At roughly 1000m2, the new park will occupy roughly a third of a city block – and will be part of an overall redevelopment of the block that also includes a non-market housing project.

This is an interesting site, and one that is prominently located in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. There’s lots of potential for the new public space to serve as a ‘gateway’ to the area, but there are also some challenges that will need to be accounted for as well. Chief among them: the task of creating an inviting gathering area next to a busy arterial road.

So how do you think the park should look and feel? This initial survey gives you a chance to share your ideas on the character of the space, potential activities, design and landscaping treatments and more.

• Read the Information Booklet
  
• Take the Survey

On a sunny day there is a bright reflection coming from the blank wall across the street from my Kitsilano home. The expanse of matte-grey cinder bricks feels like wasted space.

The blankness of the wall is especially notable, given that other parts of my community have become striking canvases for public art. Much of the new colour comes courtesy of the Vancouver Mural Festival, which matches street and aerosol artists with privately owned buildings (and their businesses). In addition, the Festival celebrates public art with free tours and other events. This year’s Mural Fest (August 8-11) also includes a ticketed concert.

VMF Mural by Ilya Viryachev & James Knight. Photo by *lingling*

While the Mural Festival may have become the most prominent such event, there’s also a lot of other public art driven by businesses or business improvement associations trying to enliven their shopping areas. The City’s Integrated Graffiti Management Program has supported this sort of community-based art for a number of years now (although it needs to be noted: the City supports sanctioned art while requiring unsanctioned graffiti to be removed – so questions of ‘what is legitimate art?’ and ‘who gets to decide?’ serve as embedded tensions here, as in other cities).

My first exposure to mural art was as a child in Vancouver Island driving through Chemainus. I didn’t think about it much at the time, but over 30 years later I can still remember the bouquets of colour springing from the walls of this little town on Vancouver Island. Chemainus bills itself as “the city of murals.” Following the recession in the early 1980s, they adopted a progressive approach to placemaking – and looked to street art as a way to attract tourism and instill civic pride.

The Hong Hing Waterfront Store. Mural by by Paul Marcano Photo by Jasperdo. Chemainus BC

Another notable experience came on a trip to Berlin. It was 1997 and the city was undergoing massive, post-reunification renewal. It was a period of rapid growth, and there was an exuberance and tension in the city that was searching for different types of expression. The Kreutzberg neighbourhood where I was staying was one of a number that was slated for “revitalization” – and became a place for both legal and unauthorized wall art. Street artists proceeded to paint every possible surface with images and messages both edgy and dramatic.

Building Street Art – Bülowstraße, Berlin – Photo by Eye DJ

Today, Berlin is one of the global hotbeds of street art (check out some of the fine examples documented on the Street Art Berlin website). While graffiti in the city is technically illegal there are several spaces where artists can pursue their craft in a sanctioned fashion – purchasing permits from local businesses to paint on a particular piece of wall. Creating an official process like this may take some of the clandestine edge off the art, but it doesn’t seem to detract from what is in reality a very dynamic scene. Of course, there are murals too – and the city is home to a number of examples of art commissioned pieces.

Another city with a strong public art scene is New York. A lot of New York’s iconic graffiti scene developed organically, and came to define the urban landscape in the 1980s. Nowadays, the stealthy work of small crews of artists has also been supplemented by groups actively and overtly promoting public art.

One such initiative is the L.I.S.A. Project (the acronym stands for: Little Italy Street Art) started in 2012 by Wayne Rada, and now a registered non-profit. Recognizing the potential community development angle inherent in street art, Rada and his group started promoting murals as a way to revitalize the Little Italy neighbourhood. The project proved so successful that it spread to other neighbourhoods. Today, the group produces and promotes a number of art pieces each year throughout the city in SoHo, Lower East Side, East Village, Chinatown and Chelsea. Meanwhile, back in Little Italy, their on-going work has helped to create Manhattan’s “first and only mural district”.

Other cities and places, like Boston, Toronto, Venice Beach, and smaller communities like Lynn, Massachusetts, have experimented with other types of sanctioned space. Graffiti alley in Toronto is a marvelous corridor of street art. Signs hung on the wall say something magic: artists welcome. No permit is required.

Graffiti Alley, Toronto – Photo by John Piercy

When cities opt to legitimate graffiti or street art (which is a laudable goal!), a clear and accessible process is important. Artists need to know what to expect, what the approvals process is, whether funding is available, and how long their work will be shown. There ought to be a fairly broad latitude for political or personal artistic expression, but where there are boundaries it should be reasonably clear as to what is acceptable – and civic officials should expect this to be tested.
But does all street art need to be sanctioned? The work of notables like Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Roadsworth – to name just a few – are now the subject of movies, gallery exhibitions and even theft. How many of their pieces would have been given a stamp of approval in the municipal office? Here, ‘graffiti as folk art’ seems compromised by the idea of a permit process.

