• Friday July 15 & Saturday July 16 (and beyond) – VPSN Viva – Laser Graffiti
• Monday July 25 – Robson Square / Downtown Public Realm – Project Meeting – 6:00pm
• Wednesday, July 27 – VPSN Evening Picnic at Kensington Park – 6:00-10:00pm

OTHER EVENTS

• Friday July 15 – Sunday July 17 (and beyond)- Viva Vancouver – Public Space Events
• Friday July 15 – Vancouver Design Nerds – Viva Collingwood Jam – 6:30pm-9:30pm
• Friday July 15, Saturday July 16 – August 20 – CO-LAB: A Workshop + Exhibition Project
• Saturday July 16 – eatART: Power the VAG – 10am to 6pm.
• Saturday July 16 – Grand Opening – Vancouver Tool Library – 11:00am – 4:00pm
• Saturday July 16 – Robson Square Art Market – 12:00-5:00pm
• Saturday July 16 – Parks Day 2011 – 12:00-8:30pm
• Saturday July 16 – Vancouver Waterfight – 1:00-4:00pm
• Sunday July 17 – Salsa at Robson Square – 3:00-7:00pm
• Sunday July 17 – Remixology 6 – 6:00-9:00pm

Fasten your bike helmets and say a few prayers for nice weather… because this weekend is packed full of public space goodness.

But before we get to planning your social calendar for you, the first few items to pass along are quick updates on some key VPSN activities:

VPSN EVENTS & PROJECTS

Friday July 15 & Saturday July 16 (and beyond) – VPSN Viva – Laser Graffiti

As we noted yesterday, starting tonight, the VPSN is hosting the first of several evenings of laser graffiti! Want to know more? Come on out and try your hand at tagging building walls with digital paint and lasers. It’s all part of some work that we’re doing as part of the Viva Vancouver program – and undertaken in collaboration with the Liveable Laneways crew.

We’ll be in the Mt. Pleasant area this weekend and next, both Friday & Saturday evenings between 9:30pm – 11pm. Find us in the alley behind the Lee Building (NW corner of Main & Broadway).

Be sure to check out our location map to see where we’ll be projecting as there are several potential locations we’ll be visiting in the neighborhood. We’ll update the map with times and locations in real time, so you’ll be able to find us pretty easily.

:: More information – jaspal [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
:: VPSN Laser Graffiti Map

Monday July 25 – VPSN Expanding Robson Square / Downtown Public Realm – Project Meeting – 6:00pm

The VPSN is continuing its work to secure the 800-block of Robson Street as part of an expanded Robson Square. At the same time, we’ve got a some research and advocacy work underway to support the creation of a downtown public realm plan. We need lots of help with this and will be holding an information and planning meeting to look at these initiatives in more detail.

Weather permitting we’ll be meeting outside on the north steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery. (Rain location TBD). Please RSVP so that we can get a sense of numbers.

:: RSVP to info [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Wednesday, July 27 – VPSN Evening Picnic at Kensington Park – 6:00-10:00pm

Kensington Park is a gem among the city’s parks and gardens. Located at Knight and 33rd, it affords visitors one of the nicest panoramic views to be had – a vast sweep that allows the eye to take in quiet residential neighbourhoods, the modern architecture of downtown, and the North Shore mountains… all in one go. 

Join us for a mid-week picnic in the park and check out this stunning spot. We’ll have some BBQs, hotdogs and burgers, and games to play. Come out and meet other public space enthusiasts, participate in a friendly round of bocce, and learn about a few of the exciting projects we have lined up for the fall. The event is FREE but please register so we can get a sense of numbers. BYO drinks.

:: RSVP – info [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
OTHER COOL PUBLIC SPACE EVENTS

Friday July 15 – Sunday July 17 (and beyond)- Viva Vancouver – Various Public Space Events

This week sees more Viva Vancouver excitement roll out. The City’s Summer Spaces program has sponsored the creation of a number of temporary public space transformations, many of which are launching this weekend. Among the various interventions planned are art markets, laneway transformations and pop-up cafes in Mt. Pleasant, an artist’s plaza in Cambie Village, an upcoming community plaza in Joyce Collingwood (see next item) and the Granville Street activation in Downtown. All this and as well as mobile theatre, art installations and a few other surprises as well… including some cool VPSN lasers (see above)!

