPSN will be developing a new manifesto and a number of election related events aimed at putting public space issues on the agenda. 
• Relaunching PubliCity – we’ve had an issue ready to go for a few months now… and we’ll be rolling this out in the first few months of 2011.
• Transforming Broadway – Due in January, our report on transforming Broadway into a Great Street will showcase exciting options for the future of Vancouver’s longest east/west corridor.
• Speaker Series / Backgrounders / Websites – We’ve been developing new backgrounders on public health, parking space reclamation, and greenspaces, to name a few. We’ll also be launching version 2.0 of our website, holding key speaker series events and a range of other open-source materials
• Collaborative ventures – We’ve got some exciting things lined up with the Museum of Vancouver and the Vancouver Art Gallery, and other projects in the hopper as well.

And there will be lots of other stuff coming as well… including all your favourite annual events, parties, film fest activities and more. 

Finally… don’t forget, the first big community opportunity to embrace public space takes place tomorrow morning, January 1, with the annual polar bear swim. Even if you don’t brave the chilly waters of English Bay yourself, the scene is a festive one.

The year begins and ends with celebrating in public space. Happy 2011 everyone! Very best wishes to you all.

Your friends at the Vancouver Public Space Network

Another good public space related press release from the City of Vancouver… this one on the proposed Hornby Street separated bike lane (designed to provide a connection between the Burrard Bridge and Dunsmuir bike lanes).

At the same time, some interesting numbers on the numbers of riders using the Dunsmuir separated lane.

A good opportunity for folks to provide input and to let Council know about their thoughts on this new cycling infrastructure. There’s a website survey, as well as a public information session taking place mid-August.

City launches consultation on downtown bike lane;
Ridership on Dunsmuir sets new record

The City of Vancouver invites public input on the development of a separated bike lane in the Downtown core to connect existing lanes and provide greater separation between cyclists and vehicles.

Under the proposed plan, a separated bike lane on Hornby Street would connect the existing Burrard Bridge and Dunsmuir Street separated bike lanes and also connect with the seawalls in Coal Harbour and off Beach Ave. on the English Bay end.

An information session will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 11 between 11 am and 7 pm in the rotunda of the Pacific Centre Mall at Howe and Georgia streets. City of Vancouver staff will be on site to provide information, offer survey cards and receive feedback from the public.

Surveys will also be mailed to businesses and residents along Hornby to solicit feedback. For more information on the proposed plan, visit Cycling – City of Vancouver. To fill out a survey on the proposed bike route visit Vancouver.ca/hornbysurvey.

The consultation runs from now until mid-September.

When considering which street to implement a north-south separated bike lane, City staff evaluated factors like safety, truck and transit use, existing bike routes and use, traffic flows as well as the presence of on-street parking and loading zones. Staff evaluated Burrard, Thurlow, and Hornby streets.

Hornby Street is the preferred option for a cross-town separated bike lane because:

• it already has a one-way bike lane;
• there is high bicycle and medium vehicle use of Hornby;
• it has no transit routes; and,
• it is not a designated truck route.

The consultation for the route comes amidst significant growth in the use of the new separated bike lane on Dunsmuir and the Burrard Bridge milestone of one million cyclists across the bridge on July 7, just six days short of the bike lane’s one-year anniversary.

Counters also show 2000 cyclists are using the Dunsmuir lane each day, up from 500 a few months ago, a 250 per cent increase.

About 30,000 bike trips a week are being made across the Burrard Bridge this summer.

The City is committed to becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020 and bike lanes are an important way to help reach that goal. The increased use of separated bike lanes shows cyclists prefer a protective barrier between vehicles and cycling traffic.

As more people get out of their cars and onto a bike or walk, the city will enjoy improved air quality, less traffic congestion and reduced greenhouse gases.

It’s official! The new separated bike lane on Dunsmuir Street is open for traffic — creating a great opportunity for car-wary cyclists to try biking into the heart of the city.

Up to this point, the city’s network of separated bike lanes has been more piecemeal – the success of the Seawall not finding much company on the network of ‘regular’ city streets. For some time Carrall Street was a lonely standout for separated lanes in the city. Then came the Burrard Bridge lane last year… followed by the Dunsmuir bike lane earlier this year. Now the City’s Engineering Department is pedaling ever closer to a linking all of these components together. With the Dunsmuir lane complete, the next candidate for lane separation is Burrard Street.

This is great news on the sustainable transportation front. It’s more than just a nice idea for being green — it’s pretty darn practical too. Better still, give it a whirl and you’ll see something else: it’s a mighty sweet ride!

The new one kilometre lane moves the state of the city’s cycling infrastructure forward yet again – providing a safe and convenient linkage from the well-used Adanac bike route into the downtown core. Kudos to the City’s Engineering staff for moving this initiative forward so effectively.

The ride, short as it is, is a nice one – with a decent grade, a good pace and a pleasing view of the city — all key ingredients that give the route an enjoyable quality. This is important – in order for cycling to truly succeed as a popular alternative it has to be more than just safe and economical… it has to be fun too. (It’s this last part that sometimes gets left out of planning work, but that’s another story).

The really exciting thing, as the precipitating Council report from early February makes clear, is that there is more to come. The next stage of work to take place downtown will be to look at developing a series of separated bike lanes to link the Dunsmuir viaduct with the Burrard Bridge. The same Council report that preceded this new lane, also reiterates other, earlier, proposals for separated lanes elsewhere in the downtown core.

As the following Engineering map illustrates, the number of separated bike lane routes (and the total length of these routes) in the city is, at present, woefully small.

On the positive side, there has been a definite increase in the amount of cycling infrastructure created over the last two decades:

But as we’ve argued, it’s separated bike lanes that will ultimately be most effective in broadening the cycling demographic, making it a more intuitive option for a wider range of people.

At a cost of $300,000, the Dunsmuir bike lane is expensive, but ultimately money well spent. It’s one of the more high profile projects currently being undertaken by the City’s Engineering Department, and an initiative that will, (along with the Burrard Bridge lane installed last year), provide people with good opportunities to gear into more sustainable modes of transportation.

* * * * *

On that note… isn’t the Dunsmuir lane a marked contrast to the Burrard Bridge bike project?

Where the lead-up to the installation of the Burrard lane saw a veritable twelve-lane pile-up of apocalyptic renderings (lots and lots of honking and bleating about traffic chaos, endless gridlock, the economic collapse of the city… none of which actually happened), this latest Dunsmuir venture seems to have generated nary a peep.

True, the lane had been closed for construction for some time before hand, and perhaps drivers had simply learned to live without the lane… or is it possible that we’ve actually turned a bit of a corner? Perhaps the Burrard Bridge and Olympic lane closures have yielded a bigger lesson than anticipated. Like that new public art installation on Pender Street says: “Everything will be all right.”