A great big thank you to the Councillors who supported the motion, to the City staff that helped to develop the proposals, and to the many community members (and friends of the VPSN) who lent their voice in advocating for this important public space.

Thank you, also, to the many previous Councillors who have supported the initiative in one form or another. This truly is a project that has spanned several different administrations. 

The 800-block Robson earlier today.

The original idea for a civic square in this space goes back to the early and mid-20th century. It was most notably formalized in the 1970s by the work of Arthur Erickson and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander when they redesigned the Law Courts and Vancouver Art Gallery. Most recently, the real proof of concept came with the 2010 Olympics and a series of temporary activations and summertime initiatives.

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.

The first Robson Redux competition, which took place earlier this year, saw the City receive almost 80 submissions from around the world. The winning design, a sweeping skeletal seating arrangement known as “Urban Reef” was created by a local design team comprised of Kaz Bemner, Jeremiah Deutscher, Michael Siy and Kenneth Navarra. Like earlier summertime installations on Robson Square, it proved to be quite a popular feature with residents and visitors alike.

People seated at Urban Reef – winning entry in the 2014 Robson Redux design competition.

We’re looking forward to seeing the array of submissions that come with this years competition. Designers: sharpen your pencils. Show us your chops!

For those interested in more details, here’s the Information Bulletin that the City issued:

Calling public space designers: Create a summer stunner
VIVA Vancouver’s Robson Redux design-build competition returns

VIVA Vancouver will open its 800 Robson Street space to the creative community once again with Robson Redux, a design-build competition that invites emerging and professional designers and artists to submit their design ideas related to the theme of “connection”. The winner will make their design a reality, building and installing it for the 2015 summer season as a public space for people to enjoy.

VIVA Vancouver’s Robson Redux design-build competition temporarily transforms the 800 block of Robson Street into a summertime pedestrian plaza. This block is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Canada. Installation will take place in early summer, open on Canada Day (July 1, 2015) and remain in place until the end of Labour Day long weekend (September 7, 2015).

The winning design will be selected by a jury composed of Marc Boutin (Principal, Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative and Associate Professor, University of Calgary), Barbara Cole (Principal of Cole Projects, Executive Director of Other Sights for Artists’ Projects Association), Jane Durante (Founding Principal, Durante Kreuk Landscape Architects), Stanley King (Founder and Head of Co-Design Group), Matthew Soules (Director, Matthew Soules Architecture and Assistant Professor, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia). The winning team will be provided a small design honorarium and up to $40,000 to cover costs of materials, fabrication, construction, installation and de-installation for their projects.

Anyone may enter this competition, however, criteria and submission requirements lend themselves to expertise in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, industrial design, contemporary art and other related fields. The competition encourages design teams with diverse skill sets to submit joint entries.

Teams can submit their designs ideas online at www.vivadesigncomp.ca for a small fee. Deadline to register is January 30, 2015; submission deadline is February 13, 2015.

Past temporary public space designs at 800 Robson Street include:

• 2011: PICNURBIA – designed by Loose Affiliates
• 2012: Pop Rocks! – designed by AFJD Studio and Matthew Soules
• 2013: Corduroy Road – designed by Hapa Collaborative
• 2014: Urban Reef – designed by Kaz Bremner, Jeremiah Deutscher, and Higher Works (Michael Siy and Kenneth Navarra).

VIVA Vancouver is a public space program that specializes in turning road spaces into people places. Working with various community partners, the program re-purposes road space to create temporary or semi-permanent public spaces.

This is particularly important for Vancouver’s public realm, as the route changes also contain options that support at least two major public space initiatives:

• The opportunity to expand Robson Square and transform the 800-block of Robson into a pedestrian-only space;

• the possibility of pedestrianizing the 600-block of Cambie Street (between Dunsmuir and Georgia) as part of the proposed relocation of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Translink is looking for feedback on these concepts, and the deadline to provide input is this Monday, April 21. We are strongly encouraging VPSN supporters to take a few moments this weekend to complete the online questionnaire.

If you support the enhancement of Robson Square and pedestrianization of the 800-block and/or the creation of a new plaza at the 600-block of Cambie, this is the time to weigh in.

Good quality public space and transit – both are needed!

