UPDATE: Participate in the decision-making process and make your voice heard. Complete the survey and share what you think should be done with Block 51.
The section of Robson Street in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery steps will continue to be closed to the public into 2013. Vancouver city council asked city staff to investigate the public’s interest in using the space as a permanent pedestrian plaza.
As a result, residents of Vancouver were encouraged to attend two public forums at the VAG this week to discuss the area formerly known as Block 51, now 800 Robson Street, and its potential uses.
The first forum, dubbed Block 51: A Look Back examined the past uses and historical significance of this area for Vancouverites. Block 51: A Look Forward, explored possible future uses of the 800 Robson Street “square”.
It is probably the only space in Vancouver that resembles anything close to a typical city square, a staple feature in nearly every other significant global city. Think of New York, Toronto, Rome, Barcelona, Tokyo. All the major urban have some sort of “gathering hub” for people to congregate.
Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association
The Downtown Vancouver BIA has been a very active partner with the City on the VIVA Vancouver activities but has not indicated whether they think the extended closure is beneficial or harmful to Downtown Vancouver.
The DVBIA will advocate for local businesses to be consulted about the impact of the extended closure, asking that programming of the area be considered and that the closure is strategically integrated into the City’s 2040 Transportation Plan.
The association wants to be directly involved in the decision-making process to help consider options, preferring any decision made to be a part of the 2040 Transportation Plan (in development, not yet finalized).
Currently, the DVBIA asserts that street closures (as the one at Robson Street) should be seasonal and temporary. The objective for keeping the street blocked to traffic should be to attract people to the space for either interactive art installations or public festivals and events.
800 Robson transformed into pedestrian plaza
This stretch of street is known most fondly for its summer open-air vendors and various public events and exhibits.
Installations have included public seating and interactive displays, as well as events such as Al Fresco Vancouver.
An excellent example was this summer’s Pop Rocks seating installation (made from recycled Canada Place sails and recycled beads), which remained on-site throughout the summer and into September.
Block 51 speakers
The following people spoke at the Block 51 forums:
- Vanessa Richards (host)
- John Atkin (civic historian)
- Lon LaClaire (manager of strategic transportation at the City of Vancouver)
- Jenniffer Sheel and Krisztina Kassay (VIVA Vancouver)
- Matthew Blackett (Spacing Magazine)
- Heather Forbes (Vancouver Public Space Network)
- Matthew Soules, Joe Dahmen and Amber Frid Jimenez (Pop Rocks designers)
Block 51 ended with an illustrated brainstorming exercise that collected ideas on what Vancouverites foresee for the future uses of 800 Robson and the VAG North Plaza.
These images will form the basis of an online survey that will be posted after the events.
Results will be made public sometime within the next week or so and will be included in the staff report to city council and the designer for the VAG North Plaza.
Join the ever-growing Twitter conversation with #Block51.
~ AV
camille 