February 2012
7 posts
2 tags
Vancouver Public Space Network
I started volunteering with the Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) last month. I don’t know why it took me so long. Ever since the organization was established in 2006, I have been following their work of advocating for public space and developing creative ways to celebrate public space in the city. They have initiated events such as municipal candidate debates, Skytrain Halloween...
5 tags
How Neon Enlivens Street Life
Before the great lights of the Las Vegas Strip, there was the “Great White Way” on Vancouver’s Granville Street. The first neon sign was lit there in 1925 and at the peak of its popularity in the 1950s, there were 18,000 neon signs illuminating the streets of Vancouver.
Vancouver’s Chinatown
Vancouver was one of the first cities in North America to embrace neon. In...
Picture it: Vancouver, 1950
Vancouver, ca 1955 - photo By Rolly Ford
I came across this excerpt while reading City Making in Paradise by Ken Cameron and Mike Harcourt. It paints a clear picture of what the Vancouver region was like over 60 years ago.
“In 1950, the settlement pattern (of Metro Vancouver) was very different from what it is today. The transportation system tells the story. The Lions Gate and Patullo...
1st Anniversary
This City Life turned 1 today. Thanks to all the people who read the blog - 4,680 visits from 83 countries and 836 cities in one year.
I am grateful for your readership and hope I can continue to encourage people around the world to embrace urbanism and help make great cities.
4 tags
Is Vancouver Getting a Permanent Indoor Farmer's...
Vancouver’s City Market, est. 1908 in South False Creek
Metro Vancouver is no stranger to farmers’ markets, yet it has been decades since we had a permanent building where local farmers could sell their produce. Over 100 years ago, one of Vancouver’s first farmers’ markets opened on the southern shore of False Creek at Westminster Avenue (now Main Street) on Saturday,...
Most Americans Want a Walkable Neighborhood, Not a... →
The symbol of American success often involves having the biggest house possible, but our outsized fantasies seem to be shifting. According to a new survey, more than three quarters of us consider having sidewalks and places to take a walk one of our top priorities when deciding where to live. Six in 10 people also said they would sacrifice a bigger house to live in a neighborhood that featured a...
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The Urban Futures Survey
Nobody really likes filling out a survey, but this one is particularly important to people living in Metro Vancouver.
The Urban Futures Survey started in 1973. It generated invaluable data on local citizens opinions and values about their region, ultimately helping craft Metro Vancouver’s first Livable Regions Strategy in 1976. According to former Mayor of Vancouver and Premier of British...
