Given these propositions, the VPSN suggests that the City of Vancouver remove or repurpose existing non-compliant billboards and facilitate a comprehensive plan for both digital and ordinary billboards. The VPSN is asking for:

1. Enforcement of existing Sign Bylaw to remove non-compliant billboards

2. Broad, inclusive public consultation/review of proposed revisions to the Sign Bylaw

3. Consideration on the place of digital signage and other emerging technologies in the city.

More than 50% of billboards in Vancouver are non-compliant; they are located too close to residential areas, adjacent to bridges or public transit or are too big or too bright too often.

If a neighbour was playing obnoxiously loud music, would you be offended? The likely answer is yes. You may ask them to turn it down, or perhaps phone the City to stop the racket. This is noise pollution and collectively we have agreed that certain rules should be followed in order to make everyone a little happier.

What about visual pollution? Would you complain if your view of the mountains was blocked by an advertisement for yogurt or a new juice? The answer is likely yes. Unknown to many people is the fact that the City of Vancouver has a sign bylaw limiting the size, brightness and location of billboards.

Also unknown to many people more than half of all billboards in Vancouver are non-compliant; they are located too close to residential areas, adjacent to bridges or public transit or are too big or too bright, too often. It’s just as if we are surrounded by neighbours playing loud music and the enforcement officers are not answering the phone.

In 2003 the City of Vancouver approved a tough new sign by-law that would limit the number and location of billboards in public space. Included in this bylaw was a five year time limit for removing non-compliant billboards. In 2008 this limit expired and rather than issuing violations the City decided to suspend and review the sign bylaw following the 2010 Olympics.

This review should be complete sometime this year. However, in the interim new outdoor advertising technology has entered the market including programmable digital billboards. How should these technologies be allowed in public space? How could citizens and the city derive public benefits? Who should own these spaces?

Like loud music at concerts, there is perhaps a time and place for billboards and digital signage in the city. However, that time and place needs to be decided on by the citizens of Vancouver, not by private or corporate interests. Civic authorities need to enforce existing rules and consider how to integrate outdoor signage into a vibrant and beautiful city.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

Vancouver, the flirtation with Robson Square has been lovely. So lovely, dare we say, that we think it’s time to put a ring on it.

Director Park in downtown Portland, Oregon. Flickr: p medved.

A public square should be a city’s living room. A place for special occasions, celebrations, and big events, but also a place for day to day life, for gathering and socializing. A public square should be an orientation point; a place to visit; a place to take a moment between comings and goings; a space where we can meet people; and a space where we can be pleasantly surprised. We make spaces into places in our minds and collective imagination, when we have the time to get comfortable with them — as we learn their character, discover their efficiencies and eccentricities peeking out from behind the façades of our daily activities. And yes, we make spaces into places when we get to see them through the cycle of the seasons; or indeed, through the broader cycles of human life. A successful public square needs to be accessible, open to everyone, and open all year round, and we think Robson Square can be this — if we give it more of a chance to truly become a place.

Where’s Vancouver’s public square?

Is Robson Square our city living room? Do we have a safe and comfortable, centrally located public plaza where something is always happening, where we can observe Vancouverites, tourists, office workers, children, parents, grandparents, and everyone else that visits or lives in our city? We may have incredible parks and beaches, lively streets and civic facilities, but do we have a place like Director Park in Portland, Trafalgar Square in London, or Piazza Navona in Rome?

Although Vancouverites are flocking back to the city from the suburbs to live and work, we still appear to flee to the edges, often beyond the suburbs, for our leisure. For public space we’ve been described as a “centrifugal city” – with good spaces on the edge, and the absence of a successful year round gathering space in the city centre.

Robson Square was a very successful focal point during the Olympics, and for the last three years,the square has proven to be a great venue for the Vancouver Jazz Festival, which proves that Robson Square can work well as a public gathering area. More casual programming via summertime seating installations (such as this year’s “Urban Reef”) illustrate how well the space can be used for enhancing the everyday urban experience. Why wouldn’t it? Robson Square is at the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s a major pedestrian thoroughfare. When VPSN launched the very popular ‘Where’s the Square?’ design competition, Robson Square was a favourite location for the creation of a new ‘grand gathering place’.

