The fantastic Jo Fitzgibbons, UBC Sustainability Scholar, worked with me over the summer to complete a comprehensive look into Vancouver’s “Access to Nature”.

“Through the Greenest City Action Plan and other strategies, the City of Vancouver strives to provide residents with access to nature. However, access to nature is a subjective experience that is difficult to plan for and measure. This report proposes a definition and corresponding mapping protocol (the Restorative Natural Area Index) for measuring and monitoring access to nature in Vancouver, based on synthesized findings from a public engagement survey, interviews, literature review, and a policy scan.”

This is a fantastic step towards mapping access to restorative nature experiences in the city and will help us to identify gaps and opportunities.

The RNA index is a novel solution to the complexity and subjectiveness of the topic.

The report includes useful terminology which will help communicate the function of “access to nature” during community consultation.

I am very proud of how this work developed. I can see so much potential for the topic developing further.

Here is the full report: www.shorturl.at/hmnEJ
Well done Jo!

I’m absolutely overjoyed to be featured in the esteemed Monocle Magazine (July/August edition) and on their podcast The Urbanist!

It’s been a rather silly “career bucket list” ambition of mine to get a mention in Monocle, for the past decade since I found and fell in love with the publication. It’s been my go-to travel read and source of inspiration ever since.

VanPlay’s equity work brings me so much pride. I’m so happy that we are able to share it so widely.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Monocle and Kurt Culbertson, Design Workshop, Dave Hutch, Malcolm Bromley, Donnie (Donna-Lynn) Rosa, Shauna J. Wilton, Doug Shearer and so so so many more!

By Kurt Culbertson, CEO of Design Workshop and Katherine Howard,  Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation for CityFix.com

With COVID-19 changing our way of life, we are being told to stay at home, don’t travel too far from your neighborhood and try to enjoy being outside.  What if you don’t have a park nearby, if your home is tiny with no outdoor space and limited light, or what if your community is the people you meet through sport or at your local community center?

Lock downs and stay at home orders are highlighting the value of green open spaces in crowded cities, and also the inequities in spatial distribution of that space. Spatial equity is a complex concept which considers whether access to opportunities and freedom from risks (such as pollution or traffic) are equitable in their distribution. It’s important to note that ‘equity’ (fairness) is quite different to ‘equality’ (everyone has the same). Consideration goes beyond pure amount of park space available and should also consider how welcome people feel, the quality of that space and the quality of access to it (safe routes to parks, safe routes to school, parks that are accessible by public transit and bikeways).It is critical the planners and city builders focus effort on reducing those inequalities both through recovery efforts and in long-term planning policy.

Parks and open spaces are in more demand than ever – British Columbia’s parks are seeing more visitors than ever before – according to Google mobility data it’s an average of 40-50% more people in parks than would be typical at this time of year.

The spot light is on parks, in a way that it really has never been before. It’s time for parks and recreation to step up, provide people with critical services to keep us happy and healthy, and also to rebuild better in recovery.

One method of supporting this pursuit is the identification of priority areas or zones, those neighborhoods where planners should look first to locate new amenities, park space and provide services. By prioritizing these areas, over time and with deeper conversations, resource delivery can become more equitable. It’s also possible that this tool becomes useful in guiding quick responses to emergencies.  Cities including New York, San Francisco and Boston have mapping like this.

The Commissioners and leadership of the City of Vancouver’s Board of Parks and Recreation where certain that equity in provision of parks and recreation should be the core value of its new comprehensive city-wide master plan – VanPlay.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is unique because it’s the only elected body of its kind in Canada. Its role as advocates for the provision, preservation and advocacy for parks, nature and recreation amenities is a special opportunity for leadership.

Like many North American cities, Vancouver faces challenges including increasing demand from growing and diversifying populations, aging infrastructure, impacts of climate change to ecosystem health and budgets that can’t fully tackle the needed improvements to parks and recreation infrastructure. Most notably, and again like most cities, some parts of the city have been provided less over the course of the city’s development for various reasons (politics, prejudice, land use patterns etc.). With more than 1,000 acres of park space, the City of Vancouver needed more cohesiveness, more connection within its park system and a way to prioritize effort in a way that enabled work towards equity to become a part of every-day decision making.

