A 1970s triumph, can Granville Island do it again?

[SpongeG]

an interesting little article - from last month...

A 1970s triumph, can Granville Island do it again?

Think of Granville Island as downtown Vancouver in miniature. Like the place across False Creek we now have come to call "the downtown peninsula," Granville Island was once truly an island — a sand bar, truth be known.

The 20th century saw bridges connect the area that had become a maritime industrial zone to the rest of the city. Like downtown, Granville Island was pretty scruffy looking until Liberal federal governments of the 1970s invested $20-million to improve infrastructure and streetscapes.

We all know Granville Island's resulting urban argot: wooden docks alive with cadging seagulls; seagoing-grade bollards, posts, sign-pipes and street lighting done up in the bright primary colours of light industrial drag; sidewalks banned in the name of egalitarian hippie anarchy, with cars, pedestrians, and buskers all passing within inches of each other.

It worked.

But the Island's significance for locals peaked in the 1980s, and has been in decline ever since, largely due to the benign neglect of its unfocused land-lord, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Granville Island is now, in my opinion, our city's most over-rated urban zone, filled with stale crafts (can you say macramé?), timid arts groups, second-rate restaurants and way too many tourists trying to find the Aquabus.

The Island's architecture, streets, businesses, programming and broad identity have lost connection with the surrounding workaday city, focusing instead on the needs of high-end gourmands and weekend visitors from Washington state.

Only a small part of the unfortunate current state of the Island is due to its dated urban design. More crippling has been the steady neglect by its management and federal overlords. They have allowed the retail mix to go stale, been unable to attract edgier arts resident groups and programming, or made it matter to immigrants (or even Asian tourists), nor given it the accessible-to-all public transit service it deserves. Every year, Granville Island matters less and less to many Vancouverites. We mutter, guiltily, that "we hardly go there any more."

All of this places Norman Hotson and Joost Bakker in a difficult position, as they celebrate the 35th anniversary this week of their architectural firm. The two formed their partnership not long after their urban design work re-made Granville Island. Here, they creatively borrowed from Dutch architects such as Herman Hertzberger and Aldo van Eyck, evolving a notion of urban "infill and support" — demarking, but not controlling functions and visitors to the island.

Once their plan was built, Hotson-Bakker maintained long-term urban design oversight for Granville Island under a CMHC contract. This 30-year association has deservedly made both of them world-famous among the shapers of urban markets and metropolitan happy-zones.

This success also makes Mr. Hotson and Mr. Bakker the Ellen Pages of the Vancouver architecture world. No matter what brilliant new buildings they do — and there have been some, especially after Bruce Haden and Allan Boniface joined their firm as full partners in 2001— their out-of-the-gate success will forever brand them as "those Granville Island guys," in the same way the young Canadian movie star will be eternally labelled "that Juno girl."

After their 30-year duty as urban overseers, they have now landed the key design contract in Granville Island's current renewal process. I think this a mistake — for Granville Island management, but even more so, for their own architectural firm, now known as Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden.

By selecting consultants from within the family, CMHC is following the same safe, overly local, and resolutely establishment architectural formula as that chosen by VANOC (ours will be the first Olympic Games in decades without a design competition for even one site), BC Housing (none of the dozen social housing design commissions recently granted went to young and innovative firms), and our downtown tower developers (who dole out jobs to the devils they know).

During a brisk walk across the island, it is apparent the architects believe most of their original thinking was on target. Mr. Hotson's suggestions for improvements lack verve: a new hotel; a double cinema; an enlarged market building; a night-life zone under the bridge.

Let me state it plainly: I rank Hotson-Bakker's original plans for Granville Island as among the most brilliant city-building in all of Canada in the 1970s. What irks and hurts is my realization that, under the timid architectural ethos prevailing in Vancouver today, there is zero chance that a new pair of hot-shot architects would ever get the chance to risk anything as bold.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080328.re-boddy0328/BNStory/RealEstate/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail

[cc85]

hmm....horray for nightclubs!