Because of the Summer Spaces initiatives and ‘Where’s the Square?’ we know people want to sit, watch, eat and gather in Robson Square. We have seen that some activations, designs and seating seem to work better than others. We know from surveys and polls that the idea is a popular one with many residents. But we also know there are some challenges that need to be looked at. For example, the current lighting and evening business closures make the square less appealing after dark, and that there isn’t much shelter from the weather.

However more important than what we know about Robson Square, is the potential that lies in what we don’t yet know, because Robson Square isn’t open all year round.

There is a whole world of possibilities beyond the celebratory, the economic, the playful, or the casual gathering purposes that serve as the primary point of focus of VIVA Vancouver’s summer programming, that we can only explore when Robson Square is pedestrianized full-time and year-round.

Could Robson Square be a successful public space in the winter?

Vancouver Christmas Market; Flickr: Cara kiwinky

How might Robson Square serve as a platform for ever-important political expression? How might Robson Square function as a site of collective mourning or grief?

Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto inscribed with tributes to NDP leader Jack Layton upon his passing. Flickr: Jackman Chiu.

These are questions we just can’t answer with the way we’re using the space now. Seeing the year around, everyday, and spontaneous use of Robson Square allows us to form the kinds of relationships with people that play a key role in countering, or possibly even overcoming, the disconnection cited by so many Vancouverites (clearly captured by the Vancouver Foundation’s studies and report on loneliness).

Important transit challenges

Robson Square is an important block in Vancouver – for visitors using all modes of transportation. We recognize that restricting car access will have an impact on drivers, passengers, deliveries and other vehicles, and that the complete pedestrianization of the space means requires strengthening alternative vehicle routes with minimal delays. But the benefits of better pedestrian conditions at the heart of downtown Vancouver will be a net benefit for the whole city.

We also know that Robson Square is currently part of an important downtown transit route. A permanently pedestrianized square requires finding alternative transit routes which provide an equal or better transit service. Since summer of 2013, TransLink and the City of Vancouver’s Downtown bus review has been looking at how to improve the entire downtown network, including how Robson Square fits in, and we think viable all year alternatives have been identified.

Could Robson Square accommodate both transit and pedestrian spaces at the same time, while excluding all other vehicles? We have seen many examples that exist around the world of public transit vehicles that are integrated with public spaces, yet we have to see discussions at a deeper level on what this would look like for Robson Square. Robson Square (and the 800-block) has a layout is multi-level, and extremely narrow in places. This makes it quite different than most squares that feature bus or tram routing – and it means that conflicts between transit and pedestrians could be exacerbated. Programming of the 800-block with street-level markets, seating, small events and other popular public space activities would be a challenge, if not impossible.

We are confident that a year round solution that improves transit and public space can be found. More ongoing conversations are clearly needed to learn more, and to ensure that any challenges are properly mitigated. It’s important that we make Robson Square a permanent public space that is accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Since its redevelopment, Granville Island has been heralded as a major success throughout North America. Its active public realm, preservation of industrial history, as well as its continuing popularity and economic success, have made it a valuable case study for many cities trying to revitalize their own declining industrial districts. Due to the Island’s success and its positive reputation there have been little to no major alterations to the site’s original design. This, however, will change in 2016, when two prominent buildings, totalling approximately 200,000 square feet, will become vacant.

In 2013, it was announced that the Emily Carr University of Art + Design – one of the mainstays of Granville Island – will be leaving it’s current site and relocating to a new campus on Great Northern Way. Accordingly, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) – Granville Island’s federal caretaker – has hired Vancouver based planning firm, CitySpaces, to develop a preliminary plan addressing the future programming of these spaces and to recommend prospective tenancy.

Image Credit: Emily Carr University

The forthcoming departure of Emily Carr University will undoubtedly leave a considerable void, altering the landscape of Granville Island, while having uncertain repercussions on the utilisation of the surrounding spaces. Consequently, the VPSN believes that this impending vacancy provides an unprecedented, and unique opportunity, to not only re-imagine the Emily Carr site, but the Island as a whole. Future programming of these significant buildings has the potential to act as a catalyst for an important destination in our city. Therefore, careful consideration and meaningful dialogue between a variety of stakeholders needs to occur, in order to ascertain what type of activities will be beneficial to the future of Granville Island.

The VPSN asks that the CMHC maintains the original vision of the island and uses the new space to uphold an active public realm. Although it is too early to say what will eventually fill the Emily Carr site, we at the VPSN have a few suggestions of what the space could transform into:

• An expansion of False Creek Community Centre;
• A public space centre;
• A space for public engagement;
• Another educational institution that maintains an emphasis on arts and culture;
• An expansion of the public market;
• An incubator space for small startup businesses.