In 2016, the City brought in the Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm, to guide the Vancouver Park Board Commissioners, and staff in a master planning process to determine what’s important to the city, to create a bold long-term vision and to develop tools to make it happen. Approved in late 2019, the completed plan created tools which equipped decision makers to prioritize equity, access and reconciliation.

It was clear, through mapping analysis, that patterns of privilege and power aligned with areas of the city that had more park space, and more private open space. As previously mentioned, this is fairly typical for cities, especially those with any kind of industrial or port history. Areas that would have been historically on the fringe, subject to poor air and water quality are the least desirable. Over time and with the ongoing systemic impacts of political decision making favoring those with a voice and power, patterns emerge and are reinforced.

The VanPlay Equity Initiative Zones map, one of three “Strategic Bold Moves” in the plan, shows areas of the city that have historically been under-served (or marginalized) in provision of park space, recreation opportunity and green, leafy living environments. It is a map showing areas of the city that should be prioritized when making decisions regarding where to focus effort, direct resources or dive into for further investigation.

While geographic tools like this are not uncommon Vancouver’s is unique as it is centered on access to parks and recreation provision, and is structured around the acknowledgement that some parts of the city have been provided less over the course of the city’s development for various reasons (politics, prejudice, land use patterns etc.). This inequity is systemic prejudice, and contributes directly to the provision of opportunities and has impacts on health and well-being, social capital and economic development.

While “equity” is a deep and complex concept which has no easy or simple answers, acknowledging these patterns goes a long way in causing a shift and preventing continuation of damaging activity. The spatial equity tool introduced in VanPlay is powerful in its simplicity.

It’s helpful right now because it shows so clearly where priority needs to be. The areas of the city with low park space per person, that are less green, and that are calling out for more recreation opportunities (through low barrier recreation program registration) are the places where there are people living in small apartments, who don’t have private outdoor space like a backyard to quarantine in.

It’s transparent, it’s logical, it’s approved policy and it’s ready to be used to prioritize response to the pandemic.

Having VanPlay in place has meant that the Vancouver Park Board is ready to run – this vision for the parks and recreation system of the future which serves Vancouverites in an equitable way, which connects ecosystems, allows for robust flows of water through the city, helps people integrate recreation and physical activity into their daily lives, and which is supported by a comprehensive provision of amenities like courts, pools, and swings.

Having the vision is important because when asked to amp it up in response to a crisis the agency knows what we can do to make a big difference. As recovery funding flows in, as pilot quick responses like opening streets, and efforts to prioritize limited government spending it’s absolutely critical to be “shovel ready” and driven by transparent processes and well-articulated values.

Identifying amenity needs, prioritizing funding to areas of the city which have received less in the past and working to keep amenities open and available using an equitable model – are all ways that VanPlay, the master plan for parks and recreation for the City of Vancouver, is helping provide critical access to green space during this crisis.

A valuable space for the community need not always be beautiful; the most treasured spaces are those that meet the needs of the community, places that people naturally use as part of their daily life.
Placemaking is an approach and an ethos, which places community participation at the forefront of creating vibrant public spaces that contribute to the health, happiness and wellbeing of that community.
Given that this ‘placemaking’ thing is buzzword of the moment in the open space and planning world I thought it would be valuable to introduce you to the language and ethos so you can join in the conversation!

“A great public space cannot be measured by its physical attributes alone; it must also serve people as a vital community resource in which function always trumps form. When people of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds can not only access and enjoy a place, but also play a key role in its identity, creation, and maintenance, that is when we see genuine Placemaking in action.” – Project for Public Spaces

Public places are the little joyful moments of cities; they are where we gather to sit in the sun with friends, meditate over a coffee on the way to work, meet our neighbours, birthday parties are held, run to shake off the days frustrations, retreat to when it’s hard at home, learn to play cricket and pass on skills to our children. Not limited to parks, public spaces typically include streets, laneways and the “front porches” of places like the library or post office, although anywhere people can go has potential to be a “place”.