The VPSN has been following the Bus Service Review closely – both as fans of public transit, and as advocates for public space. The review is much needed and has been prompted by growth and change in downtown neighbourhoods, the opening of the Canada Line, and the potential to create substantial improvements to the downtown public realm. As noted in Translink’s study materials “over the past twenty years the downtown population has more than doubled.” The Review will help decision-makers plan for transit service that meets the needs of residents and visitors to the downtown peninsula.

We are particularly supportive of proposed changes to the bus routes that would enable the expansion of Robson Square. The Review has identified short-term changes to support the summertime activation of the 800-block, but it also looks at potential changes to support the permanent pedestrianization of Vancouver’s pre-eminent public gathering area. The idea of creating an expanded public square around the 800-block has been discussed since the 1950s. The Bus Service Review options have the potential to enable the City to take a strong step forward on this initiative.

Figuring out what to do with transit – and ensuring good bus service for West End residents – has been the key sticking point in expanding Robson Square. Suffice it to say, we are excited to see the kinds of workable solutions the City and TransLink’s review process has yielded. The Review shows that it’s possible to have better transit connections and create a more vibrant public realm.

What’s in the Review?

As part of the review, Translink has identified various ways that bus service in and around downtown Vancouver can be enhanced. These are explored in options that relate to three areas of potential change:

1. Downtown-only Routes (Buses 5, 6, C21, C23)
2. Cambie Bridge Routes (Bus 17)
3. Eastern Corridor Routes (Buses 3, 4, 7, 8, 19, 209, 210, 211, 214)

It’s worth taking a look at all of these possible areas of change, and you can do this by looking at both general and technical documents that Translink has produced. The online survey also provides much of this background information.

Our particular area of focus is on the first of these three areas of change, as it most directly relates to the possibility of expanding Robson Square.

Two overarching options for Downtown-only Routes… with important variations

The Local Bus Review identifies two potential options in redesigning the bus routes that stay within the downtown Vancouver peninsula. These are referred to as the L-shaped Loop (option A1), or the Rectangular Loop (option A2). In their basic form, both of these options show bus service remaining on the 800-block of Robson, but, both proposals also include alternate routings that would facilitate the expansion of Robson Square, and the creation of a pedestrian-only space on the 800-block.

Here’s option A1 – the “L-shaped Loop”, with the Robson-closure ‘sub-option’ below:

In this case the Robson Square variant routes the #5 north on Burrard (at Robson) and then east on Hastings and over to Cambie. With this route, the bus swings by Waterfront Station (or close to it). Its southbound route (along Cambie) then brings it in close proximity to key cultural services such as the library. The L-shaped Loop option also has a second ‘sub-option’ (not shown here) that accommodates the closure and pedestrianization of the 600-block of Cambie, but not the 800-block of Robson.

Here’s option A2 – the “Rectangular Loop,” again with the Robson-closure sub-option:

On the Robson Square variant of A2, the #5 bus turns north on Burrard to Georgia, and then over to Cambie – a route that would take the bus directly by both Canada Line and SkyTrain stations (at Granville), the VPL Central Library and other other key amenities and services – including the potential new home of the Art Gallery.

Again, it’s important to note that while both the basic A1 and A2 options offer interesting transit-focused improvements, neither support the expansion of public space at Robson or Cambie on their own. It’s the the various sub-options to A1 and A2 where these important enhancements are made.

Help support the creation of improved public space in downtown Vancouver. If you support the enhancement of Robson Square and pedestrianization of the 800-block and/or the creation of a new plaza at the 600-block of Cambie, this is the time to weigh in and share your thoughts on these proposed changes to the bus network.

How to have your say

The deadline for input is Monday, April 21. The online questionnaire can be accessed here, or by pasting the following link into your browser:

https://www.talkvancouver.com/R.aspx?a=240

You can share your thoughts on the downtown-only routes, as well as the Cambie Bridge and Eastern Corridor routes. (The survey allows you to pick which of the three areas you want to talk about).

As noted above, much of the background information on the Downtown Bus Service Review can be found on the survey website; however if you feel like reading more there’s also an interesting backgrounder and technical paper that offers more details on the pros and cons of different route options.

Please do take a few moments to share your thoughts. This is a key opportunity for downtown public space, and your opinion is important.