For further reading:

ECUAD relocating to a new campus on Great Northern Way

A project to maintain the original vision of the island

Commentary on reimagining Granville Island

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

In anticipation of next week’s HUB Bike to Work Week, we’ve compiled a short history of the development of a public bike share program that identifies issues and challenges to getting the program rolling in Vancouver.

Early in 2009, the City of Vancouver started the “procurement process” to get more bikes on the street, encourage more people to cycle and use the growing cycle infrastructure network. Four years later there are still many questions on when or how the system will be implemented and operate.

There are some details on the scope of the proposed Vancouver system that is based on a TransLink feasibility study. For example, it is proposed that 1,500 bikes will be distributed at 125 stations in the downtown area, east to Main Street and north of 12th Avenue to Arbutus Street. The target market is local commuters and get them to buy monthly or yearly passes for the system but daily and weekly passes will inevitably entice tourists too.

In July 2013, a City of Vancouver staff report noted that the implementation of the first phase of bikes and stations was to take place in early 2014. It is understood that this timeline will not happen due to several challenges and issues.

Challenges:

Helmets - make the Vancouver system unique, the added challenge to abide by the provincial motor vehicle act which dictates that all bike riders on city streets must wear a helmet. Vending machines at each rental station are required – adding to the cost and footprint of the stations and reducing the convenience and simplicity that makes the other public bike share programs successful.

Operator – The City has an agreement with an owner/operator. However, Bixi, the company that was to supply the infrastructure including bikes has gone bankrupt.

Financing or sponsorship – the owner/operator has not yet secured financing or sponsorship to pay for the supply and operation of the system.

Equitable access – for residents, and visitors too!

 

One of the challenges for Vancouver has been securing a PBS operator.
Bixi in Old Montreal, image by Adam Fagen.

There has been some groundwork laid by the city as it has changed a number of by-laws to allow for this type of program to operate on City property. The Vancouver Park Board has also allowed stations and bikes on Vancouver Parks Board lands. Preliminary sites have been identified for stations with most located every 300-400m (approximately 2-3 blocks) on the street and the remaining stations will be located on the sidewalk or other City-owned property and privately owned lands.

This ground work has raised a number of issues relating to who will be using the program, how people will use it, advertising and locating stations.

Bike rental shops, particularly the ones concentrated near Stanley Park, are nervous and worry about the negative impacts of a public bike share would impose on their business.

People worry about the safety concerns that the potential large amount of people jumping on bikes who have little or no knowledge and experience of riding in the city.

The minimum station size is approximately the length of 3 parking spaces, the largest size station estimated to be 7 parking spaces. Where will all these stations go? Generally people freak out when they lose access to parking – as the VPSN found when highlighting issues and recommendations based in our 2008 Bicycle Count – and with the majority of stations to be located on the street this could lead to a lot of unhappy people. Finding space for all these bikes will be a challenge and impact the public realm. Will large areas within local parks be taken over? Will people literally “stumble over” these bike stations in crowed areas? Where will the new stations be located and who will or won’t have access?

Many point to Vancouver’s lack of a public bike share program; on the other hand, it was one of the first cities in North America to create a low-cost, low-impact network of bikeways along residential streets with light traffic volumes, making Vancouver an international leader in increasing the number of cycling trips in some parts of the city. If only Vancouver could apply this same low-barrier access to the bike share program, efforts would go a long way to increasing PBS usage, and in turn, cycling trips and number of cyclists in the city.

Distributing stations across Vancouver’s diverse communities will be a challenge for making public bike share accessible. Consider the bikeways network, the areas of the city it does currently serve and the impacts of not having “safe streets” nearby, on which to ride a bicycle. At least one urban planning graduate student has tackled this very question; Darren Buck’s thesis brainstorms solutions to providing PBS access for low-income communities, and minority groups disproportionately underrepresented in bicycling.

Further to accessibility, the solution to providing every user with a bike helmet is the inclusion of a helmet dispensing machine the size of a soda vending machine at every station. These machines will require space and have plenty of surfaces to affix advertising. This has the potential to dramatically increase in-your-face billboard/advertising across the 125 stations.

