Vancouver Lighting

[red-paladin]

As a person with a modest income, I really have trouble sympathizing with 'rich peoples' problems'. I suppose if the strata is full of cheap people and they want to shut off the lighting feature, they are in their rights to, but I think that's more pathetic than something the city should be involved in. As for bright lights and flashy video screens, part of me wants to say 'You are in the entertainment zone, what did you expect!?!' But on the other hand, if something like this does -actually- irritate people and keep them up at night beyond something that better blinds / curtains would fix, then perhaps there is some room for adjustment. I am not happy that even though the PAVCO lands are not subject to the city and it's NIMBYs that city hall is playing hardball and trying to imply they will make life difficult for them if they don't turn them down/off. If I was the province, I would say 'Fine, then we won't build the next skytrain line in Vancouver, we'll spend our money where it's appreciated' or something to that effect.... subtely and diplomatically of course

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

As a person with a modest income, I really have trouble sympathizing with 'rich peoples' problems'. I suppose if the strata is full of cheap people and they want to shut off the lighting feature, they are in their rights to, but I think that's more pathetic than something the city should be involved in. As for bright lights and flashy video screens, part of me wants to say 'You are in the entertainment zone, what did you expect!?!' But on the other hand, if something like this does -actually- irritate people and keep them up at night beyond something that better blinds / curtains would fix, then perhaps there is some room for adjustment. I am not happy that even though the PAVCO lands are not subject to the city and it's NIMBYs that city hall is playing hardball and trying to imply they will make life difficult for them if they don't turn them down/off. If I was the province, I would say 'Fine, then we won't build the next skytrain line in Vancouver, we'll spend our money where it's appreciated' or something to that effect.... subtely and diplomatically of course

And I agree with this, hence the screen by the terry fox memorial is off by 7pm on most days! In the summer it will never be on when it is even near dark unless it is a special event. I think that already is a pretty fair compromise.

Second, many of the people complaining say that they should not have to buy blinds! If you are unwilling to mitigate the problem even the slightest yourself (again, buying a condo next to a stadium / entertainment district) , then it is your own fault. If it is still a problem with the blinds pulled etc... well then I have a feeling that the signs / billboards do a have a dimmer switch.

[mr.x]

The city's just for looks, and I mean "natural" looks...there's nothing beyond it, it's merely a shell - it's a shallow city. Youth are fleeing away from this city to cities that are more exciting and with better job prospects....they're taking their creativity, talents, human capital, and potential future capital away from their hometown. We're providing them with very little good reason for the mass majority to stay here, the same that could have stayed here and work towards making this a better city.

Some might foolishly argue that certain items and things of youthful interest are just a "phase" or are "tacky," but these same things are what drove them to these places; to make a home, a family and livelihood there; and to grow old there.

We might just be talking about lights and outdoor screens here, but on the scheme of things that's just the icing on the cake of the problems Vancouver has with retaining human capital...(or simply making this place more lively).

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by mr.x

The city's just for looks, and I mean "natural" looks...there's nothing beyond it, it's merely a shell - it's a shallow city. Youth are fleeing away from this city to cities that are more exciting and with better job prospects....they're taking their creativity, talents, human capital, and potential future capital away from their hometown. We're providing them with very little good reason for the mass majority to stay here, the same that could have stayed here and work towards making this a better city.

Some might foolishly argue that certain items and things of youthful interest are just a "phase" or are "tacky," but these same things are what drove them to these places; to make a home, a family and livelihood there; and to grow old there.

We might just be talking about lights and outdoor screens here, but on the scheme of things that's just the icing on the cake of the problems Vancouver has with retaining human capital...(or simply making this place more lively).

Total agreement. I wish other people could realize that, too.

[Canadian Mind]

Most people who left will soon realise that there isn't really a better place to be. Everywhere in Canada is dumb, and whether the current council allows it or not, Vancouver is slowly changing for the better.

Only cities I'd rather be are Toronto and Victoria (and/or the rest of the island). Depite what they have going for them, Calgary and Edmonton just don't have the right vibe for me, and Montreal is becoming too french.

