The renewed square looks great, and we will be interested to see how the space is used – both formally for events, and informally, for everyday activities or a more casual nature. It’s a large plaza with some interesting design challenges – including a northerly orientation, and busy arterial streets on three sides. It will be intriguing to see what sorts of anticipated – and unanticipated – activities take place in this renewed square. One thing is for certain: the redesign is an improvement on where things were at just a few years ago.

Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza – Concept Rendering, November 2015

Up next, the 800-block of Robson… the North Plaza’s more intimate counterpart. The redesign of this plaza started last year after Council voted to permanently pedestrianize the block. A design concept was presented to Council in December, and work is expected to begin in the not too distant future.

In the meantime, check out the new North Plaza and let us know what you think. Good public spaces always take on a life of their own – so pop by and tell us what you see going on there!

Here’s the media release from the City of Vancouver:

VAG North Plaza reopens as Vancouver’s most compelling public square

Upgrades to the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery are completing this week in time for the Jazz Festival on Saturday.

“The plaza to the north of the Vancouver Art Gallery is host to Vancouver’s most significant events and is a popular place for people to pass through, sit and relax, and meet one another,” says Paul Mochrie, Deputy City Manager for the City of Vancouver. “We at the City have the honour of maintaining this remarkable public gathering space, and we are excited to see how it will be used going forward.”

The new plaza complements Robson Square on the other side of the Art Gallery and the surrounding heritage buildings. The new fully accessible space enhances safety for large gatherings, improves flexibility for events and day to day use.

Design features include:

• A flexible space that can be used for solitary and small group use, as well as large events.
• A safe, inviting environment for formal and casual use.
• A surface with pavers that will be long-lasting and durable for heavy use.
• Full accessibility for all users.
• A continuation of the Hornby Street maple trees, with new trees added along the west side of the plaza.
• A flexible pavilion / bus stop on the east side which can be used during events and can accommodate future use as a food/beverage stand or tourist information centre.

The plaza redesign was led by Nick Milkovich Architects, HAPA Collaborative , and Matthew Soules Architecture, and construction was completed by Jacobs Brothers contractor.

Going forward, the plaza will be maintained and managed by the City of Vancouver, and event organizers interested in using it can apply through the City of Vancouver’s special events office.

Correction: An earlier version of this post quoted a City Media release that incorrectly referred to Hapa Collaborative as Hapa Collective. Further, the post suggested that the plaza was fully-reopened. Rather, it is being utilized for various events throughout the summer, but is still closed to everyday use while the remaining work is completed. Additional clarifying text was added around the potential usage of the site.

This is one of several privately-owned public spaces that have been proposed for redevelopment (most recently, downtown Vancouver lost the plaza beside the Grosvenor Building on the 1000-block of Alberni). The VPSN continues to be concerned about the loss of these spaces. Many of them were also created through previous amenity-related negotiations – and intended to offset the impact of previous tower-developments. They are an important part of the urban landscape – and are also potential assets that could be revitalized to provide even better public spaces for residents, employees and visitors on the downtown peninsula.

The public has been invited to provide comment on the proposal, and the VPSN has written a letter. An excerpt is reproduced below.

Re: Pacific Centre Development – DP-2016-00107 – 701 W Georgia (Block 42)

We have had a chance to review both the existing CD-1 (455) bylaw for the site, as well as the development application submitted by Perkins + Will on behalf of the proponent.

At a high level, our letter is motivated by concern over the loss of privately owned public space in the downtown. The Pacific Centre plaza is one of several hard surfaced open spaces that were created for public use through amenity contributions related to existing developments. Like other amenities, they were intended to offset the impact of growth. In recent years, however, there have been several instances where the City has made allowances for these open spaces to be redeveloped. We feel this is a problem.

Specific to the 701 W Georgia site (block 42), we note that the plaza and atrium are distinctive features of the street, with the open space serving as an increasing popular area for public gathering (supported through the recent provision of moveable chairs and tables, and live music at lunchtime).