Vancouverites – don’t try this at home!
Image by Sharyn Morrow

We offer suggestions to overcome some of the challenges and issues and implement the Vancouver public bike share program:

• Work with local business to locate stations and support existing bike rental shops.
• Build the network of PBS with a view to increasing access for those who currently do not, cannot or choose not to cycle for lack of access to infrastructure.
• Implement a comprehensive and overarching education campaign and wayfinding system to ensure that folks who use the system will stay off sidewalks and understand how to get to their destination (and bicycle station) in a safe manner.
• Limit the size and scope of corporate advertising on the bike stations within the public realm. Use the space available to educate visitors and system users so that it is a positive experience for everyone.

The Vancouver Public Space Network supports the implementation of the public bike share system in Vancouver. The challenges can be overcome and we hope it is very soon! A public bike share program will support and complement existing transportation options and offers an affordable amenity to residents and visitors.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

For decades the laneways have been regarded as a secondary means of vehicular circulation, while retaining a fundamentally utilitarian functionality. Under-utilised and under-appreciated, they frequently exist in a state of disrepair and dilapidation, often acting as the literal dumping ground for our city.

Vancouver Laneway Garbage. Image Credit. Sam Cameron

However, all is not lost! Recent community driven initiatives have successfully sought to re-imagine these spaces and highlight the inherent potential retained within them. Through the facilitation of a series of ephemeral placemaking interventions, non-for-profit organizations, such as Livable Laneways Vancouver, have revealed the laneways to be potential spaces for community gathering, celebration, and interaction, as well as places for artistic expression.

Livable Laneways Activation.
Image Credit. Livable Laneways Vancouver

Drawing inspiration from the laneways has not only been limited to community groups. Local entrepreneurs, such as those situated along Blood Alley, in Vancouver’s historical Gastown neighbourhood, have also taken to embracing these peripheral, or otherwise known as marginal, spaces.

This said the City has not been implicit in this growing awareness. In 2009, Council approved laneway housing (LWH) regulations and guidelines, as part of a densification initiative. Since its inception, the City has issued over 1000 permits, throughout the city, yet the program does little to address the quality of the public space beyond the private residential footprint.

Concurrently, Council has also approved a number of neighbourhood specific plans, such at the Mount Pleasant Community Plan (Nov. 2010) and Implementation Plan (Oct. 2013), West End Community Plan (Nov. 2013), and Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan (Mar. 2014). All of the aforementioned policy documents have sought to initiate a process where the laneways are officially recognised as intrinsic public space assets, aiming to encourage the revitalization of pre-identified spaces.

These localised considerations are all well and good, however, the VPSN believes that a more comprehensive approach needs to occur. Examples such as the City of Sydney’s Laneway Revitalisation Strategy and the City of Port Phillip’s (Melbourne region) Activating Laneways Strategy demonstrate the value of adopting such a strategy.

Sydney Lane Neon.
Image Credit. ASPECT Studio

Accordingly, in order to realise this process of re-imagination and re-appropriation, VPSN proposes that the City of Vancouver considers the adoption of a Laneway Strategy.

Such a strategy could:

– Acknowledge the important role of laneways and provide a vision of the future of these spaces;

– Present different possibilities associated with residential, commercial, and industrial laneways;

– Help balance the current utilitarian role of laneways (e.g. waste collection and goods movement), with future placemaking opportunities;

– Outline quick-win strategies, such as the assignment of names, increase the number of sanctioned street art walls, and improve safety aspects (e.g. lighting);

– Examine more long-term projects which (1) ensure a more efficient means of waste removal, (2) supports the establishment of commercial enterprises, and (3) endorses infrastructural improvement projects;

– Implement a regulatory framework which readily supports event-based activities and provides clarity around issues of permitting and licensing, while potentially reducing or eliminating fees.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

The opening of the Canada Line in 2009 with its Fraser River crossing introduced a new pedestrian/cycling connection across the river. This popular new link between Vancouver and Richmond has helped to foster an increased interest in providing recreation opportunities next to – and along – the river.

The Canada Line; image by grumpygrimble

A recent ‘good news’ update on this front appeared when Council approved the Marpole Community Plan on April 2, which VPSN has reviewed and commented on. Included in the list of 10-year policies in the Public Benefits Strategy is the creation of a new waterfront park of up to 10 acres at the foot of Cambie Street. This represents a tremendous opportunity for a brand new, significant greenspace to be built in a neighbourhood that has less park space than most other areas of the city. And with construction cranes popping up next to Marine Drive Station, this new waterfront park will also help to serve the future residents of this emerging transit-oriented community.

