Urbanarium

The Downtown Eastside Plan (2014) was created to protect low-income residents and other community members by restricting new development and uses not specifically targeting the poor. Many believe the DTES is Vancouver's last authentic and compassionate neighbourhood in the city; others see a neighbourhood in decline. Is it time to rethink the DTES Plan to allow for a greater mix of self-supporting uses, residents and businesses? Or, does the DTES Plan effectively protect a vulnerable population and preserve/work towards a cohesive neighbourhood?

Links to the Plan:

Around the world, people are calling for the renaming of places and the removal of monuments honouring racist colonial figures. Does erasing the historical markers inadvertently diminish the opportunities for current and future generations to remember and meaningfully confront our history? Or does removing the offensive markers enable a more productive dialogue? In that case, who decides which markers to remove, what happens to them, and what, if anything, replaces them?

Episode 2 of Slow Streets is The Parking Spot. Follow host Chris Vollan to North Vancouver as he continues to explore urban interventions on our streets, sidewalks and parks resulting from COVID shut-downs and ongoing measures. In this episode Mayor Buchanan shares her thoughts on initiatives coming out of both the COVID response, but also those tied to the Healthiest Small City in the World initiative.

Meet Theresa O’Donnell, the City of Vancouver’s new General Manager of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability. 



The Urbanarium welcomes Vancouver's newly appointed General Manager of Planning through a candid conversation on Vancouver’s planning challenges with Larry Beasley, C.M., celebrated former City of Vancouver Director of Planning and author of Vancouverism. 



Hosted by Urbanarium Board Members Rebecca Chaster and Michael Mortensen.

How have urban planners responded to COVID 19 on our streets and on our sidewalks? What worked? What was the feedback process and what was learned and what do we get to keep? Slow Streets moderator Chris Vollan brings together Vancouver and Oakland to talk about municipal rapid responses to COVID. Featuring:

What are the key urban design initiatives your city plan has introduced to foster deeper community resilience? What jurisdictional tools have been most effective in making these initiatives happen? 

Vancouver's public spaces are where public life happens. These plazas, squares, streets, laneways, pathways, and waterfront are where we connect with the city and with each other. It's where community is created.

How do we improve the delivery of extraordinary public spaces in Vancouver? In what way can we approach the study of public life? How do we ensure inclusive placemaking?