For Vancouverites of a certain age (i.e. mine), some of these riders will be familiar:
That’s MLA Emery Barnes on the left, Mayor Art Phillips in the white collar at centre, and some other local celebrities (identification welcome – click to enlarge), participating in a promotional race for the Gastown Grand Prix back in 1975.
It’s one of many photos taken by Lorne ‘Ace’ Atkinson – a Vancouver cycling legend – available on the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix presented by Allstream site in the lead in to the race on July 11.
Viewpoint: SkyTrain though Yaletown?
An only-in-Vancouver perspective – but not in Vancouver. At first quick glance, I thought it was taken from about Homer and Seymour (which looks like this), looking southeast towards Yaletown and Concord Pacific, with SkyTrain photoshopped in.
But according to the photographer, Josh Randall:
It’s located in Downtown New Westminster at the corner of Begbie and Carnarvon. This particular view features an excellent contrast between early 20th Century ‘craftsman’ style facades and more contemporary architecture in this historic district.
Re:THINK HOUSING Competition
The latest competition from City Hall:
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As part of the work being done by the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability, re:THINK HOUSING, an open ideas competition, is being launched to generate a broader discussion of possibilities for Vancouver’s affordable housing crisis.
Aimed at everyone who has an interest in affordable housing, from the general public, to designers, planners and architects, to philanthropists, non profits and financial institutions, the Ideas Competition seeks to create the space for provocative, bold new ideas that address Vancouver’s affordability challenge head-on.
Winners will be chosen by both the public and a jury comprised of five members of the task force; $8,000 will be awarded in prize money. The deadline is June 29th, and all winning entries will be announced in late July, as well as published in the Fall 2012 national issue of Spacing magazine.
For more information, go here.
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Some idea-provoking reading:
The Hottest Trends in Urban Housing – from Atlantic Cities
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Six Ideas for Sensible Homes - from Nation of Change
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Do the density, but spare the hi-rises - from Seattle’s Crosscut:
Today, density is being pursued as an end in itself, rather than as one means to building better cities. According to research by the Preservation Green Lab, fine-grained urban fabric -– for example of a type found on Washington’s Capitol Hill, the U Street Corridor, NOMA, and similar neighborhoods — is much more likely to foster local entrepreneurship and the creative economy than monolithic office blocks and apartment towers.
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Seattle neighborhoods fight needed land use reform, density - from Seattle’s Crosscut:
How did earnest, liberal, Birkenstock-wearing activists pushing for parks, play equipment, sidewalks, and kiosks turn into affluent, highly motivated saboteurs of new development, change, and density? Three things happened in the last two decades that shifted neighborhoods from the “what we want” caucus to the “what we won’t” lobby.
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Finding The Middle Ground Between Affordable Housing and Land Use Advocacy - from Next American City
“We just need to crank up the government subsidies” isn’t the answer. “Just eliminate all restrictions on building and let the market sort it out” isn’t, either. It’s not clear what the right answer is, but we need affordable housing groups thinking about economics and economists thinking about human factors to figure it out.
Thanks to Tom Durning for the links.
Awards for the Cambie Corridor Plan
Brent Toderian spreads the word:
I’ve just learned that the Cambie Corridor Plan has been selected for the 2012 Award for Planning Excellence in the category of Sustainable Mobility, Transportation and Infrastructure, from the Canadian Institute of Planners, the country’s national professional planning association. The award will be presented this fall at the annual conference to be held in Banff.
This follows quickly on the heels of the Plan winning an Award of Excellence at the provincial level, from the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). And its still early in the awards-year!
As I tour global mid-rise best practices and discuss form with leading global urbanists on this European trip over several weeks, its gratifying to see this great honor and acknowledgment of our own evolving mid-rise achievements in Vancouver. The global audience is very interested in the Corridor Plan, and very complementary that we are clearly more than just a “glass tower city”.
