Does Vancouver need more pedestrian only areas?

Good morning,

I’m travelling through Toronto this weekend for a wedding. As part of a story on bike sharing in different cities — and because I love biking — I’m trying to bike around much of the city. So far I’d say the bike infrastructure is surprisingly good, especially as buses and streetcars can be notoriously slow in this town. Count yourself lucky that the SkyTrain is so accessible!

Today we’ve got a breakdown of the state of pedestrianization of roads in Vancouver, as well as some events to check out this week.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout newsletter writer

INFRASTRUCTURE

Pedestrians or cars?

With the overwhelming popularity of Car Free Day on Main this weekend, it’s worth looking deeper into the state of pedestrianization in Vancouver.

What happened: Car Free Day Vancouver are popular events where streets are shut down to cars, allowing only pedestrians on them, as well as spaces for vendors. The organization that runs the events says its mission is to “nurture and grow car-free spaces and culture in collaboration with local communities,” according to City News.

• The events happen this year on Commercial Drive, Main Street and the final one Sept. 24 in the West End on Denman between Davie and Robson.

Around Vancouver: Recently the city tested turning part of Yew Street into a pedestrian-only street. It was plagued by a confusing setup, different usage times for deliveries and complaints about reduced business visitors. The city shut down the pilot after only five weeks, according to the Vancouver Sun. The project was initially requested by local businesses, who wanted more of a plaza closed to cars.

• It was announced to much fanfare that the ABC council would look at ways to turn parts of downtown Granville into a “pedestrian-only promenade,” according to the Vancouver Sun, though so far nothing has changed in the area.

Zoom out: Montreal has moved aggressively to adopt more projects like this, with 10 streets permanently shut down in the summer for pedestrians only, which is amounts to about 8.3 kilometres of road, according to CityNews.

What it means: For a city whose major attractions are pedestrian areas like the Seawall, the city has been exceedingly slow at moving toward more pedestrian-friendly spaces, especially compared to other Canadian cities. The problem comes down to a debate about whether cities should prioritize cars or pedestrians…

Thought-bubble: Cities should adapt as the seasons change. We see this with temporary patios on stretches of roadways. Why not do this for certain neighbourhoods? The massive crowds at Car Free Days show it would be a boon for everyone.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🪧 13: The number of climate marches that took place on Saturday throughout B.C. The Vancouver event was attended by thousands. [CBC]

👮 4: The number of assaults a man committed after only 45 minutes last Thursday, near South Granville and West Broadway. [Global]

🏃 43: The annual Terry Fox Run has taken place this many times, and took place on Sunday. [CityNews]

JOBS

Find your new dream job in Vancouver:

• Senior communications and engagement lead at TransLink

• Manager of corporate partnerships at St. Paul’s Foundation

• Manager environment, emergency response planning and preparedness at CN Rail

• Senior account executive, startups, AWS startups at Amazon

• Director of strategic recruitment at Province Health Centre

• Director of operations at Fresh Slice

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THE AGENDA

🔥 A fire from a nearby parked car caused massive damage to the Backpackers Hostel in the Granville Entertainment District overnight Saturday. More than 100 people were displaced from the hostel. [CBC]

👮 A man was arrested after approaching the stage at the Vancouver Comedy Festival in Stanley Park with edged weapons. [Global]

👍️ With more events ongoing throughout Chinatown, the community is trying to move past the triple stabbing that occurred last weekend during the Light Up Chinatown Festival. [CTV]

🏢 As construction on the new Vancouver Art Gallery moves forward, the gallery hosted a ground awakening ceremony with First Nations groups at the new location. The outside parts of the building will feature art from four Indigenous artists. [CBC]

🤝 The Union of BC Municipalities will meet this week to discuss the biggest municipal issues. The top issues on the agenda are homelessness, the opioid crisis, climate change and forest. [Vancouver is Awesome]

👮 After a senior member of the Vancouver Police Department commissioned the creation of a lewd and inappropriate poster, he was placed on administrative leave. [Global]

EVENTS THIS WEEK

VIFF movies | VIFF | Ongoing | Mulholland Drive and CatVideoFest 2023 round up movies this week | Tickets $15

An intimate gathering with Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver | Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club | This Tuesday, 3 pm-6 pm | Come see Mayor Ken Sim speak about issues facing the city | Tickets $75

Oldboy | Rio Theatre | This Tuesday, 9:30 pm | The 20th anniversary of Park Chan-Wook’s masterpiece, a tale of punishment and vengeance | Tickets $11.42

Canvas of Change 2023 | Heritage Hall | This Wednesday, 6 pm-9 pm | Artists create their best paintings in a short period of time, and you can bid on the art | Tickets $43

Lebanese Film Festival | SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts | This Friday to Sept. 25 | Free

Vancouver Etsy Co - Fall Pop-Up Market | Robson Square Ice Rink | Saturday Sept. 23, 10 am-5 pm | Featuring 90 local designers and creatives, plus it’s pet-friendly | Free

Bike Repair Fair | Richmond Cultural Centre | This Saturday, 12 pm-4 pm | Get your bike repaired for free! | Free

We asked readers what they thought about building more multiplexes. Here’s what you said.

Here’s what readers said about the policy.

SPORTS

🏒 Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko, Spencer Martin and Arturs Silvos are a top-notch team of goalies and could help the Canucks place better than expected next season. [Canucks Army]

⚾️ Congrats to the Vancouver Canadians who captured the Northwest League title this weekend, beating the Everett AquaSox in game four of the five-game series. [Sportsnet]

⚽️ The Whitecaps returned to Vancouver after a 2-1 win over Toronto this weekend and now sit fourth in the league. The team struggled on the road during the first part of the season, but have steadily improved. [TSN]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Ever wondered why some of Vancouver’s street lights are blue? It’s got to do with failed coating on LED bulbs. [Vancouver Magazine]

• Which building is the most iconic in Vancouver? The Marine Building ranked number one, followed by the Hotel Vancouver and Canada Place. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Here’s what you should check out at this month’s Vancouver International Film Festival which starts Sept. 28. [Vancouver Magazine]

• Thanks to everyone who walked four kilometres on Spanish Banks to raise money for local animal shelters. [CBC]

• Interested in learning more about emergency preparedness? Check out the City of Vancouver’s online session here. [City of Vancouver]

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VANCOUVER FAVOURITES

We’re pulling together a list of the best Italian restaurants in Vancouver. Take our quick poll and tell us why you love it, or other places. It may even be included in our story!

Reddit user brophy87 shared this great show of the fence at this weekend’s Stanley Park comedy festival.

GAME TIME

Today’s news quiz is simple if you read the newsletter. What’s the name of the street that was closed this weekend for Car Free Day? Reply with the answer and your name to be featured in the newsletter.