This time around, equipped with my sketchbook and inspired by Cullen, I wanted to meander away from the central spine of the Seawall and explore its more hidden spaces along the way. There are a number of ‘mid block connections’ within the residential developments along False Creek that play an interesting functional and experiential role within the larger public realm system of the area. I sketched a series of vignettes as reflections on the contributions that these more narrow and semi-public spaces make in completing the spectrum of spaces provided within the area’s public realm.

Functionally, these spaces provide increased connectivity for people walking and cycling. They provide subtle apertures for people wanting to make their way to the water’s edge or back towards the city. Their narrow, intimate scale and tree canopy provide shade and comfort, particularly in hot summer months. Finally, they break the more predictable rhythm of the Seawall (and Vancouver’s prevailing grid), creating serendipity and potential for more intimate chance encounters. By softening the private/public edge condition and permeating the public realm through private developments, they create spaces for interaction and hospitality. These spaces are intriguing in the way that they often blur the boundary between private and public space. They are often undefined and malleable – and their secondary role as public spaces means they can be at times both easily overlooked, and often rigidly regulated by strata corporations and property mangers.

To my mind, the potential of these mid-block connections is only fully realized with the appropriate constellation of well-placed, well-scaled buildings and inviting ground-level activation – such as patios, soft and hard landscape features – and community use. These sorts of elements help to shape these liner passageways and ultimately an active albeit informal participation of people bring these unique spaces to life.

Cullen captures this potential more generally by stating, “a city is more than the sum of its inhabitants. It has the power to generate a surplus of amenity, which is one reason why people like to live in communities rather than in isolation…bring people together and they create a collective surplus of enjoyment; bring buildings together and collectively they can give visual pleasure which none can give separately” (p.7).

These mid block connections are a great example of such surplus amenity in the context of their surroundings, with potential for pleasure and enjoyment particularly if more artfully and actively utilized for sociability and public life. To this end, perhaps the hallmark of a good space is probably when it gets used for spontaneous activities that were never anticipated by the designers and architects who built the space. Imagine my happiness when, returning to my home after sketching a few of these places, I saw a couple holding a garage sale in one of these spaces while engaging with their neighbours. A perfect summertime activity in this intriguing public space.

Change is afoot for an oft-overlooked area of Vancouver. Since the announcement of the relocation of St Pauls Hospital to the False Creek Flats, the spotlight has been firmly fixed on the area as the city begins to deliberate how to transform it into a new industrial hub. Rebranding the area as The Flats, the city has held six different events, each focusing on a different area of redevelopment: industry and employment intensification, industry and technology, connectivity and transport, urban food systems, culture, and creating great places.

Creating Great Places

I attended the final workshop, ‘Creating Great Places’, held in The Flats at the National Works Yard on National Ave. There was a pretty healthy turnout which I hope was mirrored at other events, with about 40 members of public, as well as a handful of facilitators from the City of Vancouver. The workshop itself was run very well and immediately got people thinking about what they personally would like to see in The Flats. Following that brief brainstorming session, participants split into groups depending on their personal interests and were let loose on giant maps of the city. This sparked interesting discussions over how to create a great place to visit in The Flats, rather than having it be a place solely for coming to work.

Making Connections

The point people seemed to come back to most was ways of making connections to The Flats: both personal connections between people working there, and also more formal connections in the shape of public transit and bike routes. The layout of the area causes some issues with this due to the large amount of rail lines. However, bridges over the train tracks could help forge some of these connections into the locale. In particular, a connection from VCC Clark into The Flats seems to be vital, as it is the closest transit station to the eastern edge; currently it is a long walk around to buildings that you can see from the station. Participants were heavily in favour of making these connections into ‘green connections’, helping fulfil the City of Vancouver’s target for The Flats to be the ‘greenest place to work in the world’. One suggestion was the creation of a green corridor from Strathcona Park to Thornton Park in front of Pacific Central utilising the green space planned for the new St Pauls site.

Emulating Granville Island

Another way to create this connectivity is by utilizing the amenities which already exist in The Flats, creating special places along the walkways akin to ‘Railspur Alley’ on Granville Island. These would help entice visitors into The Flats which would increase foot traffic to local businesses. Ideas for night markets, concert venues and bars were also forthcoming as the lack of housing in the area would allow for ‘noisier’ evening events to occur without the possibility of neighbourhood disapproval.

With Emily Carr moving its main campus to The Flats in 2016 there is an opportunity to build on the existing arts cluster in the area and build a truly vibrant arts quarter for Vancouver. Participants highlighted the need to find smaller spaces to curate art experiences and also utilize dead space between buildings to place art in different spaces. One way to do this could be through the use of local art to create enticing walkways, further increasing the connectivity of The Flats.

