public spaces
« Previous EntriesFinally, a city celebrates its successes
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Vancouver frequently receives positive accolades, whether as the world’s most livable city, for its sustainable nature, or as one of the more attractive tourist destinations in North America.
Despite these, or perhaps because of them, local residents and the media tend to focus on the problems the city has: drug wars, homelessness and crime; as well […]
Roads: not just for cars anymore
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 Using roads only for motor vehicles is wasteful. As gasoline prices reach record highs and increasing numbers of North Americans embrace higher density living, allowing roads to be more than conduits for cars needs greater consideration.
Special events would be a place to start.
Today (Sunday) in North Portland an entire region of the city is going […]
Have stadium, will travel
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008Apparently it will be possible to dismantle the stadium being designed for the 2012 London Olympic Games in order to move it elsewhere. Bldgblog reports that the city of Chicago may end up with the edifice.
This all reminds me of the old Expo 86 structures, seats and other World’s Fair leftovers. The idea […]
Jane’s Walk
Thursday, May 1st, 2008This weekend in nine Canadian cities and two American ones, volunteer neighborhood residents are offering guided tours of their communities to the public in a national celebration of the late Jane Jacobs and of cities.
As Jacobs said, to understand cities and to know what will work, “you’ve got to get out and walk.”
Some tour guides […]
Unintended consequences of a new bylaw
Saturday, April 5th, 2008In Vancouver a new bylaw came into effect last week banning cigarette smoking on restaurant patios and within 6 meters (about 20 feet) of doorways. Smoking has been banned at indoor public places for a long time.
I had a positive and a negative experience with this new bylaw this week. The positive […]
Creativity, anarchy and civilization
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008From Journalist Frances Bula’s City States Blog:
My son, who does visuals for DJs … sent me an email from Austin today. He’s of course at the South by Southwest music festival … It seems he also has something to say about city policy.
“we went to a show last night that started at 3am […]
New playground as community anchor
Sunday, February 24th, 2008Like many public spaces in East Vancouver, the park by our house used to look tired — exhausted, in fact. Some playground equipment became so dilapidated, it posed a hazard and neighbors asked the city to remove it. Other plastic slides had more endurance (does plastic ever break down?), and children belonging to families living […]
Crashed Ice: Every city needs a unique event
Friday, January 25th, 2008Quebec City, founded in 1608, is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. The historic buildings and the spectacular setting make it unique and special. But in the 21st century, a place seems to need more than this to be a source of household conversation. That’s why so many cities compete for major […]
Hope against the spread of generica
Thursday, January 17th, 2008Visiting a new city becomes far more meaningful when you can find unique places where local people live and interact — when you can find an actual community. Usually this requires finding locally owned and operated restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. that often anchor neighborhoods.
In so many cities, whether in North America or around the […]
Cities as agents of change
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008“A new urban global community is emerging in which cities are collaborating with each other on common problems while simultaneously competing with each other in the global marketplace. The days of sitting back and waiting for national governments to act are becoming a memory, especially as cities are faced with challenges that require immediate action.”
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