Time to clean up Vancouver?

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Haha, we will have to hold you to that

And yeah, it is not a new, or even a unique problem, but it seems to be one that has been getting worse in recent memory, so we have to up the pressure to fight back / reduce the problem.

Again, i am amazed how little attention this issue has received despite the "green" city wave at city hall.

I guess it is just not polarizing enough of an issue for certain city councilors to spearhead (probably because it wont get them enough screen time in the news...)

Facebook is everyone's friend.

And if I had my leave dates now I'd start making suggestions. Usually June/July timeframe.

[Metro-One]

I think June / July would be the best time anyways weather wise.

Kind of sad this thread has not gained more traction, one would thinking wanting to clean up our metro would be a more popular idea.

Again today, the garbage throughout the shrubbery at production station and along Production itself is absolutely disgusting. I actually felt like walking inside the stores in the complex and asking the managers if they even care about their appearance.

Anyways, considering the garbage dump known as the Granview Cut, would it maybe be a good place to build a bike way (of course it would have to be well lit and designed for safety) and therefore also rebuild the entire cut with a pleasing terrace design. terraces that could even be used for community gardening? Again, just an idea, feel free to pick it apart.

Also, i can't wait for the marine gateway towers to start because that lot has also recently become an unofficial garbage dump. Complete with shopping carts, mattresses, cardboard boxes and even a discarded tv!

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I think June / July would be the best time anyways weather wise.

Kind of sad this thread has not gained more traction, one would thinking wanting to clean up our metro would be a more popular idea.

Again today, the garbage throughout the shrubbery at production station and along Production itself is absolutely disgusting. I actually felt like walking inside the stores in the complex and asking the managers if they even care about their appearance.

Anyways, considering the garbage dump known as the Granview Cut, would it maybe be a good place to build a bike way (of course it would have to be well lit and designed for safety) and therefore also rebuild the entire cut with a pleasing terrace design. terraces that could even be used for community gardening? Again, just an idea, feel free to pick it apart.

Also, i can't wait for the marine gateway towers to start because that lot has also recently become an unofficial garbage dump. Complete with shopping carts, mattresses, cardboard boxes and even a discarded tv!

Again, get a facebook group going. I'm sure there are other like-minded people out there, even if they aren't on this forum. But I'm with you that considering what this forum is about, is thoroughly disappointing to not see more people even down for a SSP Clean & Meet, nevermind just pledging to go out and clean on their own accord for an hour or two every month.

[whatnext]

When you import huge swaths of your population from the Third World, don't be surprised when your city starts looking Third World. Different standards.

As to street cleaning, the city dragged its ass a least six weeks behind its own schedule, citing budget costs I hear. Pretty ironic when you consider Vision decided to spend a couple million on new city trees. I guess they thought leaf pixies would clean the streets and gutters.

[The Lonely Tanner]

Originally Posted by whatnext

When you import huge swaths of your population from the Third World, don't be surprised when your city starts looking Third World. Different standards.

To be fair, any place where you don't have people cleaning will look like that. I don't think it's "3rd world FOBs". Remember Grandview Park?

It's almost certainly "young punks from the 'burbs", with a sense of self-entitlement.

O__o


On another note, where would someone get permission to plant trees along a corridor like the cut? Maybe not right at Broad-Comm, but just east of it? CN, or the city?

[ozonemania]

@Metro One: You should tap into the group of people involved with the post-Riot cleanup. They organized by facebook, didn't they?

June 15th, would be a great civic activity ppl would rally behind, and a fitting way to commemorate the event.

@whatnext: Easy to blame 'third world immigrants' isn't it? Apart from the fact that it sounds really ignorant and bigotted, the fact is also that there are lots of different types of people that contribute to our litter. Do third world immigrants tag buildings, walls, structures with obnoxious spray paint? Do third world immigrants throw used needles, condoms and cigarettes over fences? Do thirld world immigrants toss their used chewing gum on the sidewalk of Granville St? Do third world immigrants toss their used cigarettes out their car windows? Perhaps, yes. But so do so many other people. In fact, I would wager that most immigrants take their cues from observing 'locals' on what is acceptable behaviour when they get here, so yes they probably learned it from you!

I agree Vancouver has got worse over the years, and I think part of it is that we are a bigger city. Someone mentioned critical mass I think, and I agree. Once you get a critical mass in terms of absolute numbers of people that are apathetic or destructive towards the city, then it just changes.

I haven't mentioned anything here yet just because, well while I do care very much about this issue, it seems a bit hopeless. I think ideas like civic pride and cleanliness have to be injected into the city's psyche, and I'm not sure how we could accomplish that. Maybe flash mob cleanups or facebook groups are a good grassroots way to go, but it would nice to see these kind of initiatives be supported or supplanted by the City.

The City also has to reassess their level of service in public works. I mean, maybe they think what they're doing is good enough, I don't know. Maybe they have to be a bit more creative in how they can deliver these services, especially if the traditional way of doing it isn't cutting it anymore.

Would be nice to see schools get involved in some form of civic pride, like cleanups, or planting trees etc. Also would love to see garbage dumpsters gone. I guess this has to do with the garbage collection contractors not wanting to lose what is probably a very lucrative business.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by ozonemania

@Metro One: You should tap into the group of people involved with the post-Riot cleanup. They organized by facebook, didn't they?

June 15th, would be a great civic activity ppl would rally behind, and a fitting way to commemorate the event.

@whatnext: Easy to blame 'third world immigrants' isn't it? Apart from the fact that it sounds really ignorant and bigotted, the fact is also that there are lots of different types of people that contribute to our litter. Do third world immigrants tag buildings, walls, structures with obnoxious spray paint? Do third world immigrants throw used needles, condoms and cigarettes over fences? Do thirld world immigrants toss their used chewing gum on the sidewalk of Granville St? Do third world immigrants toss their used cigarettes out their car windows? Perhaps, yes. But so do so many other people. In fact, I would wager that most immigrants take their cues from observing 'locals' on what is acceptable behaviour when they get here, so yes they probably learned it from you!...

Its oh so easy to dismiss a demographic observation with a claim of being bigotted isn't it? If you come from a place where dumping garbage on public property is fine, it stands to reason you will do so here.

Metro-One doesn't live in the downtown core, and much of his original comment was directed about his immediate neighbourhood. I'd be interested to hear from him how it compares to Maple Ridge, where he moved from.

As to NYC, it looks messier because garbage can be put curb side in bags and its picked up three times a week! As to increasing garbage pick-up here, Vision Vancouver has moved in the opposite direction, piloting a project in Ruley Park and Sunrise where they only pick up garbage every two weeks, in favour of collecting your yard trimmings/food waste weekly. On the interesting theory most garbage is going to be food related.

Vancouver has the annual Keep Vancouver Spectacular campaign but its obviously not enough:
http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/solidwaste/kvs/index.htm

[Metro-One]

@Ozonemania

The July 15th annual idea is a great one actually! I am just terrible with facebook / facebook events. I honestly would not know where to start in organizing a group / page.

Also, don't be discouraged by the attitude around you. Remember, every little bit helps! You can do as I do and simply if you are on the train / bus and there are newspapers on the seats beside you, pick them up and put them in the recycling. If you are enjoying yourself in a park or sitting on a bench downtown and there are some coffee cups or beer tins around you, simply pick a couple up when you leave.

I do this all the time, especially if i find beer tins / bottles at a public swimming area or a Tim Hortons cup thrown into a flower bed / box downtown.

And here is the amazing thing, when other people see you doing it, they are often made aware of the problem through your action and will pick up their own garbage out of guilt. I have seen this happen several times where people on the train or at the beach will watch me and sure enough they clean up their mess or even help out.

So remember, the assholes who dirty our city and public spaces are not stopping, so neither should we.

@whatnext

While there is some truth to what you are saying I don't want this to become an ethnic based battle.

I do agree that all new immigrants should be subject to a Canadian cultural education program, where they are taught proper waste disposal and not to litter on our streets / parks.

But, there are plenty of naturalized Canadians that have become completely complacent with all they have been given, and therefore have no respect to their community.

And for the record, while Maple Ridge does have many negatives, in all honesty, the average street is cleaner than the average street in Vancouver or Burnaby. Again, I say cleaner, but it is by no means off the hook for this problem as well.

And honestly, Vancouver is reducing its garbage pick up? Talk about misguided priorities when trying to become the world's "Greenest"

I was just walking around Kingsway near the Purdy's Chocolate Factory and Vancouver looks the complete opposite of the world's greenest. Garbage everywhere!

[Canadian Mind]

Just make a page or group. Then get ahold of other Vancouver groups to ask for affiliation. I'm pretty sure all the pro-transit groups would be willing to get on board.

[trofirhen]

From what I've read above, in particular the posts by Metro, I sincerely believe this can be done.

Perhaps there is an element of cultural education to be considered, but this is a classic, grass-roots, "bubble-up" type of movement. If people are willing to meet up, form a group, each become a team leader, expound the concept, recruit more volunteers, it builds on itself. Getting orgnized is the first step. I'm sure there are many potentially willing participants. I'll even go far to say that, one day at an undetermined future time, it will be totally uncool to consider tolerating unnecessary mess, dirt, and visual pollution, and people will make "lifestyle and environmental hygeine" a thing of habit. Naïve and over-optimistic? Sure, perhaps. Then again, maybe not. Only by going for it will you know for sure.

