Earlier this month, for example, Park Board Commissioners approved the creation of a “pop up park” at the corner of Pine Street in the 1600 block of West 5th Ave. This is great news for a couple of reasons.

This small (0.3 acre/1.3 hectare) greenspace is intended to be a place-holder of sorts. It’s located in the same block as the recently completed park at West 6th Ave and Fir Street.

The majority of the properties within this block have actually been acquired to develop a larger neighbourhood park , but rather than wait for this larger acquisition + design + development process to be completed, the Park Board has opted to create an interim space on the site. This means residents and visitors can take advantage of the area now, rather than wait until 2019-2022 when the larger park is scheduled to be built.

Perhaps more significantly, it’s the first such park that the City has created in this fashion, and suggests the possibility of opening-up other city-owned spaces, to temporary, community-serving public space uses. (To date, the only other green spaces that have created with this sort of temporary quality are privately owned – such as the community garden and Burrard and Davie. While important in their own right, these are specifically interim spaces that will be (and in some case already have been) redeveloped into residential developments.

The Park Board site is a “park before a park” – and what’s especially pleasing about this is that it affirms the idea that interim placemaking ventures can – and should – play a useful role in city-building, while the background work for bigger, more permanent public space creation takes shape. In other words, this approach shows that you don’t have to wait until all the pieces – land, resources, designs – have been gathered in order to do something beneficial.

That begs an interesting question – how many other city-owned tracks of land could potentially qualify for something similar? And is there a way to further engage the community in these sorts of temporary placemaking activities?

About the pop-up park

The concept design for the new park includes:

• seating including seating walls and perimeter benches;
• accessible pathways;
• plant materials for pollinators in the form of a colourful wildflower meadow;
• the inclusion of an edible plants such as blueberries and other berry producing shrubs to provide food for park visitors and wildlife alike;
• bird and bee houses to enhance the pollinator garden;
• harvest tables that will be made from large fir timbers milled from a tree that recently fell in Stanley Park • bike racks made from recycled materials; and
• gabion walls, which will be built using recycled materials such as old unit pavers, bricks, stone, and timber collected from works yards and demolition sites

Surrey’s PARKit Design Challenge – Deadline May 17, 2013

The City of Surrey is calling for submissions in its PARKit Design Challenge, a competition for the design and installation of a summertime pop-up park in Surrey City Centre.

Individuals and groups are invited to submit their ideas for a creative sustainable outdoor public space capable of supporting mobile food vendors. The selected winner will receive up to $12,000 to fabricate and install their design. Honorariums will be awarded to second ($500) and third place teams ($250).

The PARKit site is located adjacent to Surrey Central SkyTrain station, in the North Surrey Recreation Centre parking lot. This area has become an important pedestrian hub, linking SFU Surrey and Central City Mall with the SkyTrain station and recreation centre.

“The PARKit Design Challenge is a wonderful way for the City to engage creative minds to help infuse life into concrete. The park will bring the community together and become a fun urban greenspace in our downtown core,” says Mayor Dianne Watts. 

PARKit Design Challenge entries are due May 17, with the winner announced on May 24. The site is expected to be installed by mid-July, and will remain open through August.

The City originally developed PARKit as a pilot project to create temporary public park space, and to test the feasibility of mobile food trucks in City Centre. The Program’s initial pilot site was activated in April and July, 2012, in the same location. The Design Challenge is the evolution of the PARKit concept. For more information visit surrey.ca/parkit.

:: For more information or to register – email to beautification@surrey.ca

Ironclad Art Challenge: Manhole Cover Design – Deadline April 15, 2013

Turn our streets into dynamic public art sites. Submit your manhole cover design and highlight the importance of our sewer system.

If you live, work, or study in Vancouver, submit your ideas for beautiful, artistically designed manhole covers that can remind us all that many of the choices we make – from how we care for our lawns and gardens, to where we wash our cars – have a direct impact on our ecosystem.

Details and dates for the Ironclad Art manhole cover design challenge

The Ironclad Art Challenge is a collaboration between the City’s public art program, and our engineering department. The challenge is open to anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Vancouver.

Submission deadline

We will be accepting entries in the challenge until 15 April 2013 at 4:00 p.m.

Choosing the winners

A selection panel will choose two winners, who will see their artwork turned into sanitary and storm sewer manhole covers, and used on streets across Vancouver.

Each winner will also receive a $2,000 cash prize, and up to $500 for participation in the fabrication process.

All submitted designs are also eligible for a people’s choice award, chosen by visitors to the exhibition at Interurban Gallery.

Announcing the winners

We will announce the winners at an award ceremony on Saturday 1 June at Interurban Gallery, 1 East Hastings Street, in Vancouver.

The event is open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend. An exhibition of designs will be held at the gallery from 28 May to 8 June 2013.

:: For further information or to apply: ironcladart.ca