:: For more information – Viva Vancouver Website

Friday July 15 – Vancouver Design Nerds – Viva Collingwood Jam – 6:30pm-9:30pm

On Friday July 15th, please join the Vancouver Design Nerds for a focused jam to generate ideas and plans for a three week festival to be held around the under utilized spaces around Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain Station. The festival is built around the concept of a temporary plaza that will engage and inspire neighbours and commuters alike.

The Jam will take place at Collingwood Neighbourhood House (5288 Joyce Street). The easy walk from Joyce Skytrain Station will give you a chance to observe the site! Potluck / BYOB / + selection of brews will be available a la cash bar.

:: More information – Vancouver Design Nerds Facebook Page

Friday July 15, Saturday July 16 – August 20 – CO-LAB: A Workshop + Exhibition Project

CO-LAB is a cross-disciplinary workshop and exhibition project that focuses on sound, collaboration and the gallery’s physical location. City-related themes and a format strong on public participation. The exhibition features the three new works based on the workshop: Noise/De-noise by Julie Gendron and Emma Hendrix, Map Sense by Germaine Koh and Gillian Jerome, and Vertical City by Andrew Lee and Jennifer Schine. Opens Friday, July 15, 8pm. Co-presented by Centre A and Vancouver New Music. The exhibition runs from July 16 through to August 20. Centre A Gallery (Hastings and Carrall).

:: More information – Centre A Website

Saturday July 16 – eatART: Power the VAG – 10am to 6pm

The Annual Energy Awareness Art Party takes place in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and includes a pedal powered sound system and an unforgettable outdoor dance party! The event will showcase giant zero emissions kinetic sculptures: Daisy the solar-powered tricycle, Gramorail, the Mondo Spider, Prosthesis, and Titanoboa.

:: eatART Facebook Event Page 

Saturday July 16 – Grand Opening – Vancouver Tool Library – 11:00am – 4:00pm

Libraries make the coolest public spaces, which is why we’re especially pleased to pass on news of this new initiative:

The Vancouver Tool Library will be officially opening on July 16th, 2011! A fun celebration is planned for the big day – free mini workshops on planter gardening and box building (11am-1pm) and bike maintenance (11:30 & 1:30), as well as shop tours, member sign-ups and and collecting tool donations. Enjoy live music and a $5 BBQ lunch, all proceeds support the VTL. You can find the Vancouver Tool Library at 3448 Commercial Street. 

:: Vancouver Tool Library Facebook Page

Saturday July 16 – Robson Square Art Market – 12:00-5:00pm

Held in the underground plaza at Robson and Howe (where the skating rink is situated). A unique outdoor shopping experience showcasing local artisans. Held every weekend.

:: More information – www.robsonsquaremarket.com

Saturday July 16 – Parks Day 2011 – 12:00-8:30pm

Head over to Brockton Point in Stanley Park to celebrate Parks Canada’s and BC Parks joint 100th Anniversary. The free family event features lots of stuff related to our amazing parks and protected areas, workshops in camping, hiking, surfing and fishing, appearances by Olympian Maelle Ricker, and a special Kids Zone. And between 5:00-8:30 you can enjoy a free concerns with K’Naan.

:: More information – Parks Canada – Parks Day Vancouver Webpage

Saturday July 16 – Vancouver Waterfight – 1:00-4:00pm

Who wants to have a waterfight this summer? Raise your hands, and pull your trigger finger, cause we’re going to get soaked. Totally saturated! And no one is going to stop, ’til this town runs dry! The annual super-soaker showdown takes place at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park. Before you load up, be sure to check out the Code of Conduct on their Facebook page

:: Check out last years photos for additional incentive – Vancouver Waterfight WebPage

Sunday July 17 – Salsa at Robson Square – 3:00-7:00pm

One-two-three one-two-three… Help infuse Robson with some Latin flare and learn a few seet moves in the process. Take in a free salsa lesson at 3:00pm and check out the salsa show at 5:00. Every Sunday in July and August. Beginners welcome. Lots of fun!

:: More information – www.SalsaVancouver.net

Sunday July 17 – Remixology 6 – 6:00-9:00pm

Join the FreshMedia crew and come on out for a fantastic panel of arts and social change makers set to talk about all the things they’re doing to refresh our public space. ReMixology 6 is breaking in a brand new space – the Vinegar Factory (1009 East Cordova)! (Note that the venue is smaller than past Remixology events. If you haven’t signed up on Eventbrite yet, make sure you get your ticket!)

