• Feature Article – North East False Creek – Up for Rezoning
• Upcoming VPSN Meetings – (Transit, Public Art and more…)
• Public Space Events – Greenest City Camp
• Volunteer – Jobs & Next Volunteer Meeting
• Blog Roll

FEATURE STORY: North East False Creek – Up for Rezoning…

After years of discussions between City planners, property owners, and members of the community, development in North East False Creek has taken its first major step toward construction after several evenings of public hearings over the last two weeks. The decisions regarding these applications and the details within will set the tone for future applications. A brief description of the first rezoning applications is:

1. 777 Pacific Boulevard (for the casino/entertainment complex and stadium improvements);
2. 10 Terry Fox Way (eastern side of the Cambie Bridge off-ramp, known as Concord area 5b East) and;
3. 10 Terry Fox Way (its western counterpart, 5b West)

The VPSN encourages anyone interested in learning more about the details of these applications to visit the City’s website and read the reports for each property. People also have the option of attending the next public hearing March 7th so they can share their concerns in person. Links to the Staff Reports to Council, and more information about the proposed development in Northeast False Creek can be viewed on the City’s webpages, and you can also see a longer VPSN blog post on the subject here.

The residents of the False Creek area have been working hard to advocate for benefits that bring direct improvements for their own neighbourhood. So far, the Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) suggested have proven to be a disappointment for many and a windfall for the developer – Concord.

It is for the reasons noted below that the Vancouver Public Space Network will not support the rezoning application for 5B East and West and urge City Council to revisit the CAC’s to better reflect the needs of the community and livability of Vancouver.

The proposed CACs:
• Describe no benefit to the immediate neighbourhood or larger community
• Inadequate in meeting current and future residents needs
• Identify only marginal or temporary public open space
• Do not provide affordable housing in the NEFC neighbourhood

The proposed list of CAC’s for the rezoning applications of 5b east and west describe a serious oversight and a lack of understanding to the needs and expectations of the local community and of Vancouverites in general. This oversight is illustrated in many ways. One example is the proposed “amenity” of the leftover, dark, noisy and cramped space under the Cambie Bridge off ramp offered as public “recreation” space. This offer is a bonus for the developer as it cannot be developed for profit and has very limited use for the public. Appropriate community benefits that will directly improve livability for the existing residents, and the future thousands who will live there in the years to come, will prove to be the true means of measuring success for NEFC. Now is the opportunity for Council to maximize this opportunity, to get the ‘biggest bang for their buck’, and help realize the fullest potential for NEFC.

:: For more information on the VPSN’s work on NEFC – urbandesign [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

ENGAGE: Upcoming VPSN Meetings

Monday, March 7, 2011 – Public Transit Working Group Meeting
We will be discussing policy positions that will feed into the Public Transit portion of the upcoming VPSN manifesto, as well as get an update on the status of projects on our horizon: Turnstiles in SkyTrain Stations, and our Bus Pass Ad Space Reclamation event. Meeting takes place at SFU Harbour Centre (room TBD) at 6:30pm
:: To RVSP email Karen – quinn [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Thursday March 3, 2011 – Transit Project Meeting – Turnstiles in SkyTrain Stations
This is a project meeting to brainstorm project ideas that explore the future installation of turnstiles in SkyTrain stations and the impacts of both turnstiles and smart cards on SkyTrain stations as quasi-public space. Meeting takes place at Vancouver Public Library – Central Library in Library Square, Thursday, March 3rd, 5:30pm
:: To RVSP email Karen – quinn [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Thursday March, 3, 2011 – Public Art Working Group Meeting
The Public Art group will be meeting this Thurs, Mar 3rd in the Central Library downtown – exact meeting location will be sent out shortly. We’ll be teaming up with a local arts team to plan out VPSN’s role in helping them install and run a cool, under the radar, public art project. The project will involve video projections and special access to a sealed off part of the Burrard Bridge. Come meet with us and find out how you can get involved!”
:: To RVSP email Jaspal – jaspal [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

PARTICIPATE: Public Space Events

A sampling from our events calendar. If you’ve got an event you’d like to share, please send us an email at events [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Thursday, March 2 – Saturday March 5, 2011 – Community Economic Development Conference
The Canadian CED Network, together with their members in BC are hosting a gathering for everyone interested in organizing for change in their communities. The event will launch with guided visits to projects and initiatives in Vancouver that demonstrate successful applications of community economic development followed by a full day of workshops and dialogue. 
:: More information

Saturday, March 05, 2011 – Greenest City “UnConference”
Join City of Vancouver staff and community members as they jam on making Vancouver the greenest city in the world. The day will be an “unconference” which means that all of the participants -that’s you! – jointly create the agenda and lead discussions, talk about projects and find solutions. We provide the space, some background information, the coffee, the cookies and some fun. Then turn it over to you!