[flight_from_kamakura]

personally, i think he's wrong about the modifications to granville island - they're pretty much exactly what's needed (aside from desperately needed rail connections, which seem to be on track - pun intended).

[SpongeG]

a movie theatre would be good for the area

i have to admit i don't go there much unless with an out of towner

[worldwide]

""sidewalks banned in the name of egalitarian hippie anarchy, with cars, pedestrians, and buskers all passing within inches of each other.""

im sure this guy isn't as pessimistic about gateway :)

[204]

"Think of Granville Island as downtown Vancouver in miniature. Like the place across False Creek we now have come to call "the downtown peninsula," Granville Island was once truly an island — a sand bar, truth be known."

The downtown peninsula was never an island per se.

At high tide, the peninsula of present day downtown Vancouver was an island.

The eastern end of False Creek was a large tidal fl at fanning out from a narrow isthmus of land at what is now Main Street.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/1898_Van_Pan_Map.jpg

Not sure where the journalist got that from.....

[SpongeG]

granville island is now a peninsula its not a true island anymore

[johnjimbc]

Probably because I'm still a relative newbie, but I love Granville Island - probably for the same reasons, unfortunately, that is ebbing (though it always seems busy when I'm there).

I tell my friends back east who have never been that it is like going to a ZOOM set from the 70s, and realizing the feel sorta actually works! It actually has a real presence, which many many places today don't. And once the newness wears off of some places, they won't have much else to offer. At least when you are at Granville Island, you have a sense that you're at a real location with a distinctive character.

I think a few key efforts could help to revitalize it and renew it a bit. Love the idea of a new hotel. Would like less cars as well, maybe turning some of the current car barns into functional new spaces or new theatres. But I actually hope they don't change the basics. They got those right.

[flight_from_kamakura]

seriously. the public market is still the best place in the city to shop for for food. brilliant butcher, most of the vegetables you could want (including a decent organic stand), the vqa shop (from which i buy my pinot noir by the case!), and, of course, the best charcuterie in the city has to be oyama.

if (as planned) much of the parking is converted, the entrance is developed more, and so forth (please oh please, can we ditch the cement plant?), this place should remain the jewel that it is. honestly, the problems with granville island are minor compared with the problems in other parts of the city.

as for the fundamentals - arts and crafts shops are a problem? well, i agree that they're embarrassing and that the schlock they sell is boring, but if they can pay their rent, people must like them. the theatre/performance on the island is too hammy and family oriented? well yeah, but it's always been like that. people like cheesy dinner theatre and stand-up. not enough edge? it's granville island, and you know, emily carr is getting more interesting, just give it time ;) ...

[SFUVancouver]

I'm curious about the cheesy dinner theatre and stand-up comedy to which you are referring to because in my experience the Island has neither. There are six theatres on the island and none are dinner theatres. Theatre Sports does live improv comedy but that is different from stand-up.

Thinking about the bigger picture, I think that Granville Island needs attention from CMHC Granville Island. I think it needs a coat of paint, at the very least, but moreover it I think the Island should make a concrete plan to transform itself into a model of sustainability, a microcosm of the change that we need in the world.

This means planning to make most of the island a car-free precinct asap, bringing the Vancouver Streetcar right onto the island, prioritizing energy efficiency in a renewal program that would see all the existing building renovated over time and all new construction meet exceptional levels of building performance. I think CMHC and its consultants should develop a plan to make the island energy and water neutral on an annual basis and design around that going forward.

I think this plan would energize the island with a new verve and purpose. I would love to see that and I'm going to do my part to make it so.

[deasine]

I would love to see the car-free but I'm pretty sure that won't happen. Or at least allow car access to the Hotel only. Maybe there should be a parking facility beside the proposed Granville Island Station and have free fares going to the island itself.

[djh]

If anybody has been to The Distillery district of Toronto, that is a model of what Granville Island could become.

[flight_from_kamakura]

Thinking about the bigger picture, I think that Granville Island needs attention from CMHC Granville Island. I think it needs a coat of paint, at the very least, but moreover it I think the Island should make a concrete plan to transform itself into a model of sustainability, a microcosm of the change that we need in the world.