:: Register to attend – http://remixology6.eventbrite.com/

UPDATE: Council has passed the Open Streets report and recommendations. More details to follow!

This morning, City Council will be meeting to discuss a staff report on the Open Streets program. This is the name of the umbrella initiative under which the popular Summer Spaces and Rediscover Granville initiatives have been located.

In the report, staff are asking Council to make funding to the program permanent – so they don’t have to scramble each year to locate funds from various other areas. A good thing, in our opinion. (A disclaimer: we’ve collaborated on a couple of applications to the Summer Spaces program which we’re waiting to hear back on).

The report also references the 800-block of Robson Street – as a candidate for more permanent closure in 2012. This, as you may recall from our on-going advocacy work around expanding Robson Square, is a public space near and dear to our hearts. Reading this, there were a few points in the report that were unclear to us:

• What is it that City staff are planning for 800-Robson for 2012?
• Why have they identified a $200K cost to this while saying that there’s not much opportunity to do planning for a permanent space there this year? Where does this figure come from and what does it include?
• Can the City proceed with securing the space this year while Provincial renovations are still being completed and while car and bus travel patterns have been rerouted to accommodate this?

It was this latter consideration that Council was wrestling with last December, and we hope that they’ll offer some clarity on this point tomorrow. For a lot of reasons, it would be a shame if the present opportunity were lost.

Finally, a few interesting notes in the end of the report around creating opportunities for advertising and corporate sponsorship of new (temporary) public space. This causes us concern. While financial sustainability is important, we feel zeroing in on these options is not the place you want to start.

Here are the key points from our letter to Council:

(1) The VPSN is supportive of the idea of creating some permanence for the Open Streets program. We believe that its various umbrella projects – in particular Summer Spaces and Rediscover Granville – are important initiatives and will be further improved through a secure funding stream.

(2) We note that the 800-block of Robson is noted in such a fashion as to identify it as a specific Open Streets initiative (p.4) and that “in terms of staff and planning, 800 Robson Street is not being put forward for consideration in the 2011 Open Streets Program.” We understand from the report’s author, Mr. Dobrolvony, that this line refers to the idea of creating a major public square at the 800-block. According to the report, staff suggest this closure would cost an estimated $200,000 (p.5).

Our understanding of your (Council’s) December 2, 2010 motion was that Council had requested that consideration of a major public square at the 800-block be included in a Downtown Public Space Plan, and that the idea was to have something in place in time for the city’s 125th birthday in April. As we noted in our December correspondence on the subject, we believe that the City could take a great step forward merely by securing the 800-block and ensuring that it is not re-opened to traffic. We are hopeful that this option is still being considered and can be acted upon – and would seek your support in this regard. Securing the space could be done for little or no cost, and at the most opportune time (that is: in time for the city’s birthday and while traffic and transit patterns are currently rerouted for Provincial renovations of Robson Square).

(3) We would request some clarification on the $200,000 identified for the 800-block site. In particular, what are these funds targeted for and how was this figure identified? As we mentioned in our December correspondence and presentation to Council, the VPSN would be willing to assist with a public fundraising effort were the City to move to create an expanded Robson Square at the 800-block.

(4) Finally, we also note that Appendix B of the report identifies the need to develop a policy framework to support the Open Streets initiative. We are supportive of this idea but would like to offer a few brief observations.

First, in numerous public presentations, City staff have done a commendable job of differentiating Summer Spaces and Rediscover Granville from other city festivals and events. This is a good thing, because the Open Streets projects are different. We would therefore question the rationale of using Special Events policy as the (only) starting point for developing Open Streets policy. There are a range of other policy programs actively employed by City departments that would be useful here. There’s also the anticipated Downtown Public Space Plan, which we believe will be critical in this regard.

Second, we support the idea of ensuring that the Open Streets program achieves financial sustainability, and also that partnership development is part of this. We are, however, concerned that corporate sponsorship and advertising are identified as key options here. Branding the city’s new (temporary or otherwise) public spaces will have a significant and detrimental impact on their “publicness”… and we would respectfully suggest that there are a wide range of options for financial sustainability that should be considered before laying the ground for corporate sponsorship and advertising platforms.

• Expanding Robson Square – Update on City Council’s Decision!
• Wednesday December 8 – Public Space Animation Workshop
• Wednesday December 8 – North East False Creek Open House

OTHER VPSN PUBLIC SPAC E MEETINGS

• Monday December 6 – Urban Design Backgrounder Meeting
• Tuesday December 7 – Transportation Issues Meeting
• Monday December 13 – Public Space & Public Health Project Meeting

RECENT UPDATES

Expanding Robson Square – Update on City Council’s Decision!

