Downtown Vancouver Updates

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Porfiry

It does no harm to anyone, it'll produce food for local restaurants - restaurants that you'll probably dine at, and it'll provide employment and training for some of the least-privileged in society, hopefully replacing their typical hardship with a momentary sense of purpose.

Yah, it's ruining our city, and anyone who cares about this stuff is uncool.

I didn't say it was "ruining the city". I said its silly to claim something likes this makes Vancouver way interesting or liveable. At best (or at worst) its a sop that gives the chattering urbanistas something to make them feel they're making a difference, when the real battle for local agricultural sustainability is being fought (and lost) in areas like the Spetifore lands and the Tsawassen bands "real cool" mall project.

But it does make a pretty placeholder for the parcel while Mayor & Council figure out a suitable way to deliver the viaduct property to developers, without looking like their stooges.

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I said its silly to claim something likes this makes Vancouver way interesting or liveable.

That's a pretty empty statement. No one said this project tips the balance either way - it's but one element of a million that define this city. However, on a small scale it's clearly more interesting than a piece of vacant land and is certainly improving the lives of those involved. What's wrong with that?

[dleung]

I'm with whatnext on this one. Community gardens are little more than feel-good gimmicks so that developers don't have to pay full property taxes on undeveloped land, or spend money building a real park. They are also highly inefficient and time-consuming in terms of food production. It's more of a therapeutic exercise for those tending the plots. There's no reason why these can't be planted on rooftops of podiums according to resident demand instead of wasting empty land.

[Hot Rod]

Originally Posted by cornholio

I dont see Vancouver as anymore livable then most cities, in many ways it is less livable. The downtown might punch above its weight but it also comes at a cost to the region, reduced incomes and increased living costs are what most people get. Vancouver has a great location and thats what sets it apart, as far as im concerned. The saving grace imo is immigration, you get the ones with money for who the downsides are irrelevant and then you get the rest who are just happy to be somewhere other then where they came from. This keeps the region chugging along.
Regardless pessimism and skepticism is healthy to keep things balanced.

You probably need to get out more, then. (not to be a smart-ass, but still)

[flight_from_kamakura]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Seriously, little allotment gardens are your idea of what makes a city interesting and livable? You should get out more often.

These things got shoved in a parking lot because they got run out of town from Sunset Beach by the neighbours when Vision tried to drop them there.

not a terminal example of what makes a city interesting and livable, but the creativity and focus pretty much speaks for itself. vancouver is pretty bland and boring, no question, but the sorts of things that you systematically oppose are precisely the things that make the place interesting.

as for getting out, i live on nob hill in san francisco, and i can tell you that walking any given street in vancouver (aside from the embarrassingly narrow sidewalks) is far more pleasant than walking any given street here. partly it's social - this city is filthy - and party it's just a matter of exceptionally good planning. when you can't hear yourself think above the cacophony of traffic noises that we have here, you tend to appreciate moves to attenuate automobile nuisance in the ways vancouver has done. (remember that this was a tangent off the cycling discussion)

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by dleung

I'm with whatnext on this one. Community gardens are little more than feel-good gimmicks so that developers don't have to pay full property taxes on undeveloped land, or spend money building a real park. They are also highly inefficient and time-consuming in terms of food production. It's more of a therapeutic exercise for those tending the plots. There's no reason why these can't be planted on rooftops of podiums according to resident demand instead of wasting empty land.

you don't have to do the gardening work - there are plenty of people happy to do it - its for a good cause

this plot is related to the plot next to the Astoria which has employed several DTES residents and made money selling the produce grown

[SFUVancouver]

Telus Garden

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.

The Mark as seen from Nelson

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.

The Mark as seen from Pacific Blvd

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.

Zoomed-in detail of the curtain wall going up.

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.

The Rolston

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.

Maddox

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Salt (that's a mighty deep pit!)

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Cascades Hotel renovations

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Howe Street supportive housing

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Pretty nice commercial infill on Granville Street.

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.


Blue Sky STIR rental housing project on Granville Street.

Taken by SFUVancouver, May 23rd, 2012.

