"Vancouver coasts on its beauty, but misses out on creating vibrant city life."

[jlousa]

Sinclair Centre is kinda arcadish (sure that's a word ) It's not the pinnacle of success though. I'm all for trying things that have been successful in other cities, but not just because they've been successful elsewhere, but because they would be successful here.
Arcades might have a place in a lane or two in Gastown and Chinatown if the merchants there believe it'll work, I'm more skeptical about a purpose built arcade built where chains exist though.
I just think we still have bigger fish to fry at this point, lets work on getting the waterfront hub site built, and those remaining surface lots built on in order to add even more body heat into the core, believe me the rest will follow.

[SpongeG]

theres a good article about Melbourne in this month's dwell magazine - i didn't read it just skimmed the pics - they show the "alley" culture that is there and why it works in that city

[simonfiction]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

But, on the subject of bricks, it sure would be nice for the city to fix all the masonry work in Gastown.

Was just there two days ago and my god does the road look like shit, i hate how they keep patching up holes with globs of asphalt so the road, and even sidewalk in places, is now a terrible looking patchwork of bricks and crap.

Originally Posted by racc

A good start would be to get the traffic off of Water Street. It would be a great pedestrian street and the bricks would last a lot longer.

Definitely agree with this.

I think Blood Alley would work well as an arcade of some kind and getting rid of the dumpsters there would be a start. Gastown is one of my favourite areas here. Amazing food, bars, stores and people. Just needs a little polish.

[cjohnny4]

Okay okay, so brick sidewalks aren't a great idea. However, *something* other than plain concrete patched randomly with asphalt along the main shopping streets, PLEASE! Also, I know New York has special steam machines which remove gum from the sidewalk. Vancouver has a critical gum problem. I hate to see the Granville sidewalks starting to get completely covered with gum. That gum probably won't ever be removed until the next upgrade decades down the road!

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

if these things worked we would have them - the city has tried, private groups have tried many times to get things going and the public doesn't support it

the general public just doesn't want things and its stupid and frustrating
but hell organize an anti "the man" fest and 1000's will show up - organize a lets block cars from functioning downtown while we ride or bikes aimlessly everywhere and 1000's will show up

If Vancouver passes for a city that is "trying", then I would hate to see what what would be considered it not trying

The reason why those events you mentioned work is because they require no official involvement from city hall. The moment you try to do something legally, they red-tape & restrict you to death. A recent example of this was the UFC wanting to put on a show in Vancouver. The city makes them take out 3X more insurance than anywhere else the promotion has staged a show. Talk about "trying" While we're at it, how did those millennium New Years' celebrations go? You know, the ones where the mayor and police told everyone to stay home The Indy left with no effort made to find an alternate location (or partnering up with another municipality to stage the event keeping the race in local hands) Now that the city owns the PNE, how about their cheesy effort to revive the PNE Parade? (and it wouldn't have even cost them anything as they got a grant from the federal govt.). So, I'm sorry, but the city has done nothing (or in fact as Ive shown done the opposite) to create/maintain/revive events that add to the vibrancy of the city

[SpongeG]

i don't mean the city of i just mean "the city" as in groups within the city or people who try things like the lantern festival people which was cancelled last year due to lack of funds - if the public wanted that event so much i am sure they could have donated money to keep it going

[EastVanMark]

Fair enough. I didn't know the Lantern Festival was cancelled but even if it was, it still was kind of small-scale and never going to be overly popular even in a best case scenario

[SpongeG]

it was something at least - but i volunteered in 2009 and the overall feeling i got from it and the people who went to it was its not the fireworks - cause the fireworks were on the same night - they liked that it was their own little thing and not the corporate fight fest downtown

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it was something at least - but i volunteered in 2009 and the overall feeling i got from it and the people who went to it was its not the fireworks - cause the fireworks were on the same night - they liked that it was their own little thing and not the corporate fight fest downtown

I think that holding an event the same night as fireworks is a bad idea from the get-go if one wants to have a successful event

When were they planning on holding this years'? Same night as Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals?

[Sprawl]

Originally Posted by racc

That is just a lame excuse. Cities in Spain and Portugal use granite all over the place. Spain's per capita GDP is about half of that of Vancouver's while Spain is around 1/3. It is a matter of placing a priority on great looking streets and pedestrian spaces. Downtown certainly is dense enough and generates enough property tax revenue to justify granite on a few streets.

If money was really an issue on Granville, they should have just ditched those silly light sticks. The poles clog up the sidewalks and the lights distract from the buildings, the neon signs and the interesting lighting on the buildings.