Greening and Gardening

A vocal portion of the audience was dedicated to the greening of the area, and specifically the safeguarding of the community gardens in The Flats, specifically Cottonwood and Strathcona. These gardens provide food resources to the city and are a much needed green space as well as an urban refuge for many. There was also talk of potentially day-lighting streams from China Creek Park to False Creek which could provide the area with much needed relief from the threats of rising sea levels and climate change.

The event showcased a lot of exciting ideas for the False Creek Flats as well as a good level of engagement from the local community. The City is now taking the ideas from its six events and will be creating further plans to be displayed at an Open House in September. It will be interesting to see what they draw up, and hopefully will lead to further engagement and ideas from the community to create a vibrant industrial quarter on the edge of Vancouver’s downtown.

Even as an adult it is hard to imagine that less than 150 years ago the area that is now Vancouver was a dense temperate rainforest populated with diverse wildlife where a network of creeks and streams flowed and emptied into the Burrard Inlet, False Creek or the Fraser River. It was home to First Nations people who for thousands of years had more than adequately sustained themselves on the abundant resources that the watershed provided. In addition to the current exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver, Rewilding Vancouver, one only has to hike any number of North Shore trails to get an idea of what Vancouver was like before the arrival of European settlers.

Horse-drawn wagons on North Arm Road (Granville Street near 37th Avenue) circa 1895. Image: City of Vancouver Archives

While viewing a map of Vancouver’s creek system during an urban design lecture, I discovered that my dad was not telling tall tales after all. The map showed a creek near my dad’s childhood home in the exact place he had claimed. More recently, the UBC Library digitized the content of the Vancouver Aquarium’s old paper maps. This high-resolution digital map allows you to view the paths of old streams and the original shoreline of Vancouver. My dad used it to illustrate the creek’s location in relation to his family’s home. A few months ago he also found a photo taken around 1948 of his childhood friend standing in the creek bed, showing that even in the more recent past, parts of Vancouver’s creek system were still visible (had he produced this when I was younger, I may have been more easily convinced of his fishing claims). According to dad, the wooden bridge visible in the background of this photograph was where East 62nd Avenue crossed the creek.

Location of creek in relation to my dad’s childhood home. Annotations: Terry Pollard

Creek bed, South Vancouver circa 1948. Image: Terry Pollard

So what happened? Where did all these creeks go? The arrival of the first Europeans brought a different set of values. To them nature was viewed as an inhospitable nuisance—something to be controlled and exploited. Within a few short decades the watershed’s abundant natural resources were extracted, processed and sold—replaced with a system of roads, streetcar tracks and sewers, buildings and railroads, non-native trees and plants. Creeks and streams were diverted, buried, paved over or just ignored—sometimes resulting in disastrous consequences.

Flooding at Broadway and Heather circa 1909. Image: Vancouver City Archives

Within the last half-century, however, a new set of values has emerged and we have a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and its value not only to the planet but also to our own well-being. With this new set of values, a new way of thinking about nature and its role in city life has also emerged and with it a movement toward integrating nature into the urban environment. One way to achieve this integration is by daylighting. Creek or stream “daylighting” is a strategy that restores creeks and streams back to their natural state. As the name suggests, it involves uncovering these buried, culverted creeks and bringing them back to the surface. While accomplishing this strategy in a built-up area is fraught with complications such as the up-front costs, working around existing structures and property ownership, the long-term benefits are several. Some of these benefits include:

• Storage and absorption of stormwater run-off over their vegetated and riparian surfaces to improve water quality and prevent stormwater surges
• Cooling the air to reduce the heat island effect
• Providing public places of respite, recreation and access to nature
• Improved aesthetics and neighbourhood beautification
• Increased wildlife habitat and biodiversity
• Opportunities for education about local history and ecology
• Opportunities for stewardship, a sense of pride, community spirit and connection

Illustration by Richard Register depicting how aging built structures surrounding creeks can be removed over time to restore the urban watershed.

With such a range of benefits several cities in North America and elsewhere have adopted the practise of daylighting. One of the most striking examples is in Seoul South Korea. The Cheong Gye Cheon Project was initiated in 2003 and involved removing a freeway in downtown Seoul to restore the creek located underneath it. Lauded as a success, the most noteworthy benefits are the increased natural habitats for various fish, bird and insect species and a significant cooling effect with temperatures along the stream as much as 5.9 °C cooler than in other nearby areas. Several creeks in Vancouver have also been successfully restored including Spanish Banks, Musqueam, Hastings and Still Creek with salmon returning to spawn in Spanish Banks, Still and Musqueam Creeks.