[dleung]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

you don't have to do the gardening work - there are plenty of people happy to do it - its for a good cause

this plot is related to the plot next to the Astoria which has employed several DTES residents and made money selling the produce grown

sounds like a make-work type operation. 50 square metres in a machine-operated greenhouse in the fraser valley will produce more food in less time and money than a bunch of unskilled labourers taking up half a block of prime downtown land, when they could be janitors or garbage workers.

[SpongeG]

have you no human compassion? its not about making money, its about helping out the down and out get skills and self respect and learn to contribute to society

this group gets given unused land private usually and makes garden plots for a few years - how is there any harm in that? it helps out people and takes away an eye sore of an empty plot of land that would otherwise sit there doing nothing

[dleung]

If it's about charity, then the full property taxes from the land would more than pay for training in skills that are less redundant than farming. Heck a temporary parking lot would make more money and wouldn't look much worse than wooden boxes with dirt in them.

[mr.sandbag]

Originally Posted by dleung

If it's about charity, then the full property taxes from the land would more than pay for training in skills that are less redundant than farming. Heck a temporary parking lot would make more money and wouldn't look much worse than wooden boxes with dirt in them.

i have to agree with spongeb on this one. its has nothing to do with money etc. most people who are down and out are not like the average person who can hold a job let alone go out an find one. usually they have poor social skills and lack self esteem. this is about giving someone the opportunity to feel important and development the social confidence to want to improve their lives.

for the right people this can be way more effective then taxing some developer, giving the money to an agency to then distribute through its services to who they think should get it. Instead of someone telling the person what they need. this project supports someone who wants to participate in improving their self esteem and letting them take another step out of the DTES.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by dleung

If it's about charity, then the full property taxes from the land would more than pay for training in skills that are less redundant than farming. Heck a temporary parking lot would make more money and wouldn't look much worse than wooden boxes with dirt in them.

Well, I wouldn't say farming is (or ever should be) a redundant skill. But you're right it would be better sending them out to work on a real farm than on some champagne socialists' sandbox.

This is just a balm for the conscience of those who are doing nothing to stop the erosion of land from the ALR right on our doorstep.

[SpongeG]

Viva Vancouver returns - some of the highlights

This year, downtown’s Granville Street, between Smithe and Hastings, will be closed to traffic on weekends and become a pedestrian-only corridor. Robson Street, between the art gallery and the courthouse, will be a pedestrian-only plaza all summer between June 23 and Labour Day. Following up last year’s Picnurbia, the Robson site will also feature a seating installation called Pop Rocks.

Mount Pleasant will also see the Livable Laneways market series, featuring local art, live music and food, take place on July 21, 28 and Aug. 4.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2012/05/15/19762656.html

[PopYourColla]

Looks like the Bay has started taking down those hideous awnings. The Seymour side of the building seems to be awning free.

[SpongeG]

yup pics in the retail thread

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by dleung

sounds like a make-work type operation. 50 square metres in a machine-operated greenhouse in the fraser valley will produce more food in less time and money than a bunch of unskilled labourers taking up half a block of prime downtown land, when they could be janitors or garbage workers.

What crop does a machine operated green house produce. Last time I checked it was all done manually with imported labour housed on site or using certain ethnical groups to do the work. Flowers are semi mechanically grown

[Hed Kandi]

..

[Jimbo604]

Thank you for your effort in putting together this comprehensive development update, Hed Kandi.

One thing: I was wondering how you came to the "approved" status on some of the buildings on the list. A few of these sites are listed as "proposed" on the city of Vancouver's rezoning applications webpage:
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/

For example:
Burrard Gateway - "1290 Burrard Street & 1281 Hornby Street (Burrard Gateway) - Proposed"
Panorama - "10 Terry Fox Way (Area 5B West), also known as 47 Nelson Street - Proposed"
1400 Howe - "1412-1460 Howe Street, 1410 and 1429 Granville Street, and 710 Pacific Street - Proposed"

[Hed Kandi]

..

[jlousa]

Shouldn't be approved until they are approved by city council and they haven't, ideally even wait until they have a development permit.