To make matters more interesting, the legal definitions of graffiti are somewhat at odds with the sorts of distinctions that many people will draw between “good” street art and tagging. For example, in Vancouver, the Graffiti Bylaw defines graffiti as “one or more letters, symbols or marks, howsoever made, on any structure or thing but does not include … a letter, symbol or mark for which the owner or tenant of the real property on which the letter, symbol or mark appears has given prior, written authorization.” And that basically means everything is graffiti – and subject to a removal order – unless you get permission.

In my view, good street art – whether a commissioned mural, sanctioned piece, or even something edgier and clandestine – has the potential to enliven blank walls and other forms of urban canvas. That’s not a blank cheque on aerosol art, but it is intended to speak to the possibilities inherent in the art form.

Don’t believe me? Go check out the great work of the upcoming mural fest, or take a tour of some of the previous years work.

And hey, while we’re at it, do you have a blank wall?

Anke Hurt is a recent graduate of the Langara Community Planning Program, a resident of Vancouver, and a big fan of the city’s burgeoning street art scene. 

The Vancouver Mural Fest runs now through August 11, 2018. Find out all the details at vanmuralfest.ca. 

Cover photo of Jeff Henriquez’s Brooklyn mural by Jada Stevens. And hey… we know who took the photos that we used for this article, but some of the artists remain unknown. If you have any details on the folks responsible for the works we’ve featured here, please drop us a note so we can attribute the pieces appropriately.

The last week in May was Bike To Work Week and, for once in Vancouver, the weather co-operated to bring plenty of people out on their bikes! HUB’s online dashboard boasted over 10,000 participants, 2934 of which were new to Bike To Work Week. As one of those new participants I decided to jot down some of my thoughts on the event.

Aside from the fact that I love riding my bike and getting to be outside on my commute to the office, it’s actually faster for me to get there on a bike than it is to take transit, a fact HUB were touting for much of the week.

From the beginning I was super impressed with the way everything was set up for Bike To Work Week. The HUB website was easy to navigate and very informative in terms of how to log routes, where the celebration stations would be located and how you could win prizes. One of my favourite features was the group and individual stats on the dashboard page as it really put into perspective the benefit of cycling to work. I’d never really thought about how far I cycle in any given week but I was shocked to find out that it’s around 70km just for riding to and from work; those little trips sure add up fast!

Throughout the week I only saw a slight increase in the number of riders on my usual route but, as I rode to the free BBQ on Friday, there was almost a bicycle jam on 10^th Ave. There were so many people out riding! From the buzz I heard from other participants it sounded like there was a definite uptick in the number of people cycling around Downtown and plenty of inter-office competition which can only be a good thing for the state of cycling in Vancouver!

I think the celebration stations are a great idea and a great initiative for an event like Bike To Work Week. There’s nothing like the incentive of a free coffee or free snack to motivate people to stop by and chat on their way to work. Although there weren’t a huge amount of stations south of 10^th Ave, I made sure to detour to stop at one in Mt Pleasant for a coffee, free water bottle and protein square! Although the freebies seem like a small gesture it was definitely appreciated and I know it encourages more people to engage with the initiative as well as enhancing the experience of those who don’t usually ride to work.

The final event of the week was the BBQ in Creekside Park which again was a really well run event. There was a nice range of sponsors there, from bike wrenching stands to free food, raffle tickets and cycling gear. The BBQ line up was pretty busy the whole time but the ladies running it were lovely and patient and it was great to just sit down and soak in the atmosphere on the grass.

Photo from https://bikehub.ca/bike-to-work

In the future I’d love to see Bike To Work Week grow further. It would be great to see increased visibility and advertising before the event. I saw very little local news about Bike To Work Week in the days leading up to the event. It would also be great to have celebration stations more evenly distributed throughout the city to encourage riders south of 10^th Avenue.

In all, I had a wonderful first Bike To Work Week and it’s an experience I’d happily participate in again. Although the gorgeous weather definitely contributed to turnout, if even 10% of the participants decided to bike to work more often we would have a much happier and healthier Metro Vancouver!

Dude Chilling Park. Photo by Gary AK

Remember the Dude Chilling sign that was installed, guerilla-style, in Guelph Park? Well it looks like it’s one step closer to becoming a permanent part of the greenspace. A just-released Park Board staff report is recommending this, and the issue will be discussed in detail at the next Board meeting on February 3, 2014.