Excellent news on the public space front! The City has taken a solid step forward in securing the 800-block segment of Robson Street (between Hornby and Howe) for a public square. They have also taken steps to embed this plan within a larger public space program from the Downtown (something that will lend the planning for Granville Street and Yaletown other proposed sites a greater degree of coherence). 

The discussion unfolded at yesterday’s Council – and was very positive, giving rise to a considerable degree of consensus between the different political parties. As one Councillor noted, “we all want this square.” To this end, we are particularly pleased that the idea of an expanded Robson Square was singled out as something that requires priority attention amongst other public space initiatives – as this provides some security against the idea of an expanded Robson Square (and the golden window of opportunity that is currently in place) from being lost amidst a larger discussion of Olympic Legacies and downtown public space.

You can read our account of the discussion, as well as notes on some key items that we’ll be monitoring over the next months, in this longer post. 

Wednesday December 8 – Public Space Animation Workshop

Do you have an innovative idea about how to increase community public space through the temporary reallocation of road space in Vancouver? If you answered yes, then the City of Vancouver/VPSN Summer Spaces 2011 Ideas Workshop is for you!

In 2009, the City of Vancouver piloted a community public spaces initiative called Summer Spaces. Vancouver City Council has asked that City staff continue to refine the Summer Spaces program and prepare a Call for Proposals process for 2010. Selected proposals would be implemented in Summer 2011. The goal of Summer Spaces is to increase community public space and community interaction by temporarily reallocating road space in creative and innovative ways. 

During the workshop we’ll be discussing changes to the Summer Spaces program for 2011. We will highlight some of the innovative public space work being done in other cities and also provide an opportunity for interested community groups/individuals to begin developing proposal ideas in a collaborative forum. If you are thinking of submitting a proposal to receive City support for your idea then your attendance at this workshop is important. Space is limited so please RSVP!

The workshop is free and snacks/refreshments will be provided. The session takes place Wednesday, December. 8^th, 6:30-9pm, Mt. Pleasant Community Centre – 1 Kingsway, Multipurpose rm.#2

Please direct any questions you may have to Krisztina Kassay at summerspaces [at] vancouver.ca or call 604-829.4348.

Wednesday December 8 – North East False Creek Open House

The City of Vancouver will be holding an open house for the planning process in North East False Creek this Tuesday December 8th from 4-8pm at the Roundhouse Community Centre and all interested members of the public are encouraged to attend.

This open house will be a chance for you to share your ideas and have your comments heard on future options for the Plaza of Nations site (Canadian Metropolitan Properties) and the North East False Creek area. Staff will be on hand along with the developer to answer your questions. Along with display materials, there will be a walking tour of the site at 6pm and a presentation at 7pm. For more information about the open house and the planning work being done in North East False Creek, please view the City of Vancouver’s website on this process: www.vancouver.ca/nefc

Takes place 4pm – 8pm, Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews (at the corner of Davie and Pacific Boulevard).

OTHER VPSN PUBLIC SPAC E MEETINGS

Monday December 6 – Urban Design Backgrounder Meeting

Our last Urban Design Working Group meeting was a roaring success. One of the outcomes of that session was a follow-up gathering for volunteers who are specifically interested in working on one of our foundation documents/backgrounders on urban design and public space, or, one of upcoming position papers on current urban design ‘issues’. If you have a knack for research or writing, consider coming out to this session and lending a hand. 

:: To RSVP and get meeting details – scott [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Tuesday December 7 – Transportation Issues Meeting

It’s been a while since we’ve had a Transportation Working Group meeting that convened folks interested in walking, biking, public transit and more. This is it! If you’ve got interests in any or all of the aforementioned issues, or ideas about other connections between transportation and public space, please join us as we brainstorm some new projects and reenergize some of our current work

:: To RSVP – demian [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca

Monday December 13 – Public Space & Public Health Project Meeting

The VPSN has recently assembled a project team of volunteers who are interested in the connection(s) between public health and public space. Part of our work will be scoping out and developing a set of backgrounders to explore the points of overlap between these areas, as well as other advocacy materials and creative activities to help promote a healthy urban environment.

:: For meeting details or more info – andrew [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca.