On our Stories page, we have put the call out for you to share a story, observation, or idea (big or small) on how you re-imagine downtown Vancouver. Here is how Mark Beaty re-imagines downtown Vancouver:
I once heard a guy named Gil Penalosa speak at an economic forum in Vancouver. Poor guy. He’d been given the worst possible speaking slot of the day: the food-coma hour following a big buffet lunch. Somehow, though, the hour seemed to fly by. His talk was memorable because his philosophy on how to design cities was powerful yet simple: if you design the city so it works for 8 year olds and 80 year olds you’ll probably get things right for just about everyone.
Penalosa believes cities should be healthy, life-affirming places where people want to spend time, not places people want to flee at the end of a workday or workweek. He also believes every city should adopt the “law of two words”: pedestrians first. That’s a refreshing notion given our local media’s obsession with the cyclist-driver dynamic. Penalosa went on to talk about cities all over the world that are moving toward city-wide 30km/h speed limits.
My immediate reaction (‘that’s totally crazy!’) was quickly transformed into curiosity and excitement when I learned about the staggering list of benefits such a policy can bring to a community. As the fall of fresh snow muffles the sound of engines and tires, so does simply slowing down those engines. This 8-80 concept was sounding pretty good.
As I contemplated the world of what could be, it occurred to me how much we assume to be ‘normal’ and ‘right’ just because it’s always been that way. But cities haven’t always been the way they are now. Photos of Vancouver in the 1920s show pedestrians zigzagging across major streets, hopping out of the way of the odd streetcar. How easy it is to forget what was. How difficult it is to truly imagine what could be.
In the days following, I reflected on what else an 8-80 city might inspire. A city designed for the young and old would probably be more democratic, more welcoming toward people with different incomes, and more likely to encourage interactions between people with different experiences and points of view. This is the kind of city I want Vancouver to be—one that welcomes new ideas, one where people feel at ease. A city with a sense of humour. A city with a lightness of being.
— Mark Beaty works for SFU, plays the
ukulele bass, and rides a folding bike.
Your Turn
Do you have a downtown Vancouver story, observation, or idea (big or small) you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you! Share your contribution with us on our Stories page. Your contributions will help us re-imagine downtown Vancouver!