VPSN ACTIVITIES

Annual General Meeting & Collingwood Park Walk 
Tuesday, May 9

The VPSN Annual General Meeting is coming up next week! This year’s event takes at the amazing Collingwood Neighbourhood House (5288 Joyce Street, walking distance from Joyce Collingwood Station). Since the late 1980’s, CNH has been providing a safe space and an array of services to the surrounding Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood. We’re honoured to be able to hold our annual meeting in this important non-profit operated public space.

Our AGM agenda will include recap of our advocacy and project work over the past year, and provide a preview of our work ahead. As part of the activities, we will also provide an update on our finances and elect a new board of directors for the upcoming year.

Before getting down to business, we will also be taking a short walk through nearby Collingwood Park (5275 McKinnon Street), which is currently undergoing an important redesign process. Weather permitting, the walk will last approximately 1 hr, at which point we will head to Collingwood Neighbourhood House for the AGM.

• 6pm: Walking Tour – Meet at the corner of Euclid and McKinnon
• 7pm: Annual General Meeting – Program Room (2nd Floor), Collingwood Neighbourhood House
• Please register and read more details here. Both the walk and the AGM are free to attend and everyone is welcome.

VPSN Volunteer Meeting
Tuesday, May 16 @ 7pm

Our first volunteer orientation in some time, for new and returning volunteers. We’ve got some great projects in the hopper right now, and we’re excited to be hosting this upcoming orientation session (held online via Zoom). If you’d like to learn more about the Vancouver Public Space Network, or find out how you can lend a hand with our placemaking, research, and advocacy work, sign up for this.

• Follow this link to register for the volunteer orientation

Hold the Date – Placemaking Canada Gathering (Toronto ON)
June 11-12, 2023

Exciting public space events are taking place in Toronto this coming June, including the International Public Markets Conference (June 8-10), and the annual Park People Conference (June 21-23). In between these two events, is the fourth Placemaking Canada Gathering. The VPSN is proud to support this grassroots initiative linking together placemakers and public space advocates across the country. The 2023 gathering will include walking/biking tours, ‘open mic’ sessions, workshops, and networking sessions. The ultimate aim – building the Canadian placemaking movement!

Registration will be open in the next few days. Please mark your calendar and share the news with any placemaking contacts who might be interested in joining!

• More information via Placemaking Canada Facebook – placemaking-canada.ca

PUBLIC SPACE NEWS & ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Two New Greenways! Enhancing and Expanding the Greenway Network

In 1995, Vancouver approved it’s Greenways Plan – and with it, a series of designated car-free or car-light pathways that are intended to provide park-like connections for walking, rolling and cycling. Greenways also include improvements like expanded parks, increased landscaping, public art, and drinking fountains.

The network is slowly being built out and now includes popular routes such as the Central Valley Greenway, Comox-Helmcken Greenway, and the Seaside Greenway (along Pt. Grey Rd). In 2022, Council approved the Vancouver Plan, and a proposed “expansion and enhancement” of the existing greenways network.

Two new greenways processes are underway, both of which will provide critical improvements in the overall network. The proposed Bute Street Greenway will run from Sunset Beach Park (False Creek) to Harbour Green Park (Burrard Inlet), and includes a permanent design for Bute-Robson Plaza. At the same time, the City is also looking to design the Portside Greenway, a 7 km route following the city’s northern edge, spanning between Gastown, and running through Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise to the city’s eastern boundary. You can learn more about these public space improvements and engagement opportunities by following the links below.

• Bute Street Greenway
• Portside Greenway

Coming up at Council next week – A People Focused Gastown

City Council will be discussing the future of Gastown at its next meeting. This is good news on the public space front, as both Maple Tree Square and Water Street represent important areas for improvement, and there are a number of other interventions which could enhance public life in the area.

The motion being deliberated calls for a “streets and public realm planning and design process for Gastown that brings in an external urban place-making lens and expertise …toward a bold vision to pedestrianize Water Street and make it carfree or car-light.” With further language referencing “an overarching goal being a more vibrant, people-friendly destination and the enabling of ongoing activations including patios, music, events, festivals and active transportation opportunities.”