Place activation is the goal of the placemaking process and it impacts all aspects of park planning, development and ongoing management.

“Place activation is defined as planning for diverse human activity in a place. When planning new places, the focus of place activation is on ensuring the needs of all potential users are met. This will provide for the natural, organic and sustainable use of places by people as part of their daily life. In turn having a place full of people will attract more people.” – Place Partners

A space that is buzzing with people is an active one. I’ve been know to exclaim “Wow, look at all this activation!” in response to a park brimming with people chatting, exercising, playing chess, picnicking, dancing, reading and eating, “This place is so activated!”

Activation is caused by placemaking and the result of the following concepts.

Community participation in open space planning:
The difference between the traditional method of developing public spaces and placemaking is all in the process.
Placemaking offers a way to strengthen the connection between people and the places they share. Community ownership of the project from the beginning sets you up for success in creating a space that people will adore.
In a space that already exists this presents an opportunity to re-imagine a place they already know and see new potential. In new spaces it can facilitate building community by connecting people and creating shared value. In the placemaking process the community is the expert and your main source of ideas and help.
The collaborative process is as important as the result. It’s possible to change how the community use a space with little more than some great conversations. If the goal is to create a ‘place’ then a landscape design will not be enough. Sure, making the space more comfortable and pretty will certainly help but it’s the relationships that make the fundamental change. Partnership with the surrounding businesses and community can build a strong sense of community, and eventually a valuable, vibrant place.

“What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people” William H. Wyte

“Lighter, quicker, cheaper”:
Everyone appreciates the little wins on the way towards something great and placemaking is no different. The great thing about placemaking is that it doesn’t have to be a huge, expensive undertaking. You can start slow, test out new concepts, stimulate some new ideas and start conversations with a small investment. As the Project for Public Spaces say; “Start with the petunias”, planting some cheap, colourful, flowers that brighten a space immediately, and they must be cared for which demonstrates that someone must be looking after the space. Seeing actual things happening on the ground, no matter how small, encourages the cynics among us to get on board with change, it’s not just another strategic plan that won’t show impacts for years.
Some of the most sustainable, valued and authentic places are those that where created through a slow, step-by-step process, cemented in the community. These incremental improvements infiltrated the way the community think of the space and before long became much more than the sum of its parts.
A great example is the proliferation of gorgeous public art, which has been appearing all over Perth. This ongoing ‘PUBLIC’ project by FORM truly transformed spaces with nothing more than a mural.

Tactical Urbanism:
Sounds like some kind of SWAT team right? Tactical urbanism, sometimes called Guerrilla urbanism, is a term used to describe any technically unauthorised project undertaken by the community to improve a space. Whilst it’s technically vandalism, it’s all in good fun and with good intentions. People have painted in cross walks, used pot plants to mark out bike lanes, installed free library boxes in parks, and built new parks in parking lots to name just a few. One example, which has been increasingly supported by councils, is the Parklet. These miniature parks on parking bays, which started out as protest demanding more green space in cities have now become a popular permanent fixture in main streets. There is even an international “PARK(ing) day” to celebrate it!
Tactical urbanism is a demonstration of community ownership and value of a space, these rouge actions show what people care about, and what they need from their space.

Power of 10+:
There are many aspects that contribute to a successful place, and I’ll go into this more in a future article but I’d venture that the three most important things are; that the space is comfortable to be in, there are places to sit and that it’s welcoming. If you get those three things right you are well on your way.
The ‘power of 10+’ concept is a tool for identifying why people would be attracted to a place, and to ensure there are an adequate number and variety of things to do in one location. The idea is that if a neighbourhood has 10 places that each have 10 different things to do, then that neighbourhood is on the right track; but if that city then has 10 neighbourhoods of this nature, everyone will be guaranteed access to excellent public spaces.
Places thrive when there are lots of reasons to be there, all layered together. For example; people go to a park to sit, play in the playground, listen to music, walk a trail, buy a coffee, meet people, have a picnic, play sport, watch the ducks, or walk the dog.
Think big (the overall character of the place) and small (where will people sit?).