While we understand that the redevelopment of this site is linked to earlier negotiations around the construction of the Canada Line station at Granville and Georgia (block 52, also part of the Cadillac-Fairview CD-1). We would nevertheless like to see some form of plaza or open space retained at 701 W Georgia.

We note that the design development notes provided by City staff during the writing of the initial CD-1 (455) bylaw, suggest that the proponent should “seek to retain some open space and provide some interior space…. Encouraging public interaction and lending significance to these corner sites.”

We would request that the City direct the proponent to modify their application to better reflect the spirit of the initial bylaw.

On the design side, we note that the design rationale produced by Perkins + Will suggests that “by completing the street edge on the northeast corner of this intersection, street life and the animation of the public realm is intensified,” and that furthermore, such development, “completes the containment of the civic plaza on the north edge of the Vancouver Art Gallery.”

While we admire the work that this firm does, we are concerned that the provision of open space on this site was never adequately part of their scope of work. Certainly the objectives of animating the public realm and supporting the VAG North Plaza redesign are laudable. There proposed building has many admirable features – but we would ask the question: to what end could a well-integrated open space feature at 701 W Georgia support these goals and enable the previously agreed-to redevelopment to proceed.

We would encourage you to revisit this application and require the retention of plaza or open space on the site. Well-designed public space on this site will complement and enhance the project, supporting the overall enrichment of Georgia Street and downtown Vancouver.

More information:

• City of Vancouver – Development Application – DP-2016-00107
• City of Vancouver – Comprehensive Development (CD-1) Bylaw (455) – Pacific Centre
• VPSN Flickr Page – Photoset
• VPSN Downtown Public Space – Pacific Centre Plaza – Site Analysis (2014)

The VPSN has been involved since the beginning – participating in workshops, presenting to the Citizens’ Assembly, and monitoring the way in which public space issues were being handled throughout the plan. (In the interests of disclosure, we’ll note that VPSN Director Andrew Pask was also the lead City planner for this initiative, so we were fairly certain that public space issues would be on his radar!)

In advance of the Plan going to City Council, our Board of Directors met to review the draft document. We prepared a letter outlining our support of key policy initiatives around complete streets, streets as places, and the creation of new and enhanced plazas and parks. An excerpt of the letter follows.

The Vancouver Public Space Network was a contributor to the development of the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan during the community plan team’s outreach on the topics of transportation and public realm. We’d like to briefly touch on parts of the plan which hold promise and which we feel will benefit current and future residents both in this area and of the city generally.Complete streets

Complete Streets

The VPSN has previously appeared before council to support Transportation 2040, the plan update to the City of Vancouver’s 1997 Transportation Plan. We are glad to see that the Grandview Woodland plan reflects Transportation 2040’s commitment to supporting active transportation through emphasizing complete streets in Grandview Woodland. The principle of complete streets ensures that the balance between different modes of travel, the varying needs of members of the community, and the role of the neighbourhood within the region can be addressed while also addressing the risks associated with using our roads.

Protected Cycling Facilitiesling Facilities

Given the important social, economic and environmental benefits of higher levels of cycling, and the significant mode share already found in Grandview Woodland, we commend the City’s continuing commitment to completing the City’s protected bike network to better connect cyclists with destinations like Commercial Drive. We urge the City to continue its work in mitigating conflicts between different road users while also building infrastructure that makes safe travel for all ages and abilities using active modes convenient, enjoyable and efficient.

Where possible, we also encourage the City to partner with local business owners and members of the community to continually gauge and quantify the impact in a holistic fashion, and to share this information as much as possible with the public and other neighbourhoods as we continue to pursue our Greenest City and Green Mobility goals.

Streets as Places

Given the important civic role they play, VPSN is heartened to see streets recognized as places.

This important type of public space has been undervalued over the past half century; major commitment will be necessary to renew it. Further, we support the development of the innovative “shared spaces” strategic streets. The fact that the plan also accounts for the potential that these spaces become car free is a resilient strategy. VPSN also finds the plan’s focus on placemaking encouraging. The gateway features are a smart way to encourage a greater sense of place, while the enhancement of streetscapes in shopping areas are likely to improve the public realm and support local merchants. We also strongly endorse the support for community initiated public spaces and look forward to the outcomes.

A commitment to increasing the number of street trees is a valuable first step; we recommend further setting a clear target in the number of trees planted to add clarity and certainty to this effort. The mention of laneways of places is also promising; similarly, we welcome a stronger assertion of the importance these spaces play in the larger overall vision of public space for Grandview Woodland, as well as the other contributions they might make to social life and local economic activity in the area.

Plaza and Park Improvements – Grandview-Woodland Plan.

Plazas and Parks

The emphasis on quality of plazas and other public spaces is another positive aspect of the plan. Quantity is not the only metric on which to measure the success of public space. In Grandview-Woodland, there is a need for more public space, but there is also great demand for greater quality in these spaces. Having noted this, we also find the commitment to create new plazas to be a very positive step as well. We hope that all five new plazas suggested in the plan come to fruition.

[…]

The long journey to this final draft of the Grandview Woodland plan is one more milestone in the broader unfolding story of this dynamic area. We welcome the opportunity to work with the City as it moves to put into action and bring to reality the ideas put forward in this plan.

A quick post to let you know that City Council has just approved the creation of a permanent plaza on the 800-block of Robson. This move will pedestrianize this popular block, expanding Robson Square across the street right-of-way, and allowing for year-round programming to take place.

This is very exciting news, and we want to thank Mayor, Council and City staff for supporting this idea. This new and enhanced space will make a big contribution to public life in Vancouver. As Lon Laclaire, the City’s Director of Transportation noted: “it will be the premier plaza on the downtown peninsula.”

Council heard from about a dozen speakers, including the VPSN, several business associations, and community groups, in a discussion that ran over several hours. A lot of issues were raised around design, programming, stewardship, and transportation. These are all things that the City will be looking at through a design process that will unfold over the next year or so. (City staff noted that there will be further consultation on that, so stay tuned for future opportunities to share your ideas.)

In the meantime, a toast to the new plaza! After many years of discussion, and some great summertime experiments, it’s great to see things move forward with this important public space.

Photo credit: City of Vancouver. Corduroy Road. – 2013 summertime installation at 800-Robson.

The 800-block space has been the site of a popular temporary plaza for the last five summers. The current proposal would now keep the area car-free year-round.

This makes good sense. The block in question – all 90 metres of it – has more people walking on it than almost any other block in the city. It’s a lively one too: the site of innumerable events – from markets to protests to music festivals. The area is also a well-loved meeting spot, with some of the best people-watching opportunities in the city.

There are other benefits as well. For one, it has a more intimate feel to it than its larger cousin on the north side of the Gallery, benefiting from the mixed-scale of the surrounding architecture and the verdant landscaping that defines the Law Courts. There’s good sun as well – which always serves to animate a space. Consider, as well, the symbiosis that the site has with the surrounding cafes and restaurants that do a good, brisk trade at the hands of plaza users. Grabbing a sandwich or coffee and sitting on the Art Gallery steps is a true pleasure.

However, bisected by car-traffic as it currently is, this important public space has never reached its full potential. The presence of cars creates a barrier to programming, congesting the limited space and constraining its uses.

That’s why this proposal is so important. Permanently closing this space will be one a big step forward. It will open up the possibility of year-round programming – everything from the additional of more seating, tables and public realm features, to a broader array of events and activities.

There have been – and we have always noted this – fair points raised about the impact that pedestrianization will have on transit users and drivers, particularly those living in the West End. The proposed re-routing of the #5 bus goes some way towards resolving these challenges. It’s not a perfect solution, (we would have preferred a Burrard>Georgia diversion), but on balance it attends to many of the concerns that were raised. Similarly car drivers who are used to driving on this street will also need to plan new routes. We feel these are fair trade-offs to make in creating an enhanced plaza area that all residents and visitors can enjoy.