Here’s a happy memory from the VPSN archives: our 2008 Valentine’s intervention on the south steps of the Art Gallery. A crew from the public space network rolled up their sleeves on the evening of February 13/14 and stamped hundreds of red, white and pink hearts onto the steps facing Robson Street. We hadn’t even finished before people were crowding around with their friends and loved ones — posing and taking pictures and helping with the endeavour.

Hard to believe that was five years ago!

Oh, and yes… it was washable paint! All gone by the time February 15 rolled around.

The City of Vancouver has recently posted a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) related to the summertime activation of the 800-block of Robson Street. It’s part of the broader Viva Vancouver initiative – which is about “creatively transforming streets into vibrant public spaces.”

As many of you know, the VPSN has been happy to support the expansion and enhancement of Robson Square for a number of years now. In addition to our advocacy work on this, we’ve also had the opportunity to work on a number of projects connected with this important gathering space.

The VPSN is looking to submit a proposal and is interested in collaborating with other organizations or individuals who may have ideas to activate the 800-block.

Time is of the essence, and we’ll be holding a meeting next Friday, February 15 at 6:00pm. If you’d like to join in the conversation, please email us at robsonsquare [at] vancouverpublicspace <dot> ca and let us know. We’ll send out the location details once we get them finalized.

You can also read the RFEOI here – which will give you some sense of what the City is considering as part of the summertime initiative.

Poster for the City’s “Block 51” Events & Consultation

The City of Vancouver has just announced two events related to the potential expansion of Robson Square and the future of the north end of the Art Gallery. Both events are coming up next week (October 15 and October 17). They’re free, but you’ll need to register to attend. Act now, as seats are expected to go fast!

The events look at the past and future of the city’s “Block 51” – the parcel of land bounded by Robson, Howe, Georgia and Hornby. The focus of both will be on the important open-space areas to the north and south of the Art Gallery – and the opportunities for their potential enhancement.

At the south end, the popular 800-block of Robson Street has been temporarily closed for several months now, and the City is studying the possibility of improving this gathering area by keeping the street permanently closed to vehicles.

At the same time the City is also looking at potential design improvements to the north side of the Art Gallery site (variously known as Old Courthouse Square, or Centennial Square). Structural repairs need to be made to protect the underground Art Gallery facilities – and this presents an opportunity for other upgrades to the space.

While the VPSN’s attentions have been mainly focused on the closure of the 800-block of Robson, we’re also deeply interested in the future of the north end of the gallery. Both sites have played an extraordinary role in the city’s public life and we’re excited to see what comes out of these two events and the larger consultation.

Here are the details:

Monday, October 15 – A Look Back
Vancouver Art Gallery, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
750 Hornby Street 

The 1973 National Film Board film “Chairs for Lovers” and a panel with members of the original team for Robson Square will set the context of how this block came to be.

:: Register for “A Look Back”

Wednesday, October 17 – A Look Forward
Vancouver Art Gallery, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
750 Hornby Street

Short and inspirational presentations will look at how this block has been used over the last few years and draw on inspiration from other cities.

:: Register for “A look forward”

Both events will include an illustrated brainstorming exercise that will collect ideas on what type of future uses are desired in each site.

:: For more information– City of Vancouver – Block 51 webpage

Related News

Our good friends at Vancouver Is Awesome just wrote a great letter in support of the permanent closure of the 800-block of Robson. You can check it out here. Thanks for your support VIA!

Why not write your own letter? Send your thoughts and ideas on the future of the 800-block of Robson Street, the north-end of the Art Gallery, (or both), to Mayor Gregor Robertson and members of Council – at mayorandcouncil [at] vancouver [dot] ca.

If you like the Twitter approach, consider following the discussion through that forum. The hashtag is #block51.

The Jazz Fest: kicking-off the 2012 closure of the 800-block of Robson Street

Great news on the public space front: the popular 800-block segment of Robson Street (at the south end of the Vancouver Art Gallery) is going to remain a pedestrian-only space through to the end of the year!

The City made the announcement in a media release that went out this afternoon (see below). City staff will be using the time to consult with stakeholders about the permanent closure of the space.