While this new park will be a welcome Fraser River greenspace addition, the momentum needs to continue beyond just this one piece of the puzzle. The Marpole Plan also spells out direction for future extensions of the existing Fraser River Trail. In recent years the Park Board has made some small additions to the Marpole portion of the trail, along with some beautification efforts. However, the trail is still fragmented, and significant gaps around busy industrial areas highlight the need for a more comprehensive, long-term vision of a continuous link of waterfront trails and parks beyond just Marpole. We’re aware that Metro Vancouver is taking the first step in this direction with their collaborative vision to Experience the Fraser:

“Experience the Fraser is a unique vision to connect communities, parks, natural features, historic and cultural sites and experiences along the Lower Fraser River. The Canyon to Coast Trail and Recreational Blueway are the backbone of the project, connecting Hope to the Salish Sea by means of over 550 kilometres of trail (43% of which is already in place) and via the river itself.”

Strategies that add or improve pathways and wayfinding are welcome, as in some places it can be a challenge to navigate the pedestrian and cycling routes between the river and neighbouring residential areas.

[Oblique view of Vancouver and Fraser River looking north] Credit: City of Vancouver Archives; Reference code: AM54-S4-: LP 153.2; Date: June 5, 1948

By putting special focus on the Fraser River, Vancouver’s southern waterfront, we can improve access and help encourage a greater awareness and appreciation of the river’s cultural, agricultural, industrial, and environmental heritage, and provide much-needed opportunities for recreation and public space gathering.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

We’d like to make a proposal: starting in 2015, let’s to do something to formally mark the occasion. We’re a city that has been working hard to shake a ‘no fun’ moniker – and this is a time of year, blossoms blooming, spring in the air, which could benefit from some official merry-making. Let’s call it Vancouver Day.

And why not? This is a great city. We deserve to take a day to say as much. Vancouver Day could be time for a bit of good old civic pride, not to mention a decent party.

It’s not like we don’t have precedents, it’s just that they typically only happen every quarter century. The 50th, in 1936 was celebrated in style, and a quarter-century later, the city’s 75th birthday was marked with pomp and circumstance. Many folks will still remember the centennial celebrations of 1986, which included a parade, community events, even a small flotilla of boats. Then-Governor General Jeanne Sauvé paid a visit and cut cake with Mayor Michael Harcourt; there were speeches and 100-gun salutes, and a big party in Stanley Park. They even had a special recognition ceremony for all the babies born on the day.

More recently, we had chance to see what this could look like in 2011, when not one, but two major “Vancouver 125” activities took place: a free outdoor concert at Jack Poole Plaza on April 6, and a larger, weekend long celebration event called SummerLive that took place in July at Brockton Point, Stanley Park.

We don’t need to go to quite the same extent every year, but something would be nice. How about an official “Vancouver Day” proclamation from the Mayor? Maybe some support for neighbourhood events, or local activities that showcase the many and diverse communities that make up Vancouver? A big pot luck? More cake? Perhaps an ‘official’ event in one or more of the city’s downtown public spaces?

There are lots of different and creative ways to celebrate our city, and it wouldn’t take much to make it happen. Civic leaders could do a lot by just declaring the day a celebration and inviting ideas. Toss in a bit of seed-funding or small community grants and who knows what might happen!

This year, for the first time in a number of years, the City will be rolling out a big New Years’ Eve celebration – one that will actually go to midnight. That’s a positive move. Collective celebrations are an important part of the public life of any city. And let’s not forget, we’ve also got Cherry Blossoms and Vaisakhi, Car Free Days, Pride and Santa Claus, among others.

But it’s time to round out this roster of activities with an event that focuses on our home town. Let’s make it happen! Mark your calendars! Vancouver Day, a day that celebrates the city.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

Every three years, to coincide with the municipal election, the VPSN publishes a series of public space policy ideas. In 2014, we’ll be showcasing several of these via our blog. Be sure let us know what you think!

A modest public space intervention for the VPSN’s “Turn V” Party…
Photo by Christopher Turzak

Greetings to all on this soggy May 11. And a special shout-out to the good folks of Pt. Grey who are heading to the polls a second time this month. Thank you voters, for exercising your democratic rights!