For reminder/background, here are two links to articles/interviews on the Cambie Corridor Plan. One at Spacing Vancouver; the other in Better! Cities and Towns.
Congratulations to all the city departments, stakeholders and public who worked together on the Cambie Plan, and special thanks to my exceptional former Cambie team: Jim Bailey, Dwayne Drobot, Michelle McGuire and Matthew Roddis. A tremendous achievement for you!
Heritage House Tour: Featuring Le Marché St. George
Coming up on Sunday, June 3rd from (10 am – 5 pm) is the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s 10th Annual Heritage House Tour.
One of the sure hits will be Le Marché St. George at 4393 St. George Street (map here):
Le Marché St.George, the vision of a self-described unconventional young family, is a charming 2012 version of a corner grocery store. Local families congregate to drink delicious cappuccinos, eat flatbreads and stuffed croissants, buy local and imported gourmet products and exchange neighbourhood news. This re-invention of the corner store is happening throughout the city.
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The building was contructed c. 1914. The current owners began work on the building in January 2010. Now 2 ½ years later, their vision for the original building is almost complete: the stucco is removed, the original siding is repaired and ready for paint, the aluminum sliding windows have been replaced with style and era appropriate double-hung wood windows and the store has a constant stream of customers. Their own house at the rear of the store reflects their artistic roots.
Although the interior of the store looks aged, it is the work of the owners and their family. By applying wallpaper, then plaster and finishing it off with a coating of coffee grounds, they achieved the ‘old world’ look they were after. The flooring is what was revealed after peeling off layers of linoleum. The red battleship linoleum from a previous incarnation is still in the store’s kitchen.
Photo credit: Martin Knowles
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Self-guided tour of 10 houses includes a church converted to strata units, Shaughnessy mansions, Cedar Cottage homes, a restored corner store, and an old wood frame bank building with strata units to the rear.
Tickets are $40+hst. To purchase tickets or for more info visit: www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org or call 604 264 9642
Seoul Mate: Geller in Korea
Michael Geller just landed in Korea (he’s attending Expo 2012), and has already started extensive posting on his blog. Check it out to find commentary to go with these:
When I completed my around the world Sabbatical in 2007 a very astude individual asked me to identify one over-riding observation from my travels. I concluded that the rest of the world is much more sophisticated than most North Americans think it is.
Annals of Cycling – 58
An occasional update on items from the Velo-city.
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RISK TAKING (NOT JUST) ON WALL STREET
The Wall Street Journal reports:
A study of first-time bicycle-helmet users published in the American Journal of Public Health found men who wore helmets bicycled significantly faster than men who didn’t wear them, whereas helmets had no effect on women’s biking speed.
Individuals often take more risks when they feel safer, a type of behavior known as risk compensation.
Thanks to Doug Clarke.
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A WORD TO THE WISE-ASS
From Michael Kluckner: “An addition to the Adanac bike lane at a pedestrian crossing at Templeton, maybe by a disgruntled pedestrian?”
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OF FURTHER INTEREST TO WALL STREET
U.S. Bicyclists Save $4.6 Billion By Riding Instead of Driving
Key data:
- Bicyclists in the U.S. save $4.6 billion per year by riding, instead of driving
- If American drivers replaced just one four-mile car trip with a bike each week for the whole year, it would save more than 2 billion gallons of gas.
- From 2001 to 2009, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans took up biking at faster rates than other Americans, representing 21 percent of all bike trips in the U.S. in 2009.
Thanks to Eric Griswold.
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THE DANES HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS
From the Cycling Embassy of Denmark:
The first edition of Collection of Cycle Concepts was published in 2000 and enjoyed a wide circulation among everyone interested in bicycle traffic. … The second edition, Collection of Cycle Concepts 2012, updates the field, featuring new challenges and the latest knowledge.
Download HERE.
