UPDATE: The original survey deadline has been extended by a few days. It now closes on November 12, 2012.

The City of Vancouver has just launched a survey to gather input on the future of Block 51 – the area bounded by Hornby, Georgia, Robson and Howe. The survey looks at the possible expansion of Robson Square (creating a pedestrian-only space on the segment between Hornby to Howe) as well as the future of the north plaza of the Art Gallery (also called Courthouse Plaza or Centennial Plaza).

We’d encourage you to take a few moments to fill out the questionnaire – and to send it along to your various contacts and networks.

You can access the on-line version here: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/Block51/

Here’s a few more notes from the City’s announcement:

Please take a moment to fill out the survey. Let us know how you would like to see 800-block Robson Street and the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza used in the future, and whether you support the permanent closure of 800-block Robson Street to create a pedestrian plaza.

Your feedback will be given to the designers of the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, and the feedback regarding 800-block Robson Street will be included in the report to Vancouver City Council.

If you could please help us out by sharing the survey link with your networks, via email or social media, it would be greatly appreciated. And if you are tweeting, please add the hashtag #Block51 to your tweets.

Survey link: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/Block51/

City webpage: http://vancouver.ca/block51

Poster for the City’s “Block 51” Events & Consultation

The City of Vancouver has just announced two events related to the potential expansion of Robson Square and the future of the north end of the Art Gallery. Both events are coming up next week (October 15 and October 17). They’re free, but you’ll need to register to attend. Act now, as seats are expected to go fast!

The events look at the past and future of the city’s “Block 51” – the parcel of land bounded by Robson, Howe, Georgia and Hornby. The focus of both will be on the important open-space areas to the north and south of the Art Gallery – and the opportunities for their potential enhancement.

At the south end, the popular 800-block of Robson Street has been temporarily closed for several months now, and the City is studying the possibility of improving this gathering area by keeping the street permanently closed to vehicles.

At the same time the City is also looking at potential design improvements to the north side of the Art Gallery site (variously known as Old Courthouse Square, or Centennial Square). Structural repairs need to be made to protect the underground Art Gallery facilities – and this presents an opportunity for other upgrades to the space.

While the VPSN’s attentions have been mainly focused on the closure of the 800-block of Robson, we’re also deeply interested in the future of the north end of the gallery. Both sites have played an extraordinary role in the city’s public life and we’re excited to see what comes out of these two events and the larger consultation.

Here are the details:

Monday, October 15 – A Look Back
Vancouver Art Gallery, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
750 Hornby Street 

The 1973 National Film Board film “Chairs for Lovers” and a panel with members of the original team for Robson Square will set the context of how this block came to be.

:: Register for “A Look Back”

Wednesday, October 17 – A Look Forward
Vancouver Art Gallery, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
750 Hornby Street

Short and inspirational presentations will look at how this block has been used over the last few years and draw on inspiration from other cities.

:: Register for “A look forward”

Both events will include an illustrated brainstorming exercise that will collect ideas on what type of future uses are desired in each site.

:: For more information– City of Vancouver – Block 51 webpage

Related News

Our good friends at Vancouver Is Awesome just wrote a great letter in support of the permanent closure of the 800-block of Robson. You can check it out here. Thanks for your support VIA!

Why not write your own letter? Send your thoughts and ideas on the future of the 800-block of Robson Street, the north-end of the Art Gallery, (or both), to Mayor Gregor Robertson and members of Council – at mayorandcouncil [at] vancouver [dot] ca.

If you like the Twitter approach, consider following the discussion through that forum. The hashtag is #block51.

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

Earlier today the VPSN sent a letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson and members of City Council, supporting the proposed separated bikelane on Hornby Street. The proposal, which has been open for public comment for some time now, will be in front of the City’s Transportation and Traffic Committee (of Council) tomorrow. A staff report (PDF) authored by Jerry Dobrovolny, recommends proceeding with the project. Despite the many benefits of the project, there has been opposition from a number of the local businesses. We felt it important to voice our support for this key initiative.

The following is an excerpt of the letter penned by Brandon Yan and Demian Rueter, two of the VPSN’s Transportation Coordinators:

We are writing to express our support for the Hornby Street two-way separated bike lane that is currently undergoing public consultation. We believe that Hornby Street is a crucial link in creating a substantive and comprehensive bicycle lane network that will increase ridership and safety and will provide benefits for residents and businesses alike. We would like to take the time to stress the importance of these facilities to Vancouver’s goal of being the Greenest City in the world by 2020.

We wish to identify a few other relevant items that lend further support to this initiative:

The City of Portland estimates that around 60% of their population (around 300,000 people) is interested in cycling but is ultimately intimidated and discouraged from riding their bike because of concerns over safety. Their report states that, “[people] would ride if they felt safer on the roadways—if cars were slower and less frequent, and if there were more quiet streets with few cars and paths without any cars at all.”

TransLink’s 2009 Regional Cycling Strategy also endorses this view. It finds that although Metro Vancouver has over 1,400km of bicycle routes, the majority will not attract people to cycling. Translink suggests that in order to achieve a significant increase in the bicycle mode share, bicycle facilitates and programs should be targeted to those concerned about riding in traffic by promoting low-traffic, separated or off-street facilities.

We are pleased that the City of Vancouver is attempting to promote cycling as a viable mode of transportation. In many cities, cycling rivals and even surpasses driving as the fastest, safest, most convenient way to get around. The separated biking facilities on the Burrard Bridge and Dunsmuir Street have proven popular in attracting new ridership with few, if any, negative impacts.

Finally, we are aware that a number of businesses along Hornby Street have voiced their concern over the removal of on-street parking. However we note in response that the perception that bicycle lane infrastructure creates negative impacts on local businesses has been frequently shown to be inaccurate. For example, a 2009 study in Toronto found that the removal of on-street parking in favour of a downtown bike lane would have few negative effects on businesses and that businesses along the route could actually benefit from lane re-allocation. In fact, in the case of the Toronto example, it was determined that only 10% of those businesses’ patrons drove and that those that arrived by foot and bicycle visited more often and spent the most money per month. Alleviating the fears of businesses will be crucial for the success of the Hornby Street bike lanes.

We further note that the loss of parking spaces from the redesign (158 spaces) will be more than offset by the return of street parking on Howe Street (and also Seymour Street), the presence of a number of nearby parking garages, the continued availability of street parking on every block of Hornby, and – best of all (given the City’s desire to encourage a shift to sustainable transportation activities) the installation of improved cycle parking facilities. Given that there are approximately 10,000 off-street parking spaces available within one block of the proposed cycle route, we feel that the argument that the separated bike lane will compromise Hornby businesses is problematic and suspect.

• Friday, September 17 – Park(ing) Day
• Friday, October 1 – Greenest City Idea Slam (w/Image Contest & Design Jam)

VPSN MEETINGS & PROJECTS

• Wednesday, October 6 – Volunteer Orientation Meeting
• Monday, September 27 – Billboards & Corporatization Brainstorm
• Monday, September 27 – Halloween Transit Party Planning Meeting

ENGAGE: PUBLIC CONSULTATION OPPORTUNITIES

• Hornby Bike Lane Consultation

PUBLIC SPACE EVENTS

• Saturday, September 25 – Liveable Laneways Festival
• Wednesday, September 29 – Showcasing Urban Environmental Health Inequity
• October 4-7 – Gaining Ground Summit

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE FEATURE EVENTS

Friday, September 17 – PARK(ing) Day

It’s almost here! Join us for PARK(ing) Day this Friday as we transform two parking spots into temporary parks for the public good. Drop by and say hi or stick around and be part of the action!

For the third year running, the Vancouver Public Space Network will be participating in PARK(ing) Day – a global adventure that sees parking spaces transformed into public space playgrounds for young and old. Sound awesome? It is! This year, weather permitting, we will have locations active in the West End and at City Hall:

1. West End – 1218 Davie Street (SW Corner @ Bute). 9:30am – 5:00pm;
2. City Hall Councillors Parking (N side), 454 West 12th Ave. 11:30am – 2:00pm

:: More information – Simon Wong simon [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
:: Join the Facebook Event Page to stay up-to-date

Friday, October 1 – Greenest City Idea Slam

We’re very pleased to announce our latest collaboration with the City of Vancouver and Simon Fraser University. The following is an excerpt from the official press release.