And for your reading pleasure today, a healthy selection of upcoming public space events and opportunities, for your interest, edification and input. 

FEATURE EVENT – Tuesday, May 17 – The Next Big Plan. Vancouver 2050…and Beyond!

Join us for an evening of big picture thinking. The VPSN is pleased to host a special presentation by City of Vancouver Urban Designer Scot Hein, UBC Professor Patrick Condon, and a crack team of graduate students of UBC School for Landscape Architecture. The group conducted a workshop in the Fall of 2010 that sought to create a plan for the future of Vancouver. 

The result is a radical vision for the future that accounts for big demographic changes, a massive reduction in greenhouse gases, the utilization of district energy systems, efficient transit networking, habitat and open-space linkages and the best practices of urbanism as currently understood. This is a session that will be of interest to city-lovers of all stripes. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. 

Takes place at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (West 7th and Vine) at 7:00pm. Snacks will be served. The presentation will be followed by an update on other VPSN projects and activities. For more information – info [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Public Space Manifesto 2.011 – What’s Your Beef?

Another ‘big picture’ item! The VPSN is in the process of developing our 2nd Public Space Manifesto – which we will be rolling out in the next couple of months (in the lead-up to the November municipal contest).

As with the last one, we want the v2.011 document to be the product of our collective ideas and expertise for Vancouver’s public realm. The result will be a collection of policy suggestions that will be made available to all political candidates running for local office.

So, seeing as you spend a fair bit of time in the City’s public spaces, we want to know:

What ideas do you have for improving the city and its public realm?

What are your priorities for positive change in Vancouver’s urban environment?

This is an intentional broad question – and you can respond with big picture ideas, or specific ‘fixes’ at another scale. Is there something about your local park, community centre or retail street or that you want to see changed? Is there too much of one thing, and not enough of another? How is the city doing as a whole? 

We interpret public space in a fairly wide fashion – it can include everything from streets, squares and parks, to institutional spaces, to transportation infrastructure and beyond. So you can think big with your ideas too. All we ask is this – if you’ve got a beef with something please tell us what the positive alternative is… because we want to frame the document as a series of positive steps to better Vancouver.

Send us your thoughts by Tuesday, May 26, 2011. A couple of sentences on each point are all we need at the moment.

Turn V Thank You

Hey – we’d be remiss if we didn’t say a BIG thank you to all of you well-wishers. The VPSN turned a great big five years old last Wednesday, and we had a wicked shindig at the Bayside Lounge to celebrate. It was great to see so many people come out to the event – and we’re flattered by all the kind wishes that were sent our way. We’re blushing! Seriously though, it’s a great honour to collaborate with all of you. So thank YOU for making this such a worthwhile endeavor. Fuzzy pictures of the debauchery to follow shortly.

VPSN PROJECT MEETINGS

Tuesday, May 24 – Downtown Public Space Plan

Last December, City Council introduced a motion to create a Downtown Public Space Plan. The VPSN is interested in exploring this idea from a research and advocacy perspective and has been exploring the key features of public space plans and the ways and means to inventory and assess public space. Our next project meeting takes place at 630pm on Tuesday May 24. Location TBD. 

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

Thursday, May 26 – Public Health/Public Space Project Meeting

The connections between health and the public realm are many and overlapping. For the last few months, the VPSN has been developing a backgrounder on this subject, and exploring the various intersections between place and well-being. Our next session takes place on Thursday May 26 at 630. Open to all. Location TBD.

ENGAGE

Public Art Survey

VPSN member Michael Cox is requesting help with the following survey on public art. Can you lend him a hand? It’s for an MA thesis on the subject. 

:: Take the survey – http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QCSX76K

Help illustrate the final Greenest City Action Plan. Submit your photos today!

From the City of Vancouver: “First you contributed green ideas. Then you commented on the draft action plans. Now is your chance to add images in the Final Greenest City 2020 Action Plan! Since the beginning, you’ve been such a big part of shaping the Action Plans that we thought it only fitting that your images help illustrate the plan, as well.

Images should be Vancouver specific or reflective of the ideas and actions outlined in the plan. For inspiration, have a look at the draft actions under each of the Greenest City goals http://www.talkgreenvancouver.ca/goals

Here’s how it works: (1) Become a member of the Greenest City flickr pool (flickr is free to join)http://www.flickr.com/groups/greenestcity/pool/; (2) Add your images to the pool. (3) Please post images at the highest quality/size that you can; and choose a creative commons licensing so we can download them. (4) Our designer will select photos from this pool to use in the final plan that will be distributed far and wide. (5) If your image is selected, you will receive photo credits in the plan. For the online and pdf versions of the plan we will also include a link back to your flickr account. 