Pedestrianizing the 800-block is a great move – and we offer our complete support for this initiative. We hope you will too.

The proposal will be discussed at City Council next Wednesday, April 20. You can read the related staff report .

Please consider taking a few moments to share your thoughts on the idea with City Council. You can send them an email at mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca.

Originally published April 13, 2016.

Sadik-Khan is widely regarded as one of the driving forces behind a series of groundbreaking public space initiatives. In the six years she was Commissioner (2007-13), she oversaw the installation of 400 miles of bikelanes, 60 plazas – including the radical pedestrianization of Times Square – new street design guidelines and a slew of other transformative projects.

In addition to an impressive transportation-related CV, Sadik-Khan is also a lawyer by training — which perhaps explains her ability to turn a phrase. Her talk, delivered to a full house at the QE Theatre Playhouse, was replete with quotable moments. We’ve compiled some of our favourite lines as a way to share some of the content of the event.

1. Streets are what makes a city great, or not so great. For a long time now, we’ve been governed by a dashboard view of the road.

Streets are a huge part of the public domain – often accounting for over 30% of the land-area in a city. Great streets are the defining element in cities… but all to often, the perspective on how they should function – and whom they should serve – is focussed around the automobile. The tendency – at least for much of the 20th century – was to downplay and even exclude the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders.

The consequence of that exclusion is an economic, social and health catastrophe. Congestion wreaks havoc, traffic crashes are a leading cause of death, and building more (or wider) roads only amplifies the problems. (Sadik-Khan quipped: is there a profession other than traffic engineering where 33,000 people a year die and no one gets fired?)

Changing this “dashboard perspective” is about shifting focus to other road users. Importantly, this doesn’t mean getting rid of cars; rather it’s about a better balance.

A painted bikelane in New York (source: Janette Sadik-Khan)

2. Paint the city you want to see… you can accomplish a lot with just the supplies you have on hand

Introducing positive changes does not require massive expense, nor even comprehensive planning and years of study. In fact, you can accomplish a lot with some short and sweet interventions.

This is Sadik-Khan espousing the “lighter, quicker, cheaper” approach that is the hallmark for a lot of good placemaking. In essence, this speaks to the ease with which you can get people to think differently about a space – by planting a few flowers, putting out some simple lawn chairs or a public piano, or hiring a local artist to paint a mural. These are the sorts of vehicles that lend themselves to overnight transformation.

As a plus for city governments – the cost of these projects, coupled with a can-do attitude on the part of electeds and bureacrats, is a great way to eliminate the institutional paralysis that can sometimes characterize bigger public space projects. Or put another way: you don’t need to over-think a street mural. If it really sucks, you can always paint something else.

3. Once you adapt a space, people adopt it

The short-n-sweet interventions described above can be a fantastic means to foster a sense of ownership amongst the public. One of Sadik-Khan’s best known projects involves closing Times Square to cars. The ensuing plaza space that was created was initially decorate with paint and low-cost lawn chairs.

Times Square (Photo: Mitchell Reardon)

You might think, in car-obsessed New York, that this would be a recipe for on-going complaint… and yet, after some initial hand-wringing in the lead-up, the discussion, post-closure, almost instantly moved to a debate around the colour and quality of the chairs. People had taken ownership over Times Square within a matter of hours.

Again, adapting a space isn’t that difficult. City Studio’s excellent “Keys to the Street” program began with a series of free pianos (thank you Craigslist) and a few cans of paint. For the cost of a few 2nd hand chess boards, another local placemaker we knew created games nights at the North Plaza for two summers. Easy stuff.

(A sidenote: Sadik-Khan gave a nod to the “tremendous talent” in the local arts community, encouraging their involvement in the process.)

4. There’s no shame in stealing good ideas.

This phrase is hardly the brainchild of Sadik-Khan – so it’s a bit self-reflexive in that regard. We reference it because the presentation made clear the fact that no city, even one as endlessly creative as New York, needs to feel bad about borrowing and adapting placemaking ideas that come from somewhere else. After all, why reinvent the wheel when you can utilize a good initiative that’s already been tested?

