Dense Vancouver and Other Sights

Mayor Robertson had an op-ed in today's Vancouver Sun responding to the community push back against the city's development and densification plans for Marpole (lane-way housing), Commercial Drive (high-rise towers), and the Downtown Eastside (finding the right mix of social and market housing).

The precedent for such civic action was established in Mount Pleasant last year in response to the controversial Rize development plans at the nexus of East Broadway, Kingsway and Main Streets, which originally included a 22-storey residential tower (the plans have since been revamped, although still not to the satisfaction of most in the neighbourhood). This week the non-profit artist project management and curatorial collective Other Sights is partnering with The Western Front and the artist-run centre 221A to present an open research studio at Kingsgate Mall on possible futures for this iconic triangle of the city. Among other things, folks are invited to drop by between 11 am and 7 pm (5 pm on Sunday) to comment on and contribute to an evolving aerial model of the area.

Would that the mayor find time to visit the mall. But perhaps he's too busy packing up house in preparation for his move to Kits, where very soon he can likely enjoy a leisurely and largely car-free bike ride to Chip Wilson's palazzo.

P.

Artist Studios and Bike Lanes

Usually I treat with skepticism and a healthy dose of irony the self-congratulatory email blasts that arrive in my in-box from Vision Vancouver on a regular basis extolling the party's latest triumph at City Hall. These announcements often seem to me to be platitudinous wish fulfillment masquerading as planning and policy (the greenest city by 2020 anyone?). (I don't think I've been a paid-up member of the party since Robertson's inaugural mayoral run, but that of course hasn't meant that they've tossed my email address.)

Imagine my surprise, then, when I opened up my email yesterday to find not a missive from the mayor reflecting with shame (or nostalgia, for that matter) on last year's Stanley Cup riots (as most media outlets in the city have been doing this past week), but announcing progressive new measures (not least in terms of making available new affordable studio space) for Vancouver's artists. Good news for a city that has the highest concentration of artists in Canada. Details of the announcement can be found here.

What's more, this came on top of news that the Vision-dominated Council had approved making permanent the separated bike lanes along Dunsmuir and Hornby, as well as introducing a public bike share program like those in Toronto and Montreal and other major cities around the world.

Not a bad week's work, and for once my applause is genuine.

P.