Everyone who submits a photo to the Flickr Pool before Thursday, May 12 will be entered to win one of 2 Greenest City Prize Packs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Each newsletter we feature one or two of the cool events coming our way. This time ‘round, its bikes and Great Streets that caught our attention. 

Monday, May 30 – “…On Broadway” Design Lecture

Broadway, extending across almost the entire city, is not only an important street for walking, living, shopping and work but is also one of Vancouver’s busiest transit corridors. How can we make it better?

The City of Vancouver and the SFU City Program are presenting a guest lecture from Allan Jacobs, former Director of City Planning for San Francisco and author of Great Streets, and Elizabeth Macdonald, Professor of Urban Design at the University of California, Berkeley. They will speak about best practices in street design and provide advice on the design of Broadway and how it could be a “Really Good” street, if not a “Great Street”. Takes place 7 pm – 9 pm, SFU Harbour Centre – Room 1400 (515 West Hastings Street). For details and to register for this free event, click here.

Tuesday, May 31 – Cycling in Vancouver: A Carbon Talks Brown-Bag Dialogue

What is the City of Vancouver doing to make its streets even more attractive to cyclists? What are the challenges and opportunities? Join Jerry Dobrovolny, the city’s director of transportation, for a frank “brown bag” dialogue focused on bikes in the city; feel free to bring your lunch! Takes place 12:00pm – 1:00pm at SFU Harbour Centre, Room 2270, 515 West Hastings Street.

:: Please register at http://i.sfu.ca/iATjBT

VOLUNTEER

VPSN Leadership Opportunities Available

Hey – you’ve got the chops don’t you? Passionate about public space, eager to help plan and coordinate projects, mobilize volunteers… make change in the city?

We have a few openings for coordinators right now and we’re looking for sharp, savvy, strategists who are willing to commit beyond one-project activity.

Our wish list: some game-changers who can help us amp up campaigns around pedestrian issues, cycling and public transit, parks and urban design.

A few quick-yet-important weekend announcements to share with you all.

First up, a reminder about next week’s VPSN “Turn V With Us” Birthday Party! The Network is five whole years old… and to mark the occasion we’re having a celebration at the Bayside Lounge at Denman and Davie. It’s a fine spot for a gathering – a bit of ‘old Vancouver’ (ok, Expo-era old), with an excellent round room and a panoramic view of English Bay.

Our advice: plan to root for the Canucks on Tuesday and Thursday, and plan to treat yourself to a bit of mid-week fun with us — a slice of birthday cake, some party favours and other excellent shenanigans. We turn V on Wednesday, May 4 starting at 7:00pm and we want you there along with us! (Map)

In related news, the VPSN crew is out of the city this weekend on the first of our bi-annual, rolling-up-the-sleeves, getting-down-to-business planning retreats. We carve out these sessions so that our coordinator team can get together and work through organizational development issues and collaborative projects.

Just for fun, here’s a snap of the crew from earlier today. Almost as good as a mid-80s hair-rock band photo.

This session we’re spending some time plotting out version 2.011 of our public space manifesto. We produced the first one in 2008 in time for the last municipal election and are gearing up to do the same for this year’s contest. As with the last one, we aim to make this one a collaborative venture — and are looking for your input to help shape the collective “ask” we make of our local politicians. To this end, we want to know:

What do you think are the key public space issues in Vancouver?

How do you think our elected officials should attend to these issues?

Send any ideas you might have (a couple of sentences is all that’s needed) to info [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca.

And one final note — speaking of elections — Monday is e-day in Vancouver. Five ridings in Vancouver and dozens more across the region will be electing the people that will be representing our corner of the country in Ottawa.

This is an election that started with a whimper but may yet end with a bang. It’s certainly proving to be a more exciting contest than anyone would have predicted. Public space issues, like the urban agenda in general,may not have fared all that well in the platforms of the major parties, but despite that, cities will factor prominently in the policies and actions of whatever combination of parties get into power.

Your part in this process is just as important as ever. Don’t give the social scientists any more reason to grumble about declining engagement — make sure that you do your part and get your vote on. Polling station and election-day information can be found 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