[SpongeG]

unfortuantely people can't afford to stay here or come back here its just too expensive, my friends are considering to moving to calgary if their property taxes get any higher

wages here aren't any better than most cities but the cost of living is beyond ridiculous

[officedweller]

And the Telus Garden plans have two electronic boards at the corner of Robson & Seymour and also on the office tower.
I woinder if that'll generate a dispute, given the City's love-in with telus.
I wonder if the City jumping on the BC Place issue is just a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 match becuase the Province didn't consult with the City.

[Metro-One]

Given the Telus project I do suspect that myself. I just worry that this 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 match will spill over to lighting and digital billboards in general. The Telus building on Georgia and Robson are perfect streets for such features.

I also dont think the province was very happy with how Vancouver city completely flip flopped on the Casino portion of BC place (which has been known about for a long time). Then once they could buy some votes from people in Yaletown they jumped on the anti-casino bandwagon.

So something tells me the Province may be feeling a little burned on that one, and wont be playing ball with the city in regards to the billboards for a while.

It seems to be a bad combination of over privileged whiners and petty political games IMO.

[SpongeG]

i've never heard anyone complain about the big screen at international village - its pretty bright at night

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Given the Telus project I do suspect that myself. I just worry that this 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 match will spill over to lighting and digital billboards in general. The Telus building on Georgia and Robson are perfect streets for such features.

I also dont think the province was very happy with how Vancouver city completely flip flopped on the Casino portion of BC place (which has been known about for a long time). Then once they could buy some votes from people in Yaletown they jumped on the anti-casino bandwagon.

So something tells me the Province may be feeling a little burned on that one, and wont be playing ball with the city in regards to the billboards for a while.

It seems to be a bad combination of over privileged whiners and petty political games IMO.

Good point about losing the casino.

[SpongeG]

Downtown light pollution has Vancouver residents seeing red

FRANCES BULA
VANCOUVER— From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Vince Strgar knew that when he moved to a condo near the city’s two downtown sports stadiums, it wasn’t going to be a tranquil rural retreat.

“I don’t mind city living. The noise from downtown – it’s not the end of the world,” says the 48-year-old engineer, who chose the tiny bachelor condo because it allows him to walk to his work at the BC Cancer Agency.

But he didn’t expect an assault by light.

When he ventured to open the blinds in his condo recently for the first time in weeks, he was blasted again by what has become the bane of his existence since last fall: the glowing red of BC Place’s new roof, and the much more intrusive light from one of the arena’s three digital signs that went up last fall when it reopened after extensive renovations.

“When the Telus ad comes on, there’s so much white it’s like a spotlight shining into my room,” he says. There had always been a certain amount of light from the bridge, the streets and the stadium. “But this Telus ad, that ramped it up to a whole new level.”

Mr. Strgar, like dozens of others around BC Place, have complained bitterly to PavCo, the provincial agency that manages the arena and is exempt from city bylaws, about the invasion of the light in their lives from two smaller signs and a 1,500-square-foot giant that beams light up Robson Street like an oncoming train.

On the other side of the downtown peninsula, another group of residents were also complaining to the city in the fall. Their problem? A piece of public art on the side of a condo – a light display that changed colours and occasionally burst into strobe flashes.

But what might seem like just a local flare-up of photo-sensitivity is actually a growing continent-wide clash over shared urban space, and how advanced technology for outdoor light displays is creating a new frontier of complaint. Cities everywhere, used to the usual laments about noises and smells, are now having to grapple with fights about light pollution.

Giant digital advertising signs, public art with light components, buildings lit with spotlights or wrapped in LED lights or emitting a glow, playing fields and car dealerships with floodlights, and other luminous features are increasingly part of urban life.

Some are welcomed. Many are not.

“The interest in unwanted light has escalated for about 15 years,” says Russ Leslie, the associate director of the Lighting Research Center in Troy, N.Y.

It’s reaching a new pitch as everyone from astronomers to wildlife advocates to rank-and-file residents lobby for a limit on light pollution or certain uses of light. On the other side, the outdoor-advertising industry is mounting an energetic push to use light in new ways on its signs and billboards.