The sign, using a clever duplication of the traditional Park Board palette, is the handiwork of local artist Victor Briestensky. At the time of its installation in November 2012, news of the guerilla work went quickly viral, and supporters circulated a petition to keep the sign. Over 1,500 signatures were gathered.

Shortly afterward, Park Board commissioners weighed in and asked for a formal consultation. The results of that process, outlined in a staff report, are up for consideration next week. In it, Parks staff write:

“Given the results of the [consultation] process… staff support the installation of the artwork in Guelph Park and also recommend installing a plaque next to the artwork, which includes a brief description of the piece and a reference to the Coast Salish connection to the land. Staff proposed the artwork be sited in its original location, which is adjacent to the sidewalk which will minimize the impact on other uses of the park..”

Which to our minds, is a great recommendation for a well-loved piece of guerrilla art. We hope Park Board Commissioners will agree.

It’s a busy week at 12th and Cambie. Our round-up of all the various public-space related meetings and events will be coming in a few parts…

Monday night starts with a Public Hearing on a number if rezoning applications. We reported on a few of these in January, including the Beth israel synagoge/ Talmud Torah school at Oak and 26th. (Pedestrian and plaza-space features are included in this proposal).

The most contentious, however, will be application associated with the proposed Rize development at Broadway and Kingsway. Under consideration is a two-storey podium base and a pair of five and 19-storey residential buildings. The proposal in question has already been the source of objections and disagreement in the neighbourhood.

The community plan that was approved for the Mt Pleasant neighbourhood called for ‘additional height and density’ on the site – to be determined through the rezoning process. But now the process is here there’s considerable unhappiness with the form and scale of the buildings on offer.

This proposal will contrast the potential for a range of public benefits against the impact of tower-development in a low to mid-rise neighbourhood.

Most recently, Council asked City staff to report on some of the discrepancies between the applicant’s 3D renderings of the development and those produced by a citizen. This question about the accuracy of development and real estate visualizations has added another layer to an already intense discussion.

Tonight’s Hearing, starting at 7:00, promises to go long and will be an interesting one to watch. Check it out. (There’s still time to get on the speakers list if you want to have your say as well).

For more info:

• http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20120227/phea20120227ag.htm
• http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/speaktocouncil.htm

More to follow on the rest of the week at City Hall. Stay tuned!

On deck for discussion are:

• Jericho Wharf Concept Plan
• Rezonings in Mt. Pleasant and South Cambie
• Vancouver Economic Development Strategy
• Three motions in support of citizen engagement
• Dogs, leashes and the Animal Control Bylaw
• Booze. Movies. The Rio Theatre

All the exciting details and more… below the fold.

Jericho Wharf Concept Plan

The Park Board will be receiving a staff report that outlines the final proposed concept plan for the Jericho Wharf site.

The Wharf, off of Point Grey Road, was the source of some debate over the last couple of years. Structural issues were at the heart of it, and there was disagreement about whether the Wharf should be rehabilitated, or whether the beach area should be naturalized. The new concept plan advances the restoration approach. In so doing, it proposes to create an environment “where wildlife can access the waters edge through a diverse range of habitat types including dune grass, upland shrub thickets and maturing forest.”

Public Realm Considerations – Rezoning Applications

Three rezoning applications being considered this week are of interest. The first two are for the co-joined Beth Israel / Talmud Torah School at Oak and 26th – where improved landscaping and pedestrian connections are part of the design, and a “publicly oriented plaza” is being proposed along 28th Avenue.

The third, more controversial rezoning application, is for the Rize site at Kingsway and Broadway. Here, a new podium and tower are being proposed and there is has been an animated conversation taking place over how the development proposal ‘fits’ with the objectives of the recently completed Mt. Pleasant Community Plan. Among the public realm aspects being considered are wider sidewalks and the creation of a stronger pedestrian ‘heart’ for the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood.

Economic Development Strategy: chicken and egg dilemmas?

Council will also be receiving a report on the new Vancouver Economic Development Strategy. This document looks at ways to support three key goals:

1. Creating a Healthy Climate for Growth and Prosperity;
2. Supporting Local Business, New Investment and Global Trade;
3. Focusing on Talent: Retaining and Attracting Human Capital.

The report references the need to consider questions of affordability and liveability as part of a discussion of growth. The City’s commitment to these items is noted in a number of places – but the overall incorporation of these ideas into the strategy ultimately feels a bit thin. And this is curious because of how fundamental these considerations are to any discussion of local economy.