Part of the New York transformation had its roots in Copenhagen – when a group of top decision-makers visited the capital of Denmark and saw the bike-friendly city with their own eyes. This is big-scale “borrowing” – one municipality sussing out another way to approach transport infrastructure – but there’s lots more that can be done on a variety of scales. Thanks to the instantaneous nature of social media, you can see new examples popping up on a daily basis.

This idea of stealing good ideas made us wonder: why would there be there any shame in doing this? Is there a fear of being derivative? Is it the notion that our city (or any city) is so utterly unique that cool ideas from other places wouldn’t make make sense on home turf? We’ve certainly heard people make the “claim for uniqueness” in the case of local public space (our favourite variant: “a central public square in Vancouver would never work because the city is too rainy — this isn’t Europe don’t you know!”)

In our experience, such friendly adaptation doesn’t make a city any less innovative; rather the sharing of good foundational ideas – whether formulas for simple street closures, or methodologies for cycling programs – can actually lead to interesting variations, riffing, and the emergence of entirely new initiatives.

5. In God We Trust, Everyone Else Bring Data

Another great riff. This line was borrowed from Sadik-Khan’s boss, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg was a strong adherent of evidence-based decision-making. Not only was data a key point in launching various public space programs – but it became a major factor in ensuring that their continuity and expansion. New bike lane and rapid bus lines were monitored for a range of impacts – related to traffic flow, business, safety and more. The success of these programs – and the numbers to quantify this success – provided the impetus for forging further ahead.

Caveat emptor: Data is only as robust as the data-gathering tools, methods and analysis that are brought to bear. New York has invested heavily in its research approach, and the result stands up to scrutiny. Poorly written opinion surveys (coincidentally, like the one an East Vancouver BIA released on the same day as Sadik-Khan’s talk) don’t help anyone. Exhibit A in the cateogry of leading questions: “Do you feel that separated bike lanes will negatively impact business by decreasing customer traffic, resulting in fewer sales and ultimately potential job losses as a result.?”

That’s right, vote for bikes at your peril, you job-killing, business-destroying heathen!

6. Follow the people, follow the footsteps. Look where people are walking today and you can see the city of tomorrow.

And on the subject of research… this line gives a nod to the role of observational studies, both for understanding how cities are actually used (e.g. the popular spot to jaywalk that’s a couple blocks away from the crossing lights) and for identifying where change needs to take place (e.g. where this desire line gets strengthened with improved pedestrian protection measures). The big point here is that the sociology of movement (quite) often differs from the cleaner and more rational assumptions that have typically informed 20th century traffic engineering. Good cities need to acknowledge and respond to this reality. In doing so, considerable gains can be made.

Engaging local artists in plaza design (Source: Janette Sadik-Khan)

7. Plazas and bike lanes, once installed, are now part of the status quo.

It can be a struggle to implement change. Given the neurology of cognitive biases, we actually seem to be hardwired against it. And yet, one of the beneficial consequences of introducing new people-friendly infrastructure is the opportunity to change – to redefine – the status quo.

Taking the plunge with new public space infrastructure – closing streets to cars, expanding sidewalks, creating plazas – meant that the previous “everyday normal” of cars, cars, cars, was transformed. This wasn’t easy (and to be sure, there are still people that grumble at Sadik-Khan about her initiatives) — and yet, when there are obvious benefits, then it also doesn’t take long for the good stuff to define a new, more positive status quo.

In practice, what this meant in New York is that residents came out in droves when the new administration of Bill de Blasio publically mulled the idea of both reopening Times Square to cars, and removing some of the other plazas and bike lanes that had been installed. The idea was quickly (and wisely) dropped.

Burrard Bridge is an excellent Vancouver example. In 2009, there was a major outcry about the impending carmageddon that would result from replacing a car lane with one for bikes on this important bridge. Fast forward to 2015. When the City announced that a sidewalk would replace a car lane, there was barely a whisper of complaint.