It’s a lot of chaos, a lot of connection, a lot of fun and will result in a lot of action. You will also have the opportunity to meet folks from the City, learn about the draft Action Plans, and help fine tune and prioritize actions before they go to City Council.
And by the end of the day, everyone should leave with concrete ideas and action items on how they fit into the map of making Vancouver the Greenest City by 2020. The event runs from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM at the SFU Wosk Centre for Dialogue, 580 West Hastings Street.

If you don’t have your tickets yet, buy them today through @ethicalDealVan for $12 (52% off): http://ow.ly/45ITD
:: To register visit their website here

VOLUNTEER

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 – Volunteer Orientation Session
Want to get involved in public space research, advocacy and action? Join us for our monthly volunteer orientation – a helpful session that gives an overview of the VPSN’s mission, what we do, and how we do it. The meeting runs from 6:30-7:30pm and is open to the public. Takes place at SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings, in one of the 3rd Floor meeting rooms.
:: To RSVP erin [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Volunteer Jobs
We’re currently looking for a few dedicated folks to fill coordinator positions. These require a bit more work, but come with great rewards.

• Corporatization & Privatization Coordinator
• Democratic Spaces Coordinator – focusing on municipal election activity
• Pedestrian Issues Coordinator
• Cycling Issues Co-Coordinator
• Urban Design Co-Coordinator
• Communications Co-Coordinator

To find out more about these positions and what’s entailed, please contact Erin O’Melinn – erin [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Other Volunteer Opportunities:

Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition – Seeks Board Members
The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition is seeking nominations to serve on their board of directors. Their AGM is March 26th and they welcome applications from interested community members.
:: For more info – Lori Kessler, elections@vacc.bc.ca

GOOD READING: VPSN Blog Roll

A recap of some of our popular posts from the past month or so…

February 24, 2011: Favourite places and the people that inhabit them: heritage spots and Granville dance parties
This just in… a couple of interesting public space-related initiatives that you might have heard about, which combined tell something of a story about public life in Vancouver….

Feb 18, 2011 A dose of culture: weekend public space events at the Museum and Art Gallery
Profiling the excellent WE: Vancouver exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery… which the VPSN is very proud to be part of!

February 15, 2011 – Poor 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.

February 15, 2011 – Cameras on the streets of Van-town
A couple months ago, we shared our thoughts with you on the extension of ICBC’s intersection camera program. As part of a $23 million program, 140 new cameras have been introduced to intersections around the province ….

February 7, 2011 – Greenspace planning: a tale of two measures
When the City’s Bright Green Future Report was first produced, it contained a number of draft goals and targets – one of which was that Vancouverites should have “incomparable access to nature”…

January 31, 2011 – Jan Gehl: cars and effect
Jan Gehl designs Cities for People. In a field dominated by the sweeping sculptural works of starchitect icons such as Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid, Gehl instead practices a slow and iterative approach to intervening in urban life – and, in particular, ‘life between buildings’…

We were pleased with the overall result of the Greenest City process and are happy that Council unanimously adopted the recent staff report associated with implementing the initiative, its targets and more. Though there have been murmurings on one side of the mediasphere that the targets are too lofty, and on another that they don’t go far enough… we think they strike a good balance between being ambitious but do-able. 

In particular, we’re keen on:

• The re-energizing of active transportation – walking and cycling – as well as public transit… and that the various actions proposed in this area are clearly linked with the idea that Vancouverites need a quality public realm
• Provisions around ensuring park space is created in the neighbourhoods that need it most
• The plan to bolster our urban forest (150,000 trees to be planted)
• A bigger, richer, bolder urban agriculture strategy for the city – that sees local food infrastructure strengthened to respond to the demand for community gardens, orchards, local markets and more
• The many and various initiatives that will make Vancouver a healthier city – reduced waste, better air quality, etc.

But don’t just take our word for it – there’s a good opportunity for you to weigh in on the results. Until the end of February people can comment on the Greenest City plans, come to a Greenest City workshop or host their own workshop at home with friends and colleagues. Details are all here: http://talkgreenvancouver.ca

A final plug: another thing that is great about the Greenest City report – and the whole process so far – is that it has been strengthened by some strong, idea-generating, social media platforms. The collaborative dimension has been interesting to follow in its own right – with people proposing ideas, commenting on new solutions, and engaging in the sort of debate that leaves one wishing that Web 2.0 could be like this everyday. Better still, the City report shows how the different ideas are being woven into the final… a nice twist for those eager to see the notion of civic transparency strengthened. 