Green Ideas Sought for Vancouver’s Future; Top ideas chosen for panel review with CBC Radio’s Bill Richardson and Mayor Robertson

Building on the success of the “Talk Green to Us” campaign, the public is invited to participate in the on-line forum www.talkgreentous.ca to share ideas they want to put into action to help Vancouver become the greenest city. The public can also visit the forum to vote on their favourite ideas.

The most innovative and creative ideas with the most votes will be selected to be pitched 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….

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… The public are encouraged to attend but must register for the event as space is limited: http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/64166248.

:: To see the complete press release check out the VPSN blog

Call for Artists and Creatives – Illustrate Our Transformation Into the Greenest City

Are you an aspiring artist, designer or photographer? The good folks at Green the City will be presenting a variety slide show of “Green City” themes as part of the aforementioned Oct 1 Greenest City event. They’ve got a call out for some artistic expertise and are looking for images that riff off of the theme “Where have we come from and where are we going?” Share your images and visual creations (archival mash-ups, conceptual renderings, photoshop madness… documenting Vancouver’s green past, present and future).

It’s easy to participate. Check out this month’s assignment below, and submit your images and artwork to www.greenthecityvancouver.com. The top-notch work that you submit will be broadcast live as part of the event!

:: To send in your work – submit [at] greenthecityvancouver.com

Design Nerds – Greenest City Jam

One final Greenest City gig that you ought to know about. Our good friends at the Vancouver Design Nerds will be hosting one of their ever popular Design Jam sessions this Friday (Sept 17). The goal of the evening will be to capture 20 Greenest City ideas, either new ones or improvements on existing ones on the talkgreentous.ca website. All ideas will be posted to the website by end of night. We’ll then ask you all to use your social networking powers to vote on your favourite ideas. Takes place 630-10pm at Recollective, 5 West Pender (Buzz 109)

:: More info – Design Nerds Facebook Event Page

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE PROJECTS

Monday, September 27 – Billboards & Public Space Corporatization

Our Corporatization Working Group is convening a meeting to brainstorm issues around the corporatization of public space – that is, the presence of billboards and outdoor signage, corporate branding and forms of privatization affecting Vancouver’s public realm. We’ll be preparing a discussion paper on the subject and we invite you to help us to think through the issues. The meeting takes place Monday the 27th of September at 6:30 pm. Location TBD.

:: For more information – stephanie [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Monday, September 27 – Halloween Transit Party Planning

The Public Transit Working Group will be meeting on Sep 27 and are looking for volunteers interested in helping us with our annual Halloween transit party. You remember that, don’t you? Crazy costumes, awesome tunes, lively transformation the region’s transit infrastructure? It’s coming again. Oh yeah. Meeting location TBD.

:: For further details – quinn [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Wednesday, October 6 – Volunteer Orientation Meeting

Join us for our monthly volunteer orientation and learn about opportunities to make Vancouver great! Session takes place at 630pm in Room 3047, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings. Please RSVP.

:: More information or to RSVP – erin at vancouverpublicspace.ca

ENGAGE – PUBLIC CONSULTATION OPPORTUNITIES

Hornby Bike Lane Consultation

We believe that Hornby street is a crucial link in creating a substantive and comprehensive bicycle lane network that will increase ridership and safety and will provide benefits for residents and businesses alike. Not everyone agrees. Either way, this is a good chance for you to sound off on your feelings about the City’s transportation directions.

:: Have something to add? Email mayorandcouncil (at) vancouver.ca
:: City of Vancouver – Bike Vancouver webpage

PUBLIC SPACE EVENTS

Saturday, September 25 – Liveable Laneways Festival

Celebrate the transformation of a neighbourhood laneway into a cool space. This event showcases some excellent placemaking work being done in Mt. Pleasant. Meet at 8th and the Lane (just west of Main Street). With music, markets, a BBQ and more. in the laneway between Main and Quebec, from Broadway north to 7th Ave.)