Parklet on Commercial Drive (Photo: Steve Chou)

8. Just try it. You can’t argue that our [current] streets are so perfect that you can’t try anything.

This sounds a little like the advice your Mom used to give… but that’s okay, because it’s actually a really important point. It is very easy to shoot down interesting project ideas for any number of reasons: it’s been tried before, it’s too risky, we don’t do that here, the psyche or social fabric of the city will be upended, etc.

We are – as a species – extraordinarily good at saying no. Fear of change is a powerful syrup that can keep us glued in place, and some of these new ideas seem as unsavory as – well, broccoli used to be… before you realized it wouldn’t kill you.

There’s always room for improvement – especially where public space and active transportation considerations are concerned. We want – no, need – to make sure our streets are safer, friendlier and more liveable for everyone, so there is absolutely no reason that we shouldn’t be experimenting, innovating, trying pilot projects and figuring out ways to introduce change.

To us, the real question here isn’t whether or not whether to “try”, it’s how. There needs to be good dialogue between different actors and stakeholders up front, a willingness to genuinely test ideas, and an agreement to evaluate the results after giving things a fair try. This could – and should – mean additional changes, including reverting back to the former situation of the experiment’s results don’t support its continuation.

Good city planning and design is about taking those steps. No one stakeholder should be able to veto a decent experiment. Sadik-Khan noted: “no one has a patent on pavement. The public domain is the public’s domain.”

A side note on Vancouver’s long-standing summertime “experiment” – the temporary pedestrianization of the 800-block of Robson (in front of the Art Gallery). Gordon Price, in a post-talk Q&A, asked Janette Sadik-Khan about whether or not the site should be permanently closed to cars (as is being proposed at City Council this week). Sadik-Khan made a few remarks about Times Square, ending with “try it out, do it… you’ll like it!

That seems pretty reasonable to us.

Unfortunately, it seems as though it’s only getting rainier: the overall annual number of high intensity rainfall days have increased here since the mid 1970s, likely an effect of urbanization and global climatic change. Climate change analysis predicts this trend, in tandem with rising sea levels, will continue into the future, so don’t put away those umbrellas anytime soon.

Increasing rainfall may present a problem for the water management of the city. In an urban environment where a lot of terrain is paved and impermeable, there is a limited number of places wherewater can infiltrate the ground. In turn, when sewers and storm drains can’t manage the amount of water entering them, they back up and urban flooding occurs. You can see examples of this every time we have heavy rain, and because of rising precipitation levels and intensities, this is becoming a more common occurrence. There are, however, cities with examples of compelling water systems as a means to remedy this for Vancouver to take inspiration from.

The climate in North-West Europe is also changing: which means more heavy and frequent rainfall, similarly to here in Vancouver. The Netherlands, typically low lying (most of the country is below sea level), is known for its many water-related challenges and inventive solutions for them.

Today, the increase in rainfall means many Dutch cities require water storage to ensure their sewer systems aren’t overloaded. One solution for this the sort of “Water Squares” created by Dutch design firm De Urbanisten. The following images are taken from their excellent website.

De Urbanisten’s squares are an inspiring case study of how to provide water storage within the city, to stop urban flooding and take pressure off the sewer system, all while improving urban public space. The squares were originally developed as a conceptual study to examine Rotterdam’s relationship with water, but one square – Benthemplein – has now been built, several designed, and another currently under development.

These gathering spaces are designed to be a useable space both when wet and dry: light rain will only fill parts of the square, but heavier rainfalls will fill up larger storage basins. In the case of Benthemplein, the space functions (when it’s not raining) as an urban space for people to exercise, play and linger. It contains three concrete basins of varying depths which are used as a skate park, a basketball court, and theatre seating in dry weather. During heavy rainfalls the basins fill with water through steel gutters and small waterfalls.

Water is held within the square until the rain has subsided. When the city’s canals have the capacity to take that water again, water from the square will discharge into the nearest waterway and the square makes room for its users once again.

Water squares may not be the only solution to urban flooding, but they certainly provide an inspiring example of coupling infrastructure with public space. They show us that necessary groundwork can double as a design element and become a part of the urban fabric.