Actually, the cleverest concept is the idea of a Cycling Embassy - ”a comprehensive network of private companies, local authorities and non-governmental organizations working together to promote cycling and communicate cycling solutions and know-how.”
Thanks to Ron Richings.
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NEW YORK COVERS L.A.
Los Angeles Lives by Car, but Learns to Embrace Bikes
For years, bicyclists in Los Angeles were just another renegade subculture in a city that is teeming with all manner of subcultures. These days, they have become downright mainstream. …
Joel Epstein, a mass transit advocate, said traffic here had led him to use his bicycle more often. “L.A. is a very complicated kind of place,” Mr. Epstein said. “A lot of people are going to commute by car forever. But I think bikes are a piece of the puzzle, just like mass transit is and just like walking is.”
Thanks to Ken Ohrn.
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OVERHEARD ON THE SEAWALL
Dianna Waggoner reports in:
As I approached the incline at the casino, I noticed a daddy and daughter pair. Daughter was probably four or five, riding her own very tiny bicycle–pink, handlebar fringe, training wheels. As the path tipped up the slightest bit, daddy leaned over to offer some cycling advice. “Okay, honey, it’s time to power up for the hill!” And, she did!! Sped up just a little, added a bit of pressure on the pedals so that the next moment she was speeding (relatively) down the other side. Wheeeee.
Another bike lover is born.
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Roundhouse Turntable Plaza Opening
It was a sodden day. A holiday weekend, of course:
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But in a way, that was the point. Now that the Roundhouse Turntable comes equipped with rain protection, the space can accommodate a full brass band - and keep the musicians (mostly) dry.
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Frankly, I’m amazed they got away with it: a bright red Pterodactyl in an historic setting, designed to encourage noise-making activity in a residential neighbourhood. And they raised the money to do it. Good work, Roundhouse Board and volunteers!
Worthy of a bright red ribbon to celebrate success:
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Also good to see Engine 374 – the train that first arrived in Vancouver in 1887 – out of its glass box, steaming and whistling and overrun with kids.
Historian John Atkin was there to explain it all, and to point out how little is actually left of one the great industrial spaces of the city that was made possible by its presence:
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But the piece we have left was worthy of a party.
Energy Futures, Neighbourhood by Neighbourhood
From the Vancouver Heritage Foundation:
Exploring Neighbhourhood Energy Futures – Workshop Invitation
Marpole session: Saturday, May 26th, 9:30-2:30 Marpole United Church, 1296 W 67th Ave at Hudson Street
Grandview Woodlands session: Saturday, June 9th, 9:30-2:30 Aboriginal Friendship Centre, 1607 E Hastings at Commercial Drive
Participants will explore how we can plan for a more resilient energy future at the neighbourhood scale, and design a low-carbon neighbourhood by choosing from a range of strategies including integrated land use and redevelopment, transportation alternatives, technology changes, and behavioural/cultural shifts.
For Heritage minded folks: the workshops explore a range of options to support Vancouver’s future population growth, from re-development to multi-family conversions of existing single-family housing. In addition, the May 26th workshop is being held in the beautifully renovated, historic Marpole United Church. All Vancouver residents are welcome!
This workshop that has been developed by a team of researchers at the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) at UBC, working with Community Planning at the City of Vancouver.
Please RSVP to Titania Lam at the City of Vancouver 604-871-6302 or titania.lam@vancouver.ca
Blim Market: For the hip baby animals in all of us
Heritage Hall on Main Street @ 16th – of course.
SUNDAY, MAY 27 – 12-5 pm
Entrance fee:donation
Blim will be presenting a monthly Market this month to take place at Heritage Hall.
This Months market will include 48 vendors, music, hot food, beverages, and entertainment. Vendors will include food, fashion, accessories, supplies, fine art, vintage items and records, and not be limited to crafts, and there will be a focus on nurturing and promoting creative production in our community.
We want to appeal to young, old, hip, plain, babies, animals, men, women, everyone.