Cheong Gye Cheon, before and after. Image: http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/12/08/seouls-new-heart/

Is creek daylighting in Vancouver something that interests you? Want to get involved? Evergreen manages volunteers for these projects, and there are many more green volunteer opportunities listed on the City’s website. Other groups in Vancouver who advocate, raise awareness and provide volunteer opportunities for creek daylighting and restoration include: False Creek Watershed Society, St George Rainway Project, Langara Wetland Project, Gibby’s Field and Stanley Park Ecological Society. Explore the digital map provided with this post – perhaps there’s a lost creek in your neighbourhood where redevelopment might occur soon or where surrounding aging built structures could be removed in the future. For example, using UBC’s digital map, I discovered a creek that flows underneath the Arbutus Shopping Centre. This property is slated for redevelopment with opportunities for public input during the development permit process.

A creek running under Arbutus Shopping Centre. Annotations: Michelle Pollard

While the urban watershed can never be completely restored to its natural state, with so many potential benefits, projects like these set a precedent for future daylighting projects and represent one of the many ways Vancouver could meet its Greenest City 2020 goals. Imagine a creek running through your neighbourhood…

St. George Creek imagined. Image: Bryn Davison

For further reading on daylighting and the value of nature in cities, check out:

The Nature of Cities

Timothy Beatley’s Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature Into Urban Design and Planning (2011)

Patrick M Condon’s Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities: Design Strategies for the Post-carbon World (2010)

Richard Register’s Ecocities: Rebuilding Cities in Balance With Nature (2006) 

Mark Roseland’s Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions for Citizens and Their Governments (2012)

Plaza of Nations - Photo by: Hub☺ - flickr.com/hfiguiere

Next week, the City of Vancouver is hosting three open houses to seek public input on the proposed development of the Plaza of Nations site. Owned by Canadian Metropolitan Properties, this site will be completely transformed in a few years into a high-density mix of condominiums, job space, hotels, retail, restaurants and cafes, marinas, plazas/open space, and the continuation of the much-adored seawall. Two extra-spicy ingredients are also part of CMP’s suggested recipe for the site – a new civic square on the waterfront, and a sports/community centre.

The proposed civic square will be a large public gathering space right on the edge of False Creek with a south-facing orientation to soak up the sun and offer views of the creek. Designed to host events, festivals, and concerts for up to 4,000 people, this space will also be built for the day-to-day use of area residents and visitors who just want a space to relax, grab a bite to eat, or hang out with friends. This plaza has great potential to act as a new space for public celebration and recreation and could become one of Vancouver’s prize jewels on the waterfront.

How would you like to see this space used? What considerations should the developers review when designing this multi-use/flexible plaza?

The proposed sports/community centre, located just west of the civic square, would be a mixed-use centre with an ice rink that would be open to the public when not being used for practice by the Vancouver Canucks. Operated as a unique partnership between the developers and Vancouver Parks Board, the facility would also be home to a sports medical centre, daycare, community recreation space, and restaurants.

There are many points to consider here, such as access, accountability, costing (fees for use), recreational opportunities, and building form. Also, how does the public feel about the potential for corporate naming rights on the centre? This centre, if done well, could become a unique public/private hybrid providing recreational and sports services for a variety of users.

Some other points to ponder when attending this open house:

• Is the density and massing of buildings appropriate for this site?
• Are there any shadowing issues for the proposed gathering spaces?
• Is there enough open space for the number of future residents?
• How will this development be stitched into the existing neighbourhood and other proposed adjacent projects?
• Are the suggested public benefits and community amenities satisfactory?

The project is still in the concept stage, but whatever gets built will have a significant impact on Northeast False Creek and other nearby neighbourhoods. Your feedback and suggestions on all of the above are really important. If you’re interested in learning more about the proposal, or would like to share your opinion on the development, be sure to attend one of the following open houses:

Thursday, June 9, 2011, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m., site walking tour 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 11, 2011, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m., site walking tour 3 pm
Meeting Room B, Roundhouse Community Centre
181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver

Sunday, June 12, 2011, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, Athletes Way, Olympic Village

• substantial residential and commercial development
• a new, large civic plaza to be built where Enterprise Hall sits now, to be designed to host festivals
• and other community events (for up to 4000 people), and also suitable for day-to-day use
• a privately-owned and operated community space which will have a full NHL-sized ice rink for Canucks practice and public skating outside these hours, plus daycare and other community sports/recreation space
• restaurants and cafes
• a continuation of the seawall
• some greenspace, floating promenades, and marinas

Specific details for the CMP proposal, as well as all the visuals and display boards from the open house can be found on the City’s website. There is also an important opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions via a linked survey:

:: www.vancouver.ca/nefc

To better understand the importance of this property, a bit of background on the whole NEFC project is useful. In November 2009, the City of Vancouver Council approved the recommendations noted in the document “Northeast False Creek Directions for the Future” to supplement existing policy and guide future planning in NEFC. There were a number of directions given by Council that define the redevelopment of this area:

• NEFC will see housing for over 7200 new residents upon build-out
• Provide 1.8 million square feet of ‘job space’ – commercial development
• Densities in NEFC will be among the highest in Vancouver with a floor space ratio (FSR) in the range of 6 to 9. As a comparison, the West End ranges from 1.5 to 4 FSR, Downtown South ranges from 3 to 6 FSR and in the Central Business District up to 9 FSR (although predominantly office use).
• Historically, the park ratio of 2.75 acres per thousand residents has been used to develop new public open space. Direction was given to provide only 5 acres of new public open space – 1/3 of the typical amount for the NEFC area.