Our take: Want to attract and retain talent, visitors and dollars? Then a focus on providing spaces for people to live affordably (meaning homes, childcare, basic needs) needs to be a key component of any plan – and not just via references to other strategies or initiatives (like the recently completed Housing and Homelessness document). Without a solid program in these areas, the talent (and we’ve got lots here already), visitors and dollars won’t be sticking around all that long. There will be attraction without any retention.

The liveability question may seem a little less obvious, but we think there’s also a need to give this some more profile. A key way to energize and support an economy is to make sure that the various ‘spaces between’ home and work (a substantial amount of which is part of the public realm) are well-designed, inclusive and accessible – because they are as much an ‘incubator’ (to borrow a term) of local economic vitality as high-tech office infrastructure. People want to stay in cities that feel good. A big part of that good feeling comes with a vibrant public life and all the various things – parks, plazas, street life – that support it.

Don’t get us wrong, we like the idea of an economic development strategy. However, the present report could use a wee tune up. With aspirations to ” [expand] the City’s global brand on liveability, by strengthening and promoting a prosperous business climate” (p.8) the Strategy’s emphasis here, and elsewhere, seems to suggest that the cart will lead the horse.

Citizen Engagement

Three separate motions look at aspects of citizen engagement. The first sees newbie Councillor George Affleck seeking support to “direct staff to report back regarding the current process by which Council members are appointed to committees, boards and other bodies, as well as a listing of these specific appointments, and the duration of these appointments.”

It will be interesting to see what comes of this discussion. It has been our understanding that the Mayor and his caucus get to make that call – one of the perks of winning the election (and an inevitable invitation for the minority parties, whomever they happen to be at the time, to cry foul).

The second motion, also by Affleck, seeks to allow citizens better access to the decision theatre at Metro Vancouver by allowing Board and committee meetings to be “broadcast, either by internet or other means, to allow residents to view the proceedings of these meetings.”

The third motion on notice, being proposed by Andrea Reimer, seeks (in part) to reopen a discussion that occupied elected officials during the last session of Council. The two-part motion would have City Council write to the Province and “reiterate the request to have the ability under the Vancouver Charter for Council to make campaign finance rules and consider alternate voting systems” as well as “make a new request for the ability to release raw vote data.”

The motion then makes a further request for “recommendations from the 2011 Chief Elections Officer for measures to increase voter turnout, citizen involvement and fairness for all candidates in the 2014 civic election.”

Dogs, Leashes, Laws

Public space is governed by a number of regulations whose ‘teeth’ appear inconsistently, and usually only when there are complaints. For example, tire swings on street trees, garage sale notices on neighbourhood utility poles, and sidewalk chalk on the road are all examples of things that, despite their innocuousness, contravene city bylaws.

Another newbie Councillor, Adriane Carr, is going after a regulation that may – depending on your perspective – fall into this nebulous category. In this case it’s Animal Control Bylaw, which states that anyone who keeps a dog must not allow on “a street or other public place” unless the dog is under their “immediate charge.” Carr is concerned that this unnecessarily penalizes the owners of well-behaved dogs who are tethered to posts, etc. while their owner does errands in stores, cafés or other buildings.

Carr’s motion requests that staff “report back on options for changing the Animal Control Bylaw so as to allow people to safely tie up and leave temporarily unattended” their well-behaved canine.

Booze. Movies.

This one is a little less of a public space issue, though its a matter we know that many of our members have been following.

One of the staples of the East Van cultural scene is the Rio Theatre – which showcases movies, variety shows, live performances and events of all sorts. You may have heard that they’ve run into a bit of roadblock in trying to get a regular (that is, non-special event) liquor permit. It seems our rather Byzantine liquor legislation, (in particular, the Liquor Control & Licensing Act & Regulations), disallows live performance venues from serving alcohol if they also show movie screenings at other operating times.

It’s weird enough that people aren’t allowed to drink a beer and watch a film (which is pretty common in many other cities). However, thanks to our current laws, it also means that the Rio, if they want to have live performances (and serve alcohol), are effectively being disallowed from showing movies at all! (Even if they don’t serve alcohol at screenings).

Heather Deal’s motion seeks to remedy at least part of this by having Council seek “a condition on the Rio Theatre’s existing liquor license [to allow] them to show movie screenings without alcohol service when no live events are scheduled.”

There’s also an on-line petition that has been circulating on-line which you can sign.

Have your say!

Got thoughts on any of these issues? Jot an email to the motion’s proponent by using firstname.lastname [at] vancouver.ca. Copy the others at mayorandcouncil [at] vancouver.ca.

You can also request to speak to Council, mail in your thoughts, or get in touch with your elected officials through other means. Click here for the details.