The VPSN strongly supports this decision and commends Mayor and Council for this important move. The VPSN also welcomes the idea of broader consultation on this issue, as key considerations around transit routing and the impact on local business need to be accounted for in any planning for the space.

The 800-block site has proved to be an immensely popular gathering spot. Originally slated for permanent closure during the completion of the Law Courts building (in the late 1970s), the true potential of an expanded Robson Square came to the fore of discussions during the 2010 Olympics.

Since that time, two successful summertime traffic closures have yielded further positive results. Innovative seating structures have been installed (Picnurbia in 2011 and Pop Rocks in 2012), and a roster of markets, food trucks, festivals and buskers have transformed and animated the space for residents and visitors alike.

2011’s Picnurbia installation

The summer of 2012 saw Pop Rocks take over Robson

Public support for this initiative has continued to be strong. In 2011, the VPSN conducted two surveys – designed to measure public support for keeping Robson Square car-free. Over 1800 signatures were gathered in support of the expansion of Robson Square, while just over 40 indicated opposition to the move.

Take a moment to share your thoughts on this issue: consider writing a short email to Mayor Robertson (gregor.robertson@vancouver.ca), Penny Ballem (City Manager) (penny.ballem@vancouver.ca) or Peter Judd (City Engineer) (peter.judd@vancouver.ca). Voicing your support for the expansion of Robson Square will be critical to moving this project forward.

Robson St. pedestrian plaza to remain open;
City staff consulting on longer street closure

The 800 block of Robson Street, between Hornby and Howe, will remain closed to vehicles until the end of the year following another very successful summer as a popular pedestrian plaza.

City staff will continue to discuss a permanent closure of the block with key stakeholders, including the DVBIA and TransLink, before reporting to Council later this fall on a permanent closure.

“For the past two summers, and during the Olympics, this block of Robson has proven to be a hub of activity,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “It’s been a very popular destination for people to enjoy music, impromptu performances, creative types of outdoor seating and a place to relax and enjoy our downtown.

“We have an opportunity to create an important new public plaza in the centre of the Downtown and have a timely opportunity to consider this option.”

The recently installed Pop Rocks seating, part of the VIVA Vancouver summer streets program, will remain in place in the 800 block of Robson through September or as weather permits.

Over the past two summers, VIVA Vancouver has helped bring liveliness and fun to Robson, Granville and other locations around the city with pop-up parks, creative seating installations and local arts and culture activities.

VIVA Vancouver has facilitated the closure of Granville St., between Smithe and Hastings, to create a pedestrian and event corridor featuring special sports and dancing activities, displays, music and places for locals and visitors to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

In December 2010, Vancouver City Council directed staff to examine the creation of a public square in the 800 block of Robson St.

LINK – Gregor Robertson – Mayor of Vancouver Blog

In April of 1966, artists from across the city gathered at the courthouse (now the Vancouver Art Gallery) and went to work paint the hoardings that surround the construction of the centennial fountain. The artists were invited and encouraged by Mayor Bill Rathie (to raise the ire of the Premier). Rathie was somewhat upset at the construction of the ‘secret’ fountain in such a central and integral public space with very little public input.

Behind the fountain was Premier W. A. C. Bennett. He refused to let anyone see the designs and put up the hoarding so no one could see it until it was complete. The Paint-in made the public space public again and in a way, it was a very successful (and simple) case of public engagement. Crowds of up to 700 amassed to see the paintings and painters in action. It was widely covered by the media (even internationally!). In this newspaper article, one woman lamented: “Everything is going to be so dull when it’s over.” Was she ever right.

When I passed the Art Gallery the other day, I saw that the great steps, formerly the grand entrance to the Courthouse on the Georgia Street side, were fenced off. I assume it’s to dissuade people from using them (re: Occupy Vancouver). Here’s how it looks when I walked by:

Public Space?

I think it’s time for an intervention in a very important public space in Vancouver. How about a paint-in? Public art as expression, as protest. How about? Leave a comment if you’re interested.

The Vancouver Archives finally has some more photos digitized from one of their private collections. Take a step back in time:

2010-006.064

2010-006.065

2010-006.066

2010-006.068

2010-006.069

2010-006.070

2010-006.071

2010-006.072

This article was re-posted from Brandon Yan’s Masters Planning Blog.

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.