• The Gastown discussion will take place on May 9-10. You can view the full text of the proposed Council motion here. To share your thoughts with Council, you sign up to share your thoughts in person or via phone, or fill out this online form to do so in writing.

West End Waterfront – Preliminary Designs

The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board have been working on a plan for the West End waterfront (roughly between Stanley Park and the Burrard Bridge). The Imagine West End Waterfront second round of engagement is now live on Shape Your City. Three preliminary design approaches have been developed to help guide the long-term plan. Each approach emphasizes and celebrates a different quality of the West End waterfront.

• Follow this link for more information or to take the survey (deadline May 21). Let the City know what you think of the preliminary design approaches and ideas for the 30-year plan.
• You may also want to check out a related page on West End commercial streets – which showcases some of the proposed improvements to Davie, Denman, and Robson Streets

OTHER EVENTS

Jane’s Walk
May 4-7

Inspired by author and urbanist Jane Jacobs, Jane’s Walks is an annual event that encourages people “to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.” Dozens of tours have been set up, including walks in Queen Elizabeth, sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7 (Rainbow), Hastings, and New Brighton Parks, strolls along the proposed Portside Greenway, and wanderings in several neighbourhoods, including Norquay, the West End, Main Street, Renfrew-Collingwood, and Mt. Pleasant.

• Jane’s Walk events are free, but registration is required. For more info, visit Jane’s Walk Vancouver.

The VPSN is hosting two workshops on the West End Waterfront (Nov 18) and the Vancouver Plan (Nov 25), and there are other lectures, surveys and events being held on the surveillance of urban spaces, the Jericho Lands and Broadway Plan, as well as the design of the Kitsilano Beach Seaside Greenway, the St. George Rainway, and the redesign of Chinatown Memorial Square.

Sign up to one or more of these activities and get involved. Share your voice and help put public space at the centre of city-building!

UPCOMING VPSN WORKSHOPS

West End Waterfront – Public Space Workshop | Thursday, November 18 @ 5:30-7:00pm

Interested in the future of the West End waterfront? The City of Vancouver is beginning a planning process to create a comprehensive long-term vision and plan for the West End’s waterfront parks, beaches, facilities, and the surrounding street network.

The first of our two VPSN public space workshops this month focuses on the WE Waterfront process. This session is an opportunity learn more about the project from City staff and the engagement team, and share your early thoughts on the future of this important and popular network of public spaces.

The session will last just over an hour, and will include a presentation and opportunities for dialogue. The event is free and takes place online.

:: Register - VPSN West End Waterfront Workshop

The Vancouver Plan – Public Space Workshop | Thursday, November 25 @ 7:00-8:30pm

In 2018, the City of Vancouver began a comprehensive city-wide planning process known as the “Vancouver Plan.” Now, after about 18 months, the City is sharing a series of ‘emerging directions’ as part of their Fall 2021 engagement activity.

The Vancouver Public Space Network has arranged a special workshop to take a closer look at a planning effort that will ultimately provide a city-wide framework for growth and change for the next 30 years and beyond.

What is the role of parks, plazas, streets and other types of spaces as part of the Vancouver Plan? How can we ensure that public space plays a central role in the livability of the city? Are there ways to strengthen the Vancouver’s network of spaces so that they are more equitable, resilient, and responsive to the needs of all residents?

This session will include a presentation on the Vancouver Plan directions, as well as an opportunity for you to share your thoughts on how the Plan can ensure the best possible public space for present and future community members.