Triangulate:
Through clever design you can create a whole that is a lot great than the sum of its parts. Triangulation, when applied to the design of space, means to place items in such a way that the use of one increases due to use of the others. For example, a playground, café and rest rooms would get used individually but all three together will naturally attract more activity.
Sites with multiple, different but related functions grouped together create opportunities to triangulate, connect with people and a reason to talk to strangers and build relationships.

Place Management:
Creating an award-winning beautiful place is just the beginning (sorry!). It’ll never become a truly valuable community place unless it’s well managed. In fact, apparently about 80% of the success of any public space can be attributed to its ongoing management.
Places change and you need to be around to see that and respond to it. Having the ability and flexibility to make changes, which support its ongoing evolution, builds places with strong physical, cultural and social identity.
You’ll notice that more and more councils and organisations are hiring ‘place managers’ to take on this role.

Programming:
A large proportion of a place manager’s role, other than ongoing maintenance, is programming. Any event or organised use of the space that is designed to attract people to the space can be considered “programming”. It serves many purposes such as; an introduction to the space for newbies, to demonstrate that someone is in charge and looking after the space, to create activity ‘social buzz’ and build momentum, and/or to build social capital.
These programs can be run in collaboration with local community groups, businesses or institutions such as schools, libraries, or farmers markets. It’s the perfect way to make a great first impression; perhaps they’ll fall in love with the park whilst perusing the citrus at the farmers market and bring their book and picnic rug next weekend.

There is a wealth of information available about placemaking, and now you know some of the language so you’ll know what to look for! The New York based Project for Public Spaces can be considered the epicentre of the movement and their website (www.pps.org) is full of great articles, case studies and resources on the topic.

All images courtesy of the Project for Public Spaces, NYC.

It was lovely to hear all the sounds coming from the Perth cultural centre musical play space during Perth Science Festival!

Such a fun playground! I’m particularly fond of going in the evening when I can have all the instruments to myself and  can run around creating a cacophony of messy bright music.

The Western Australian Department of Transport has released a new draft strategic transport plan for the Perth metropolitan area – it’s open for public comment until October 28 2016.

I’m in the process of reviewing it and will put together my thoughts and post them here when I’m done. An indication of my early thoughts?… disappointed.

Firstly there is no acknowledgement of streets as vital community places or any movement towards protecting/enhancing those important main streets that have functions much greater than transport.

This plan has the ability to manage traffic flow in a way that enables Complete Streets. In fact, the proposal for an additional river crossing at Heirisson Island may even put more pressure on Albany Highway through Victoria Park which really shouldn’t be a highway anymore.

The Green bridges for active transport are a good start but in light of the rest of the document’s focus on over-sized, expensive road infrastructure, they seem like an after thought.

The plan proposes a tunnel/bridge interchange proposed on Langley Park at the end of Plain Street – in the center of Perth CBDs waterfront parkland. With the aim to “create opportunity to close Riverside Drive with remaining traffic using Terrace Road, enabling activation of the Perth waterfront”… hmm… not sure that has been fully considered. A huge new intersection involving two tunnels connecting with Terrace Road, a residential street, does not spell good design to me.

Their idea of “sustainability” appears a tad biased. for example: Principle 4 of road network planning is”Sustainability: The road network strives to avoid impacting land that is not already reserved in the MRS”.So, to avoid this impact on reserves they are proposing 10 new tunnels instead, some of which run underneath the most environmentally sensitive area in the central Perth area. I would argue that sustainability would be making better use of the assets you have, reducing pressure on them, avoiding the environmental impact of building new tunnels under the river and planning to use the road network less overall.

I’d like to see a triage process to reduce demand for the road network system starting with a focus on active transport infrastructure, public transit networks and then, if absolutely necessary, new roads.

More thoughts to come!

This is my latest article for Overflow magazine – the Irrigation Industry of Australia (WA) quarterly publication.

An important subject that hopefully I’ve presented in a informative and interesting way – it’s not dull I swear!