You can see more about how the Benthemplein Water Square works here.

– By Nuala O’Donnell. All photos courtesy of De Urbanisten.

What about Vancouver? Should we be looking at a “water square”, or integrating this sort of infrastructure into our public spaces? Got ideas of your own? The VPSN is hosting Make it Rain: A Design Workshop for Rainy Public Spaces this coming Sunday, April 17. The event takes place at the Museum of Vancouver. You should attend! For more information, check out this article.

Later today, City Council will be discussing a report and recommendations that will have a number of implications for the City’s public plazas.

The report, written by the City’s Planning Department, focuses on Davie Village Public Space Improvements – and seeks Council approval for the final concept for Jim Deva Plaza (at Bute and Davie).

As we’ve noted in earlier posts, we’re quite supportive of this initiative. The new plaza will serve as a vibrant neighbourood gathering area for residents and visitors alike.

Importantly, the report also does two other things. First, it looks at the question of stewardship – and proposes a pilot strategy for the site that aims to help with maintenance, programming and other activities. Programs such as this, when properly developed and delivered, can be very helpful for enriching public spaces. Perhaps even more significantly, the report seeks Council approval to undertake a larger city-wide review of plaza stewardship, a process that the VPSN has committed to assisting.

Second, the report recommends some changes to several bylaws – including the Health Bylaw (no smoking in the plaza) and the Street and Traffic Bylaw. The latter regulatory change has some good aspects (e.g. prohibiting driving in the plaza), but also has one troubling aspect: it aims to prohibit use of the plaza “after hours.” In particular, the proposed text prohibits people from using the plaza “after hours” – between 11pm and 6am – under penalty of a $100 fine. The only thing you’re legally allowed to do after 11pm in this prominent space… is walk or bike through it.

We feel that this proposed amendment for plazas is a problem (as, for that matter, is the longer-standing precedent that exists within the City’s parks and Park Bylaw).

Public nuisance – after hours noise, disturbance, fighting, and a host of other forms of problem behaviour – is already disallowed through a variety of bylaws. This “new” bylaw therefore doesn’t do anything more to mitigate potential problems. What it does do is penalize legitimate nighttime users of a public space – including the sorts of users/activities illustrated in the City’s own rendering of the Plaza. All this, in a place (Davie Village) where there’s reason to assume that a bit more vibrant nighttime activity – not to mention ‘eyes on the street’ – would actually be desirable.

We’ve written to City Council to offer our support for the good stuff in the Council report — and to request that the proposed “after hours” amendment to the Street and Traffic Bylaw be dropped. An excerpt of our letter is found below.

…the VPSN is very supportive of the proposed design for Jim Deva Plaza. We’ve participated in the process of developing the concepts for the site and are pleased with the results. The City is to be commended for this important contribution to the West End neighbourhood. We are especially glad to see improvements proposed to the public bathroom feature.

Our organization also supports the move to establish a stewardship strategy for this plaza – as a test site and in advance of developing a similar strategy for other new and existing publically owned plaza areas in the city.

Over the past few years, the VPSN has had a chance to research a number of approaches to plaza stewardship – and while the models (and their application) vary, the point remains that a proactive plan for programming, maintenance and community involvement can play a key factor in the success of plazas and squares.

To this end, the VPSN is proud to be able to support the development of a larger stewardship strategy, and will contribute a minimum of $3,500 in-kind research and event planning to help with the development of this strategy in 2016.

The last point we wish to raise today is with regard to a component of the staff recommendations that we do not support.

While there are several regulatory changes being contemplated that make sense, the present staff report recommends at least one change to the City’s Street and Traffic Bylaw that we feel is problematic.

In particular, staff are proposing a new regulation that would disallow being in a plaza (Jim Deva plaza, or any City Plaza) “after hours” (e.g. 11-6pm) – “except for the purposes of traversing” the space. The regulation comes with a proposed fine of $100 for anyone caught and charged with violating this section of the bylaw.