• Visit the website (http://talkgreenvancouver.ca) and read the draft Greenest City 2020 Action Plans, watch the videos, comment on the strategies and prioritize the actions. 
• Come out to a Greenest City event
• Co-host a 1-3 hour workshop with the City of Vancouver and your organization (email greenestcity@vancouver.ca to arrange)
• Host your own workshops by downloading the DIY Kitchen Table Conversations kit (http://www.talkgreenvancouver.ca/sites/default/files/DIY%20Toolkit.pdf)
• Join the online conversation on talkgreenvancouver.ca, twitter and facebook

Stay up to date on all the Greenest City news (including the recent City Council decision to adopt the Greenest City 2020 targets) by:

• Add your email to the Greenest City mailing list (add your name in the footer of http://talkgreenvancouver.ca) 
• Like Greenest City on Facebook
• Follow Greenest City on Twitter
• Watch videos on YouTube
• Check out photos on flickr

“I voted” sticker – Photo by Cave Canem

Next week promises to be a busy one at Council – between the regular session of Council on Tuesday and the various Council Committee meetings taking place on Thursday there is a full suite of public space related activities. These include:

• A motion (see below) on the possibility of on-line voting (Tues)
• A motion on calculating available density in the city (Tues)
• A report on expanding street food options (Thurs)
• A report on noise in the city and the efficacy of the noise bylaw (Thurs)
• Discussion on the VAG move (which we mentioned in our previous post) (Thurs)
• Two presentations – likely quite contentious – on building heights and view-related issues (Thurs)
• The draft Greenest City Implementation Plan (Thurs)

The first is particularly timely. Earlier this week a suite of contenders for the leadership of the BC liberals endorsed (some cautiously) the idea of on-line voting. And here’s a chance to consider it at the local level.

For those that have difficulty scheduling a trip to the neighbourhood voting box once every three or four years, this might make life easier. There’s a larger discussion to be had about civic engagement here – and, as much as we like technology, we can’t help wonder if this will do much to get at the core issues behind current voting levels. Then again, if it does a better job of getting residents engaged with the civic contest, that’s a positive outcome.

Either way, it’s an interesting motion and we’re be watching to see the sort of exchange that ensues.

Here’s the text of the motion, which was introduced by Councillor Andrea Reimer:

WHEREAS

1. Less than 35% of eligible voters in Vancouver cast ballots in the last two
civic elections;

2. Voter turnout is considered an important indicator of social cohesion
and vital to a healthy democracy;

3. Research conducted by Elections Canada on voter turn out in the last
federal election found that 57% of non-voters cited time pressures that
prevented them from getting to a voting place in person;

4. Elections Canada will be conducting an online voting pilot in the 2013
federal election;

5. Online voting can greatly improve accessibility by increasing the time
and place options available to voters to cast a ballot;

6. Online voting is used in more than three dozen Canadian municipalities ranging from 44 municipalities in Ontario, such as Markham, ON which piloted online voting in 2003, to Halifax, Nova Scotia which conducted successful pilots in a 2008 general election and 2009 by-election;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City Clerk report to Council on the feasibility of conducting an online voting pilot in the 2011 municipal elections or, if 2011 is not feasible, what the earliest date for a pilot would be.

The authors of the most innovative and creative ideas with the most votes will be selected to pitch their ideas to, and receive feedback from, a prestigious panel of experts facilitated by Mayor Gregor Robertson and Bill Richardson, host of CBC Radio’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera and In Concert programs.

“We are pleased to see so many innovative and entrepreneurial ideas from our citizens about how to green our city,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “This campaign supports the goals of the Greenest City Action Plan, keeping us on track for Vancouver to be the greenest city in the world by 2020.”

The panel features professionals from the sustainability sector and community leaders including: Mayor Gregor Robertson; Councillor Andrea Reimer; Arran Stephens, President of Nature’s Path Foods; Tamara Vrooman, Chief Executive Officer of VanCity; Janet Austin, Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Vancouver; Matt O’Grady, Editor of BC Business Magazine; and Greenest City Action Team (GCAT) member Cheeying Ho who is the Executive Director of the Whistler Centre for Sustainability.

Contestants can enter by adding ideas on the www.talkgreentous.ca forum by September 24. Innovative and creative ideas with the most votes have the best chance of being selected for the panel. A people’s choice winner, chosen by the audience attending the panel review, will be treated to dinner at a local Green Table restaurant as well as tickets to “Cities, bicycles and the future of getting around” with musician David Byrne and Mayor Robertson on Sunday, October 24 at the Vancouver Playhouse.

Hosted by the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Public Space Network and the Simon Fraser University (SFU) City Program, the panel event will take place at the SFU Woodward’s Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre. Poet laureate Brad Cran and musician Veda Hille will be providing entertainment while Jaime Kowal and Ryan Tomkinson will share art and photography submitted by citizens of Vancouver to their website: www.greenthecityvancouver.com. The public are encouraged to attend but must register for the event as space is limited: http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/64166248

The panel event is part of the Greenest City Open House taking place at the Woodwards Atrium from 4 – 7 pm on Friday, October 1. City staff will be available to discuss the greenest city vision, goals and targets and to hear your ideas and feedback. Everyone welcome.

The deadline to participate in the contest is September 24; however the www.talkgreentous.ca forum will remain open until October 7. More information about the contest is available at vancouver.ca/greenestcity

The Greenest City initiative is also on Twitter: twitter.com/greenestcity and facebook: facebook.com/greenestcity