While you’re there – stop by and say hi! The VPSN’s mapping team will be there gathering information for our community Green Map.

:: More information – Liveable Laneways Facebook Page

Wednesday, September 29 – Showcasing Urban Environmental Health Inequity: Insights from Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Toronto

You are invited to attend an animated final reporting on the community-based research DTES residents have completed since 2008 when a team of researchers from UBC partnered with the DTES Neighbourhood House and other local organizations.

Research focuses on understanding environmental health inequities in the city – with work going to support efforts to create a more “just” city. Takes place 1:00-5:00pm at the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, 573 East Hastings @ Princess.

:: More Info/RSVP – Email Rebecca Haber – rhaber [at] interchange.ubc.ca

October 4-7 – Gaining Ground Summit: The Power of Green Cities to Shape the Future

The Gaining Ground conference will have a whole range of interesting workshops and side programs connected with the future of urban spaces. Check out the program here.

We’d also like to draw your attention to a couple of interesting looking sessions
:

“Walking the Talk-the Footprint for Active Transportation” – Workshop and Learning Lab (October 4 8:00am-3:30)

As part of the preconference offerings of the Gaining Grounds conference, Walk21 in association with Green Communities Canada is presenting a one day workshop at Simon Fraser University. Join local leaders, decision makers and leading global experts on walking environments and walkability in a full- day workshop exploring this foundation of Active Transportation. This exciting day consists of a working breakfast session with professional training on walking environments, followed by an on street hands-on walking audit, analysis, and in- depth discussion. Learn innovative best practices that can be used by you to make communities more walkable.
This session will be led by Dr. Rodney Tolley from Walk21, Jacky Kennedy from Green Communities Canada, and Paul Young, with Public Space Workshop. This workshop and learning lab is $75.00 for the full day, inclusive of breakfast and bagged lunch.

To register – http://www.gaininggroundsummit.com/shoulder_program.htm

Public Lecture on Walkability (October 4)

There will be a free public lecture at 6:00 to 8:00 at SFU on walking and walkability led by Paul Young.

Healing Cities (October 7)

Healing Cities is a part of the larger “Gaining Ground” summit. Register now for an opportunity to explore how cities can be healed, and also be healing places for all of us to inhabit. This exciting and integrative conference will bring together planners, developers, architects, engineers, transportation professionals, massage therapists, physicians, counsellors, energy healers, spiritual leaders, and you! This day of conference will help us learn and explore new ways to approach the task of healing cities. We certainly don’t have all the answers or even all the questions, and we need your input.

:: For more information: Gaining Ground Website

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE FEATURE EVENT

• Friday, September 17 – Park(ing) Day

VPSN MEETINGS & PROJECTS

• Wednesday, September 1 – Volunteer Orientation Meeting
• Tuesday, September 14 – Urban Design Working Group Meeting
• Monday, September 27 – Billboards & Corporatization Brainstorm
• Transforming Broadway Report
• Great Trees Contest – Support the Urban Forest

ENGAGE: PUBLIC CONSULTATION OPPORTUNITIES

• Talk Green To Me
• Hornby Bike Lane Consultation

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE FEATURE EVENT

Friday, September 17 – PARK(ing) Day

Want to help us turn some dull concrete parking spaces into public spaces for a day? Join us for PARK(ing) Day on Friday, September 17th as we transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good.

For the third year running, the Vancouver Public Space Network will be participating in PARK(ing) Day – a global adventure that sees parking spaces transformed into public space playgrounds for young and old. Sound awesome? It is! There are two ways for you to get involved:

1) Join the VPSN as we take over some parking spaces in a soon-to-be-revealed downtown location!

This year we’ve got some great concepts lined up including a street jam, swing dancing, and even a yoga class! Sound fun? Help us out and:

• Come to one of our weekly PARK(ing) Day Planning Meetings
• Email Simon at simon@vancouverpublicspace.ca to find out how you can help to make this year our best PARK(ing) Day yet!
• Join the Facebook Event to stay up-to-date on the latest plans and updates, and invite your friends!

OR:

2) Take over a parking space of your own on September 17th!