...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nati...ver-residents-seeing-red/article2318271/

[Metro-One]

I told you guys it will become a full on assault towards lights. The ironic thing is that compared to nearly all the international cities I have been to, Vancouver is very under lit for its downtown size.

Maybe we should stop having mixed use in and near entertainment districts

Maybe, just maybe mixed use is now starting to show its many negatives, such as the other fight brewing (no pun intended) between the mix use light industry / residential where the residents of condos don't want a brewery going in next door.

Honestly, have any of these people ever been to Asia or even any large European city?

I can not stress enough that YOU SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE LIGHTS AND DIGITAL BILLBOARDS ON AND AROUND A STADIUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Especially when 2 of the billboard locations had previous billboards on them!

i am sorry, but if that is a problem for you, then don't buy a condo overlooking a stadium or entertainment street.

It also hurts my head to read all the bleeding heart responses on the article.

The writing of the article is very, very biased and they always neglect to report how efficient modern lighting features are in their energy use

I knew that eventually "green" Vancouver was going to sneak up to become "Boring, no fun Vancouver"

If they want to be green FOCUS ON CLEANING UP THE 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 GARBAGE IN OUR CITY ALREADY!

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

If they want to be green FOCUS ON CLEANING UP THE 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 GARBAGE IN OUR CITY ALREADY![/B]

What's more green than turning the city in to a big compost pile?

[Metro-One]

Sadly plastic bags, coffee cups and shopping carts don't compost well...

And i see Geoff Meggs was able to get his name in the national post, he is such a bandwagon opportunist.

[SpongeG]

speaking of lighting - i saw this a few months ago but failed to mention it here - has anyone else seen it? its quite cool

the lights under the skytrain in surrey...


spacingvancouver.ca

part of this http://www.necklaceproject.ca

more pics at the artists page who installed it - its called lightmodal

http://organelledesign.com/lightmodal.shtml

i would love to see the same kind of thing installed at metrotown where its so dark and empty just east of the station or west anypleace around there really

[giallo]

This is getting out of hand. Maybe the media is just playing up a few complaints or maybe people really are this lame. You live in the downtown of the largest city in Western Canada, and you're surprised by bright lights at night? Really? Are people these days really this wet? Don't these condos have blinds for the soft-sighted?

Shanghai is one glowing billboard in the PM, and I've never once heard (local or expat) anyone complain about the lights ever. Pollution, sure. Insane drivers that almost kill you, absolutely. Shoddy workmanship in one's apartment, of course. But lights? Man, the fact that this feeble whining even get press makes Vancouver look cotton soft.

Grow a pair, City-Dwellers, or bounce out to the burbs.

Christ.

[p78hub]

Well, this is the city of complainers. I've stopped being surprised whenever someone complains about there being too much noise in the entertainment district, or too many planes flying over their house near the airport, or in this case too many lights near a stadium. Hell, I bet if you appease those people, they'll complain that the city is too boring.

[jlousa]

While I'm no Nimby, I certainly agree with Nimbies voicing their opinions. They bring to light (no pun intended) issues that might not have been addressed otherwise. Our city is unmeasurable better thanks to Nimbies pushing for improvements in projects and infrastructure. It's up to council to make the decisions and decide how much merit the Nimbies have. I think most people have a problem with councils decisions more then with the Nimbies themselves.

[EastVanMark]

The only ``contribution`` the nimbys and their followers have brought this city, is keeping the city from reaching its fullest and `brightest` potential

[Metro-One]

pretty much, NIMBYs destroyed Vancouver's neon back in the day, also remember that beautiful site 8 tower proposed for North Van?? RIP, cause NIMBYs.

Again, if you are going to live downtown, and especially if you are going to live in or directly beside entertainment districts and stadiums, expect lights and noise. There are plenty of other areas downtown that do not face such features. This also goes for people in Coal Harbour, don't like the noise of float planes, don't move there.

NIMBYs also killed the Casino portion of BC Place, and I am sure the province is still pissed at Vision for flip flopping on that issue.