This means planning to make most of the island a car-free precinct asap, bringing the Vancouver Streetcar right onto the island, prioritizing energy efficiency in a renewal program that would see all the existing building renovated over time and all new construction meet exceptional levels of building performance. I think CMHC and its consultants should develop a plan to make the island energy and water neutral on an annual basis and design around that going forward.


good ideas.

i'm not sure i agree about the rail on island (seems like it should be pedestrian only); and i know that people (ie. city planners) absolutely love the way cars work on the island, so i'm not sure about a car-free precinct, but i think it would be amazing if cmhc would revision the place to make it energy and water neutral. something tells me they won't though - removing parking from the warehouses increases rentable space, but radically redeveloping like you suggest doesn't add much value (though the cmhc can afford to take the long view...).

[djh]

good ideas.

i'm not sure i agree about the rail on island (seems like it should be pedestrian only); and i know that people (ie. city planners) absolutely love the way cars work on the island, so i'm not sure about a car-free precinct, but i think it would be amazing if cmhc would revision the place to make it energy and water neutral. something tells me they won't though - removing parking from the warehouses increases rentable space, but radically redeveloping like you suggest doesn't add much value (though the cmhc can afford to take the long view...).

What's there to love about the way the cars work on the island? If one has ever been stupid enough to try to drive to Granville Island, you're in for a mega traffic jam, and the equivalent experience of circling the world's largest car park in order to find a space, in-between dodging pedestrians, buskers and cyclists, since there is no clear demarcation between road and pavement.
I say remove the cars altogether, allow taxis and rapid transit only. And build a huge carpark just off the island. I think users would increase exponentially - and with the right event programming, it would become a must-see stop.

[SpongeG]

i like the cars on it too

its pretty good as is and worth a yearly visit

if i could afford to live there i would but that will never happen

[worldwide]

banning cars would just have a granville mall effect. we need to make it more difficult to own and operate cars in general. banning them from one area just alienates people.

[djh]

banning cars would just have a granville mall effect. we need to make it more difficult to own and operate cars in general. banning them from one area just alienates people.

Not quite sure I follow that logic; you talk about a "Granville Mall effect" as if it's a negative thing, and then in the next breath you suggest putting in place a plan that would make the whole city like Granville Mall...so what is it, you do want cars or you don't want cars?

I don't understand the North American love for their cars! I'm suggesting people park their cars at the mouth of Granville Island in a car park, and then walk around the actual peninsula without worrying about their kids and grannies getting run over or breathing in pollution next to their fresh fruit, and you're saying you'd prefer the cars? What, is the walk from a car park at the mouth of Granville Island to the shops too far? Why wouldn't anybody support no cars on Granville Island - what are the advantages of cars on the island? If their absence means you can have MORE shops, MORE cafes, MORE outdoor space for performance and meeting and stalls, why would you say no to that?

[flight_from_kamakura]

djh - i'm mostly with you, in that, i'd love it if granville island would be a car-free zone. in fact, i don't see why we'd need a parking lot at all once we've got the streetcar (hopefully continuing west as well).

unfortunately, cars are seen as an essential aspect of the plan for the island. vancouver planners are happy to encouraged reduced auto use, but very reluctant to go as far as creating no car zones. back in 2005, well before the (latest) granville street redesign, larry beasley himself said that they wanted cars back on granville mall and that there would be no question of extending the car free zone. why? because they see cars as essential to economic and civic vitality. and though it's not universally applicable (thank god), i'm not sure they're totally wrong: we're getting there, but we're not there yet.

anyway, i'd wager that 30-40% of vehicular traffic on the island is from out-of-towners (and yes, all you people from richmond and places like that, you are out-of-towners). given this reality, and the dominant thinking in vancouver planning circles (see vancouver, city of) i suspect the rulers of the island will move slowly in this domain.

[vanlaw]

If anybody has been to The Distillery district of Toronto, that is a model of what Granville Island could become.