You can't compare resources available to cities on different continents, granite price and availability would be completely different in Spain compared to Canadian cities. I think Granville looks great, complete granite as opposed to what they have now wouldn't be as visually interesting.

As for the light sticks, are you advocating the removal of street lighting? I'm sure the people trying to use the street at night would prefer being able to see what's in front of them over an unobstructed view of neon advertisements.

The whole "lack of vibrancy" argument doesn't strike me as an overly important one. Striving for improvement is always good, but it's one of those things that tends to develop naturally. Vancouver is doing pretty good for it's age and size.

[incognism]

Originally Posted by cjohnny4

Okay okay, so brick sidewalks aren't a great idea. However, *something* other than plain concrete patched randomly with asphalt along the main shopping streets, PLEASE! Also, I know New York has special steam machines which remove gum from the sidewalk. Vancouver has a critical gum problem. I hate to see the Granville sidewalks starting to get completely covered with gum. That gum probably won't ever be removed until the next upgrade decades down the road!

Guess it's the private sector that steps in...

The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association purchased the $4,500 machine to clean downtown streets.

It also paid $2,500 for the machine’s generator and set aside a $6,000 annual budget to pay workers’ salaries.

Partnering with the Bosman Hotel, which houses individuals with mental health issues, the DVBIA hopes the project will provide transitional employment for the hotel’s residents by paying them $10 per hour to work the machine.


Businesses will receive their first sidewalk cleaning free, after which they’ll have to pay to continue the service.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local...-18155316.html

[racc]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

The Indy left with no effort made to find an alternate location (or partnering up with another municipality to stage the event keeping the race in local hands)

So a race named after another city named after a state named after another people mistakingly named after another country is somehow a big deal. Think about it.

[racc]

Originally Posted by Sprawl

You can't compare resources available to cities on different continents, granite price and availability would be completely different in Spain compared to Canadian cities.

BC has lots of granite.

Originally Posted by Sprawl

I think Granville looks great, complete granite as opposed to what they have now wouldn't be as visually interesting.

Use your imagination just a bit. There is no reason why other coloured stone can't be mixed in with granite.

Originally Posted by Sprawl

As for the light sticks, are you advocating the removal of street lighting? I'm sure the people trying to use the street at night would prefer being able to see what's in front of them over an unobstructed view of neon advertisements.

Please try actually reading posts before commenting on them. My point was that for the cost of the light sticks, granite could have been used for the sidewalks.

I said nothing of removing the light sticks, that would cost money but they are rather a blight on the street.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by racc

So a race named after another city named after a state named after another people mistakingly named after another country is somehow a big deal. Think about it.

I did think about it but still have no idea what you're talking about, or how it has any relevance Who cares what/who the race was named after? When that race left, it took nearly $100 million in economic activity and all the life it brought to the city with it. Think about that

[Metro-One]

Uhoh, looks like this article has made its way to the city discussion portion of the site. And all the anti-Vancouver posters have already started coming in. While the article makes some good points and there is a lot I would love to see changed, be sure to defend your city on the city discussions portion, hehe.

[racc]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

I did think about it but still have no idea what you're talking about, or how it has any relevance Who cares what/who the race was named after? When that race left, it took nearly $100 million in economic activity and all the life it brought to the city with it. Think about that

The Indy is named after Indianapolis, Indiana if that helps at all. I'll be impressed if there is an event named after Vancouver in Indianapolis.

I admit, it was good at shutting down streets to car traffic.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by racc

The Indy is named after Indianapolis, Indiana if that helps at all. I'll be impressed if there is an event named after Vancouver in Indianapolis.

I admit, it was good at shutting down streets to car traffic.

I knew what you meant. Just hadn't the slightest clue (still don't actually) on what that has to do with keeping or not keeping the race here.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by racc

The Indy is named after Indianapolis, Indiana if that helps at all. I'll be impressed if there is an event named after Vancouver in Indianapolis.

Indy is synonymous with open wheel racing in North America. At this point the term Indy has more to do with auto racing rather than Indianapolis Indiana. And it is too bad we don't have that event any more because, IMO, it was one of the top 3 annual events in Vancouver.

[s211]

Originally Posted by racc

The Indy is named after Indianapolis, Indiana if that helps at all. I'll be impressed if there is an event named after Vancouver in Indianapolis.

I admit, it was good at shutting down streets to car traffic.

Could you possibly EVER be less one-dimensional than you already are?

Think about it: those same streets were closed to your holy bikes.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

I think that holding an event the same night as fireworks is a bad idea from the get-go if one wants to have a successful event

When were they planning on holding this years'? Same night as Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals?

it was planned that way as an "alternative" event to the fireworks when it started out

also the reason why this group hosts all of its events in east van and not downtown or kits etc.