[Metro-One]

Hello

I am bringing this thread back again, and this time armed with some more disgusting pictures I took today in hopes of getting those reading this thread into motion in regards to cleaning up this city! (Sorry for the run on sentence, haha!)

Here is what I see everyday using the Commercial / Broadway station:







This is one of our busiest hubs! You would think the city, and indeed, all of us, would like to use this area to show off how nice our city is and that we pay attention to the details of good urban living. Instead, what I see here is a complete disrespect to the environment, and indeed our home, a message that says "we don't give a fuck." The entire cut is covered in garbage and nasty graffiti as shown, what a great introduction to Vancouver for US tourists!

Then, as one rides the M-Line to Gilmore, all one sees is this in your face:







I am getting tired of seeing this offensive mess everyday on the skytrain. It speaks nothing but negativity to those riding the train and is a wrench in building our social capitol. It is demoralizing to say the least. Here, the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby should be pushed to have businesses clean up this mess, and have these walls either kept clean, covered with commissioned murals, or hidden behind hedges and or vines. Again it shows how we no longer care for the details in our city.

last but not least, I was walking along North Road in Burnaby, which is completely coated in ganrbage, and saw this gem right beside the sidewalk:





i am sorry, but this type of mess is inexcusable. Yet no one seems to care anymore, just as I am sure this thread will once again be glanced over. We seem to care so much about our built environment, how about some care to maintaining it?

All pics are my own:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3063463...hoto6914406535

[trofirhen]

Vancouver was (like most large cities), messy before, is messy and dirty now, and will always continue to be messy and dirty as long as there's a city here. Your thread underscores the problem with the photos.

It behooves everyone who is proud of, or who cares about the city, to react proactively by doing their part to keep it clean, and signalling the authorities, when possible, to clean up graffiti tags and so forth.

This thread has brought the issue to people's conciousnessness. Now it's up to us to do the best we can to combat the dirt and visual pollution. Unless people care, however, nothing will change, so I'd say .... keep on posting !!

[Pinion]

Does Vancouver even employ anyone to clean up? It seems like we rely on rain to do everything, which is ok for small biodegradable stuff I guess but obviously not for piles of trash around busy stations.

I used to work on Granville and it got really nasty if we went a few weeks without rain. Puke and piss and even human feces everywhere. Our building's janitors had to deal with it - no one touches it otherwise. I've never seen a public clean up crew of any type, besides street sweeper trucks.

We have created a self-obsessed, individualistic society so it's unreasonable to expect people to give a damn. The city/districts hiring (more?) cleaners is the only realistic solution.

[Metro-One]

I have seen a city employee cleaning up a street once in the last 2 months. Pretty sad.

[Conrad Yablonski]

The City of Vancouver has regular crews that sweep and flush streets-I see this all the time in Kitsilano.

The Downtown East Side also has some irregulars in orange vests that do the gutters and I think I've seen them on Georgia St downtown-have you contacted CoV Engineering & Sanitation?

As to the photos that litter is for the most past on private property-as is the graffiti.

Here in Vancouver buildings with graffiti are responsible for cleaning it up if they don't they can be fined-I'm sure a phone call to Burnaby City Hall could give you the details there.

[SpongeG]

well graffitti is part of the big city thing like giant tv screens on buildings and ferris wheels - how can one be for something and against something that goes together?

[Metro-One]

Because graffiti is vandalism and is damage to public and private property The same way that just because I live in a big city I don't have to except garbage all over the place as well.

May as well simply except murder as well! Part of big city life!

I have nothing against commissioned graffiti art / murals, I actually really enjoy them. But please don't try and defend the giant scribbles posted in the pictures above...

I find your reasoning quite odd here actually.

And aside from the BC place fiasco, which in reality is just a pissing match between the city and the province, all screens and lighting effects in the city have to under go strenuous urban panel reviews and meet many regulations. I really doubt those who sprayed the graffiti on the back of those buildings had to fill out much paper work to do so!

[jlousa]

The COV has a graffiti removal bylaw. It states that private property owners must remove graffiti within 10days. They are subject to a fine for non-compliance. The city also holds itself to those standards.
In the days of smartphones it's pretty easy for any of us to take a minute and call 311 and report graffiti to the city make sure to ask for a file number to ensure they pass it on, schedule it in your calendar for a couple weeks forward and if the graffiti is still there call 311 back. Pretty well we all need to step up our game because the city isn't.

[Metro-One]

Thanks for the info!

[cjohnny4]

Does Vancouver have any of the "Adopt-a-Street" or "Adopt-a-Mile" type programs that exist in many places in the US? A civic group, a church group, or an online group of skyscraper enthusiasts (for example) registers to regularly clean up a stretch of road. In return, the city puts up a sign in that area which has the group's name displayed. I don't recall seeing such a thing in Canada, but surely if the Americans can do it, Canadians can do it ten times better!