I actually think it is the other way around. The Distilery District reminds me of GI back in the 80's before a lot of the touristy stuff crept in - I think they are trying to become like GI, not the other way around.

[jlousa]

I think they should still allow cars onto the island, but I like the idea of water and energy neutral. How about a comproise of a toll of $2 or $3 to drive in, that would encourage people not to drive but still allow those that see the need to drive not be alienated. The funds raised could be used to subsidize the costs of using energy neutral technology.

[djh]

I think the point I'm trying to make is this. I'm not saying people should not drive. I'm saying people should not drive ONTO the island.

I get it that out-of-towners would be discouraged if there was no cars allowed. That's why an integral part of my suggestion is to build a big parking lot right at the mouth of the island. That way, people can still drive TO the island, just not ONTO the island.

***
Re. the distillery district vs Granville Island. I mean that we can use the Distillery as a model in the sense that it has a) a lot of very successful event programming (e.g., beer & wine festivals - which we have, circuses, private bookings, even film crew bookings, etc.) as well as very successful businesses that are not touristy (lots of artist studios and offices, not-for-profit offices, commercial businesses, tourism offices, etc.). We do some of those things really well on the island, I'm saying we could look into the mix they have there and do whatever is needed to attract more of the same to GI.

[SpongeG]

Not quite sure I follow that logic; you talk about a "Granville Mall effect" as if it's a negative thing, and then in the next breath you suggest putting in place a plan that would make the whole city like Granville Mall...so what is it, you do want cars or you don't want cars?

I don't understand the North American love for their cars! I'm suggesting people park their cars at the mouth of Granville Island in a car park, and then walk around the actual peninsula without worrying about their kids and grannies getting run over or breathing in pollution next to their fresh fruit, and you're saying you'd prefer the cars? What, is the walk from a car park at the mouth of Granville Island to the shops too far? Why wouldn't anybody support no cars on Granville Island - what are the advantages of cars on the island? If their absence means you can have MORE shops, MORE cafes, MORE outdoor space for performance and meeting and stalls, why would you say no to that?

than it would become disneyfied

as it is now its alive, its bustling, its real - people work there, they go to school and even live there (on the houseboats) etc. a lot of people i have taken loved parking on the wooden parking areas

people aren't all stupid they don't need nursemaiding - open your eyes and watch where you walk - watch out for cars etc. welcome to life and living

[worldwide]

djh - i personally wouldnt prefer the cars there, i dont even drive, but as long as everyone else does allowing cars is essential to the economic vitality of the island. we should make it as inconvenient as possible to drive there, just not go as far as an outright ban

[deasine]

Well the can sure close a few of the streets off from traffic. Maybe car traffic should be directed right onto Cartwright Street (like it is now) and have cars only running around the island. The center should only be accessible by pedestrians. Cars should also have to pay for parking or be tolled when entering the island.

Streetcars can enter directly into the island and have a stop on Anderson Street underneath Granville Street Bridge.

[Rusty Gull]

For what it's worth, I worked for a company that would hold its weekly meetings on the island -- there was usually about 6 or 7 of us. We would drive in -- in one vehicle -- drop $10-$15 each on breakfast. If not for the parking, there's no way we would be able to make the Island our weekly meet-up spot.

I agree though that some folks drive recklessly on the island, given the number of children/seniors walking around.

[twoNeurons]

It seems to work as it is. No one actually drives on the island. They only drive to get on or off of it.

It's walkable, and there are plenty of pedestrian only areas.

I don't think cars are the evil that is putting GI down at all.

[SFUVancouver]

My idea is to make the western half of the island a car-free pedestrian zone during the daytime. At night the island would basically be as it is now. Access to the pedestrian zones would be controlled by pop-up bollards. This would be accompanied by a redevelopment/repurposing of the existing parking within the pedestrian zones. On the eastern side of the island vehicle access would be maintained and the existing surface parking lots would be developed into multi-storey underground parking lots. At grade and above these could be new buildings, or parks, or whatever.

This is a crude, one-minute version of my idea.
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6964/gimapweblgoe8.jpg