The Vancouver Public Space Network believes that this proposed deficiency in public open space is unacceptable. The comparable existing North False Creek neighbourhood surrounding David Lam Park has been developed to have the typical 2.75 acres of public open space for each 1000 residents. This neighbourhood is a world-renowned example for livability and urban development, and has won numerous awards for its high quality and plentiful public open spaces. It is incomprehensible that the plan for the NEFC area would propose a drastic departure from this respected urban example and reduce the amount of public space. To remain a desirable place to live, attract people, business and tourists, Vancouver must continue to retain and develop a variety of open spaces to allow for a diverse range of activities and recreational opportunities.

While CMP’s proposal for the Plaza of Nations and surrounding land is commendable with its aim to provide a vibrant, mixed-use, high-density waterfront neighbourhood, it does fall short on a few key components. The current proposal fails to meet several of the City of Vancouver’s criteria;

• City staff have recommended that a total of 80,000 ft2 of public open space be provided on the property
• 67,000 ft2 is proposed in CMP’s plans
• City of Vancouver staff has recently identified an overwhelmingly high demand for public performance space in and around the downtown area
• The current proposal provides a plaza but does not meet the criteria set in the recently-completed Demand Analysis Study for Cultural Performance / Event Spaces

The Vancouver Public Space Network understands that a large public performance space that is managed and owned by the public is critical to providing access to a public plaza that is centrally located and cherished by all. The plaza can be a venue for numerous community celebrations such as the Taiwanese Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and other cultural events. The direct access to the water is essential for this space to provide the flexibility for the largest range of events possible plus retaining visual and physical public access to False Creek.

The public benefit/amenity strategy described in the NEFC development process is limited in range and detail. This is unfortunate because it is clear that Vancouverites, particularly in the downtown peninsula, require more daycare, playground space, sports fields and programmed community activity spaces like the Roundhouse Community Centre. The success of the Roundhouse is an indication that indoor community spaces are needed for downtown residential areas. These are needs that, even in the absence of any residential development in the NEFC area, will only increase in the coming years. With thousands of new residents projected in NEFC these needs will be exacerbated.

The proposed plan has identified a privately owned and managed waterfront practice rink for the Vancouver Canucks. It is suggested that the ice rink would be accessible to the public when the Canucks are not using it. The building would also house daycare spaces as well as public community space for sports and recreation. While there is little doubt that the neighbourhood is hungry for recreational space such as this one, it is difficult to imagine that a private facility designed and built for private interests will serve the public and truly be affordable and accessible to all the residents of Vancouver.

HOW CAN YOU HELP/GET INVOLVED?

For everyone who was not able to attend the open house held this past Wednesday, there is still an opportunity to learn more about the development, and provide your own feedback. The link below will connect you with the City’s website for the NEFC development. In addition to the overall aims for the neighbourhood, all of the display boards from the Dec 8 Open House are available for viewing. There is also an attached survey. For anyone who has an interest, concern, or suggestion for this development, this is your best opportunity to provide feedback!

:: www.vancouver.ca/nefc

The survey will be available until December 20, 2010, so now is your chance to share your own ideas or concerns. The survey is directly linked to the details outlined in the display boards, so make sure you have a close look at them before filling out the online form.

For anyone interested in reading more about the recommendations for the civic plaza outlined in the City’s demand study, you can check out the final report for the Demand Analysis Study for Cultural Performance / Event Spaces at the above link under the column “Project News” on the right-hand side.

As one of the largest pieces of property to be developed along the shores of False Creek, the former Plaza of Nations land not only represents an ideal opportunity to create a waterfront community that is high in density and vibrancy, providing homes and work places for thousands, but also one that is host to a generous offering of attractive open spaces. As part of a waterfront network of open spaces and greenery, the plazas and park spaces created here will be enjoyed by residents of all of Vancouver and tourists alike, not just those living in Northeast False Creek. The City and Canadian Metropolitan Properties have the chance to create one of the most welcoming and livable neighbourhoods in Vancouver – let’s hope that they seize this opportunity, and by using lessons learned from other exemplary neighbourhoods just up the Creek, get it right the first time.