There are more than 7,500 metered parking spaces in Vancouver. By reclaiming some of these spaces, we hope to encourage people to re-imagine the possibilities for new and different types of public space in our urban landscape.

The VPSN intervention will be part of several taking place. The Robson Street Business Association has been working with the City’s Viva Vancouver to help create a series of interventions along the street. Be sure to drop by during the day and check out the placemaking magic. You’ll also see other activations by the Vancouver Design Nerds and CityHive.

BACKGROUND
Originally devised in 2005 by ReBar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. Since 2005, the project has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: The Vancouver Public Space Network has been undertaking Park(ing) Day interventions since 2008.

• 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/

The next seven days have another fine assortment of activities. Check out the following update to see what’s in store.

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE PROJECTS & EVENTS

• Friday, June 25 – Interventions Jam with the Design Nerds
• Saturday, June 26 – Stick it to the Streets
• Sunday, June 27 – VPSN AGM and Beach BBQ
• Monday, June 28 – Transforming Broadway – Mt. Pleasant Workshop
• Tuesday, July 6 – Transforming Broadway – Fairview/Kits Workshop
• Great Trees Contest – Support the Urban Forest

VPSN BLOG

• Quieting the roar of the pimped-out motorbike
• Open houses – Help shape the future of three Vancouver parks
• The limits of preserving heritage? The Great Harwood Tulip Tree
• Following up on the Local Government Elections Taskforce

VPSN PUBLIC SPACE PROJECTS & EVENTS

Friday, June 25 – Urban Interventions Jam
One of the local groups that we’ve always been fans of is the Vancouver Design Nerds — a cool bunch of design aficionados that put their talents to good use, coming up with ways to enhance the city and its spaces. Every few months they host a Nerd Jam where participants elevator pitch an idea and the assembled crew jams on the possibilities.

This Friday’s jam centres on the theme of urban interventions – a topic near and dear to our hearts. It starts at 7:00pm and takes place on West Pender. You can find all the details on their Facebook page.

:: Vancouver Design Nerds Facebook Event Page

Saturday, June 26 – Stick it to the Streets

How much music can be made with a pair of drumsticks and the street as the instrument? The Vancouver Public Space Network and friends will be descending on to Granville Street this Saturday to Stick It to the Streets and find out. Bring your drumsticks, spoons, keys, and selves to join a crew of Vancouverites as they move through the street making music with the urban landscape. Will we expect impromptu drum battles? Spontaneous street dancing? Come down and see for yourself! The fun starts at 1:00pm.

For more information, check out out the VPSN SITS webpage or Facebook event page. And while you’re at it, take a gander at the cool promo video we made for the event as well.

Sunday, June 27 – VPSN Annual General Meeting & Beach BBQ

The VPSN isn’t just a grassroots organization – it’s also a registered non-profit. Per the terms of our society registration, we’ll be holding an Annual General Meeting to report out on last years activities and finances, and other cool initiatives. But frankly, we’ll also be using the occasion as an excuse to have a bbq and celebration at Stanley Park at Third Beach. You should come!

:: VPSN Website – AGM Details

Monday, June 28 Transforming Broadway: What would it take to make Broadway a Great Street?

The City of Vancouver is currently undertaking an review of the Central Broadway Corridor – the portion of Broadway that runs from roughly Kingsway (in Mt. Pleasant) to Vine (in Kitsilano). The intent of the planning exercise is to review a variety of land-use policies connected with the street and the surrounding area. What this means in real terms is that we now, collectively, have a very good opportunity to lay down a sense of direction that will enhance the street. So let’s take this chance to transform the city’s great east-west corridor into something fantastic!

The VPSN will be hosting two facilitated workshops that will be focused around a simple question: what would it take to turn Broadway into a Great Street? We need your help to find this out. Please consider joining us on one of the following dates:

Monday, June 28 @ Mt. Pleasant Neighbourhood House
Tuesday, July 6 @ Kitsilano Neighbourhood House
(Correction: this date was originally posted as Monday June 5)

Both sessions will be taking place in the early evening (final times TBD) and snacks and drinks will be served. The events are free, but seating is limited. Please register to get your name on the list.

:: For more information – broadway [at] vancouverpublicspace.ca
:: VPSN Transforming Broadway webpage
:: City of Vancouver Central Broadway Corridor webpage

Great Trees Contest. Send Us A Pic of Your Favourite Tree. Support the Urban Forest Win a Prize!

Each week we give a way a prize to one lucky Vancouverite who likes trees. The process is easy and the odds are good. If you want to participate, all you have to do is send us a picture of your favourite Vancouver tree with a few words on why you feel its so awesome.

We’ve been publishing the submissions we’ve received, along with other neat articles on Vancouver’s urban forest on our Great Trees blog. In the next little while, we’ll also be kicking off our community-based map of the city’s favourite leafy giants.

If you have a chance this week, take a moment to snap a picture of your favourite tree and send it our way! Help us to pay homage to our urban forest.

:: For more information – www.GreatTrees.ca

VPSN BLOG

The following are some of the recent posts from our blog.

June 19 – Quieting the roar of the pimped-out motorbike

Today’s media brings news of two strategies being deployed in the fight against excessive vehicle noise. Both, coincidentally, aimed at the worst (in my humble, patio-loving opinion) of the summertime soundscape offenders – the pimped out motorbike…. [more]

June 17 – Open Houses – Help shape the future of three Vancouver parks

The city wants the public’s feedback on projects going on in three prominent parks in Vancouver: Vanier Park, Mount Pleasant Park, and perhaps most substantively, Hastings Park. Check out the following open houses and have your say… [more]

June 10 – The limits of preserving heritage? The Great Harwood Tulip Tree

Over the years, density bonusing has acted as an important tool in Vancouver’s city-building methodology. It’s a tool with which planners, guided by Council, have used to support the development or enhancement of important public benefits – parks, community facilities, and public art to name a few. Under the process, extra allowable height (“density”) is permitted on a given project, and in exchange for this, developers provide a public good… [more]

June 8 – Following up on the Local Government Elections Taskforce recommendations

The Local Government Elections Task Force delivered its 31 recommendations for improvements to local election on May 28, 2010. Two matters are of particular interest to the VPSN… [more]

SUPPORT THE VPSN

The Vancouver Public Space Network is an all-volunteer, community-driven enterprise that works on advocacy, education and outreach pertaining to the city’s public realm. We depend on your contributions in order to undertake our projects and activities. Looking to lend a hand? Please consider making a donation or signing up for one of our volunteer projects. Thanks!