The best way to participate in PARK(ing) Day is to design and build a park. It’s easy – you don’t need to be an artist, community activist or have any special training to do a park, but you do need to be aware of your local regulations and do you best to stay within the law. Sound fun? Simply:

• Email Simon at simon@vancouverpublicspace.ca to get a simple step-by-step guide to run your very own Vancouver PARK(ing) Day.
• Visit http://parkingday.org/resources/ for more resources that will help get you started!

For more information about PARK(ing) Day, please visit: http://parkingday.org/

Did you know!?

The PARK(ing) Day practice dates back to at least the 1930′s, when citizens of Oklahoma City set up card tables, dropped a few coins in the meter and played bridge in parking spaces to protest the very creation of parking meters themselves! Come out and be a part of history on September 17th!

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE PROJECTS

Wednesday, September 1 – Volunteer Orientation Meeting

Join us for our monthly volunteer orientation and learn about opportunities to make Vancouver great! Session takes place at 7pm in Room 3047, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings. Please RSVP.

:: More information or to RSVP – erin at vancouverpublicspace.ca

Tuesday, September 14 – Urban Design Working Group Meeting

The VPSN’s Urban Design Working Group works on a variety of issues connecting planning, design and public space. This month we will be reviewing progress around the North East False Creek High Level Planning Process, the next stage of Where’s the Square and planning responses to emergent urban design issues and opportunities in Vancouver.

:: For more information – urbandesign [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Monday, September 27 – Billboards & Public Space Corporatization

Our Corporatization Working Group is convening a meeting to brainstorm issues around the corporatization of public space – that is, the presence of billboards and outdoor signage, corporate branding and forms of privatization affecting Vancouver’s public realm. We’ll be preparing a discussion paper on the subject and we invite you to help us to think through the issues. The meeting takes place Monday the 27th of September at 6:30 pm. Location TBD.

:: For more information – stephanie [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Coming Soon: Transforming Broadway Report

In July and August we worked with the City of Vancouver to coordinate and host two public consultations and a ground-truthing session to the sorts of things that it will take to transform Broadway into a Great Street. Thanks to the participation of dozens of volunteers and VPSN supporters we’re putting the finishing touches on our report detailing our findings. Stay tuned for more on this.

:: VPSN Transforming Broadway Webpage

Great Trees Contest. Support the Urban Forest. Win a Prize!

Each week we give a way a prize to one lucky Vancouverite who likes trees. The process is easy and the odds are good. If you want to participate, all you have to do is send us a picture of your favourite Vancouver tree with a few words on why you feel its so awesome.

We’ve been publishing the submissions we’ve recieved, along with other neat articles on Vancouver’s urban forest on our Great Trees blog. In the next little while, we’ll also be kicking off our community-based map of the city’s favourite leafy giants.

If you have a chance this week, take a moment to snap a picture of your favourite tree and send it our way! Help us to pay homage to our urban forest.

:: For more information – www.GreatTrees.ca

ENGAGE – PUBLIC CONSULTATION OPPORTUNITIES

Talk Green To Me

How can Vancouver reach its 2020 goal of being the Greenest City in the world? Between now and October 7 the City of Vancouver wants you to share what you would do to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world… naturally the VPSN is helping out and making sure public space is on the agenda.

:: Have an idea? Want to vote on what you think is most important? Click here.
:: Want more info? Visit the Talk Green To Me website.

Hornby Bike Lane Consultation

We believe that Hornby street is a crucial link in creating a substantive and comprehensive bicycle lane network that will increase ridership and safety and will provide benefits for residents and businesses alike. The VPSN is currently preparing a letter for City Council outlining our support for this initiative. We encourage you to send Council your thoughts as well!

:: Have something to add? Email mayorandcouncil (at) vancouver.ca
:: City of Vancouver – Bike Vancouver webpage

SUPPORT THE VPSN

The Vancouver Public Space Network is an all-volunteer, community-driven enterprise that works on advocacy, education and outreach pertaining to the city’s public realm. We depend on your contributions in order to undertake our projects and activities. Looking to lend a hand? Please consider making a donation or signing up for one of our volunteer projects. Thanks!

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.