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OTHER PUBLIC SPACE EVENTS & ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Mundane Surveillance: Technologies, Data, and the New Regulation of Urban Space | November 16 @ 1:00-2:30pm

Cities have repeatedly turned toward forms of entrepreneurial urbanism and technological solutionism marketed by the private sector. From Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to smart cities, each generation of these devices promises to revitalize cities and “improve” their governance. This talk by Debra Mackinnon (University of Windsor) examines the mobility and use of geospatial applications, platforms and smart security initiatives by BIDs in Vancouver, Toronto, New York and London. Focused on their potential to limit accountability, deepen systemic racism and further corporatize service delivery, this research traces and theorizes how these technologies are used to police, account for, render, and manage urban space and populations. Presented by Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University.

:: Register via Eventbrite

Jericho Lands Site Options – Survey | Deadline: Sunday, November 21

The Jericho Lands is a 36-hectare (90-acre) site located in Vancouver’s West Point Grey neighbourhood and is bound by West 4th Avenue, Highbury Street, West 8th Avenue, and West Point Grey Park. A planning program is underway – with a goal of creating a policy statement to guide future development of the site.

Recently, the landowners’ design team, working in consultation with City staff, shared two conceptual site options of how ʔəy ̓alməxʷ / Iy ̓álmexw / the Jericho Lands could look in the future. A survey is now available that allows you to share input on these site options.

:: More info and to complete the Jericho Lands survey

Kitsilano Beach Park Seaside Greenway Improvements – Survey | Deadline: Sunday, November 21

The Seaside Greenway in and adjacent to Kitsilano Beach Park is one of the most popular sections of the City’s walking, rolling, and cycling network. Currently, there is a shared path within the park for people walking, rolling, and cycling, and a temporary protected bike path through the south parking lot of the park. The Park Board is currently exploring options to develop a separated cycling path that connects Balsam Street to Ogden Avenue across the park – with a goal of finding a solution that creates a safer and more comfortable route for all users, including children, families, and people with reduced mobility while reducing conflicts between park users.

After initial engagement in August, the Park Board has developed different options for cycle path routes(External link). This survey provides an opportunity for you to share your thoughts on how well each of the design options reflect the values of greenspace, connections, directness, parking, and impact, and help identify a preferred route for the cycling path.

:: For more information on Kitsilano Beach Seaside Greenway and to take the survey

Broadway Plan – Public Life Workshop | Wednesday, November 24 @ 6:00-8:00pm

In March 2019, the City of Vancouver launched multi-phase planning process to create a comprehensive Broadway Plan to integrate opportunities for new housing, jobs and amenities around the new Broadway Subway. The plan will guide future growth, change and public benefits within the Broadway Plan study area, roughly from Clark Drive to Vine Street.

Help shape the future public life in Kitsilano, Fairview and Mount Pleasant by being part of the Broadway Plan Public Life Workshop on November 24, where you can learn about the draft public realm framework, and transportation policies. What do you think of the proposed public space directions? Are there opportunities to better support walking/rolling, biking and public gathering?

:: Register for the Broadway Plan public life workshop
:: More information on the Broadway Plan

St. George Rainway Phase 3: Concept Designs – Survey | Deadline: Sunday, November 28

The City of Vancouver has developed conceptual plans for a Rainway along St. George St between Broadway and 5th Ave that will honour a historic stream. Rainways are a multi-block area that use green rainwater infrastructure with great spaces for walking, rolling and cycling to support sustainable transportation.

As part of this process, four transportation design options and three green rainwater infrastructure concepts have been prepared based on the ideas and feedback shared by the community in previous phases of engagement.

:: Share your thoughts on the St. George Rainway options

Chinatown Memorial Square Redesign | 唐人街紀念廣場重新設計 – Survey | Deadline: Monday, November 29

Chinatown Memorial Square is located in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown at the corner of Keefer Street and Columbia Street. This valued public space hosts important community events such as the Remembrance Day ceremony, and draws many visitors to the neighbourhood where they can learn about the contributions of Chinese people in Canada. It also provides a space for community members to honour their culture and traditions.

The City is looking to improve Chinatown Memorial Square as an accessible public space while developing a design that enhances its culture and history. An online survey allows you to share your ideas for the redesign process.

:: For more information or to take the survey – Chinatown Memorial Square webpage