We recommend that this component of the proposed changes to the Street and Traffic bylaw be struck from the revisions. Not only is it at odds with the goal of open, inclusive public space, but it also runs counter to the spirit of some of the proposed “guiding principles” for Jim Deva plaza – e.g.

• “The plaza should be clean, safe and well-lit with a sense of security in the space any time of day or night.

• The plaza should be an inclusive, welcoming and inviting destination in the West End for residents, workers and visitors of all ages and abilities, and should be public space at all times with no fees charged to get in.”

We understand that the likely concern relates to matters of noise and nuisance; however, these (and other relevant concerns) are already dealt with in existing regulations.

The net result is that the additional element of regulation will unduly penalize legitimate users of the new Jim Deva plaza, as well as other plazas that will be covered through the bylaw…

UPDATE (December 16, 2015):

City Council heard from speakers on the various recommendations contained in the staff report. The design concept was approved – which we support – as were a number of other important measures (see minutes). However, while there was some discussion about the amendments to the Street and Traffic Bylaw, Council ultimately opted to approve a motion that instructs the Director of Legal Services

to prepare amendments to the Street and Traffic By-Law, the Health By-Law, and the Ticket Offences By-Law, generally in accordance with Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated December 4, 2015, entitled “Davie Village Public Space Improvements”, to regulate activity in Jim Deva Plaza.

While we are disappointed with this decision, we understand that there will still be an opportunity to make the case about the particular aspects of the amendment that we are concerned about. We will be posting more on this in early 2016.

1) Final Concepts for the Jim Diva (“Heart of Davie”) Plaza at Bute and Davie are being presented for comment on Thursday, October 22 (4-7pm) and Saturday October 24 (11am-2pm). Stop by the proposed plaza area and share your thoughts! | More info –

2) The Park Board is also holding an open house on Thursday, October 22 to review design options for a new park at Smithe and Richards. Drop in anytime between 4:30 – 8:30pm at the ArtStarts Gallery, 808 Richards Street. | More info –

3) Finally, Looking for other ways to engage? The City Council is also currently deliberating over the future of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.

A City staff report (PDF) has been prepared that outlines various technical considerations related to the decomissioning of this highway infrastructure. Several acres of new and improved park space are proposed as part of the discussion, as well as better neighbourhood connections, a “Georgia Wharf”, new housing and additional social infrastructure.

A presentation by staff took place on Tuesday, and members of the public were able to share their take on the removal of the viaducts starting today. Council is reconvening to hear from speakers on Tuesday, October 27. Review the report and share your thoughts by attending Council or sending your input via email – mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca.

We’ve picked four of our favourites.

100-in-One Day

How many urban interventions can you fit into 24 hours? Our good friends at Evergreen are behind an event called 100 in 1 Day, a cross-country initiative aimed at enlivening urban spaces. The city is host to dozens of public space activations, some small, some large, and all of them citizen-driven. There are walking tours, art installations, urban nature adventures and so much more. There is a lot going on, so be sure to check it out.

:: More information – 100-in-1 Day website

Keys to the Street Fundraiser

Our good friends at Red Cat Records are hosting a saloon style fundraiser for the Keys to the Streets program. Do you love the public pianos program as much as we do? If so, this is the event for you. Join local artists as they tinkle the ivories, and lend your support to this fantastic placemaking initiative.

:: Info and Tickets

Heart of Davie / Jim Deva Plaza – Consultation

The City of Vancouver will be holding a consultation on the preferred concept of the new plaza and public space improvements at Davie and Bute. Drop by between 11:00am and 2:00pm and share your feedback on this important initiative.

:: More information – City of Vancouver Heart of Davie webpage

Burrard Bridge & Pacific Street Intersection – Open House

The City is looking at redesigning this high-volume intersection to make it safer for all modes of transportation. Drop-by anytime during the event to meet the project team, give feedback about the proposal, and ask questions.

Event takes place 10am-2pm at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews.

:: For more information, or to provide your feedback online – City of Vancouver webpage