Copenhagen (cycling) through the eyes of North Americans

A new Streetfilms video presents Copenhagen's cycling culture and infrastructure through the eyes of North American cycling advocates, transportation and city officials, and planners visiting CPH during the Velo-City 2010 Conference.

Well worth the watch:

Street food vendors - Trial in Vancouver

 Stone ground pizza coming to the streets of Vancouver (Globe)

I am an advocate for street food vendors. They offer a pedestrian-oriented service, life in public spaces, 'eyes on the street' (for safety),  potentially good food, and more.

Food vendors have a place in Victoria, not only as a sidewalk hotspot but also as a temporary fill-in on neglected or vacant lots, such as currently in Cook St. Village (are they gone yet?). As previously mentioned, food vendors could be part of a solution to reclaim (sections of) parking lots and create vibrant public spaces.

Anyway, Vancouver is going to experiment with 17 new vending locations (Globe and Mail) and promote a variety of foods beyond the current supply of hot dogs, popcorn, and chestnuts.

The expansion has been in the works for some time. Mayor Gregor Robertson has said Vancouver could learn much on the issue from Portland, Ore., noted across North America for a varied food-cart scene that includes more than 450 carts.

City officials picked 17 operators by lottery from about 800 who applied for spots on city sidewalks and curbside locations. Alternates were also chosen in case winners are not ready. The winners have to have waste-management plans. Their food-handling practices will be subject to Vancouver Coastal Health inspection.

The mayor seems to have a level-head approach to the issue:

"There’s a good chance we can add dozens more carts in the city,” he said. “I think this phased approach maximizes our chances of success - taking it a few steps at a time, and responding to the demand. It will be fascinating to see the uptake and whether there’s a shift in eating habits on the street and people choose the new, diverse varieties over what was available.”

I would be very interested in study of whether or not food vendors could create more life in 'derelict' public spaces, such as Centennial Square in Victoria.

What's your experience with the food vending situation in Victoria or elsewhere?

10 Principles for Successful Cities - Jan Gehl

First, I must apologize for my relatively long hiatus. The World Cup, work, wedding planning, and so on has put a lot of my reading/writing on the back burner. Yet, I still hope to maintain MVB going forward, despite the crazy next couple of months...

 Chicago moving in the right direction. Credit

Here is a very succinct list from Jan Gehl (and Walter Hook) of ways to create more livable, sustainable cities -- summarized from a new report by the ITDP,

I hope that, regardless of what happens with the new Victoria Core Area Plan, these principles will not get lost in the fray. Meanwhile, I would love to see Saanich and the other municipalities making some concerted efforts to BETTER Victoria, rather than maintaining its current beautiful yet lacklustre status quo.

See what you think:

1. Walk the walk: Create great pedestrian environments.
   
2. Powered by people: Create a great environment for bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles.
   
3. Get on the bus: Provide great, cost-effective public transport.
   
4. Cruise control: Provide access for clean passenger vehicles at safe speeds and in significantly reduced numbers.
   
5. Deliver the goods: Service the city in the cleanest and safest manner.
   
6. Mix it up: Mix people and activities, buildings and spaces.
   
7. Fill it in: Build dense, people and transit oriented urban districts that are desirable.
   
8. Get real: Preserve and enhance the local, natural, cultural, social and historical assets.
   
9. Connect the blocks: Make walking trips more direct, interesting and productive with small-size, permeable buildings and blocks.
   
10. Make it last: Build for the long term. Sustainable cities bridge generations. They are memorable, malleable, built from quality materials, and well maintained.

I would say that Victoria is doing fairly well on number 5 and 9 and very good on 8. Beyond that, there is work to do!

Pandora Boulevard to be Paved Over?!

addhum just posted this comment on my previous post. It is worth more attention:

Little known fact: the city has tendered a $250,000 contract to pave over the green boulevard on the 900 block of Pandora (between Quadra and Vancouver). It's a pretty shameless attempt to push out people who use the services at Our Place and the Vefra building. AND, they got no bids on the tender, because no company can do it for that money - THUS, they are re-tendering soon at DOUBLE THE PRICE.

Cheap alternative? Community Garden. I'll admit, it could be problematic, but I think it could also be a great community-building project in a space that needs to feel more like a home and less like a highway. Could LLAFF partner with Our Place on a project grant and set up a gardening outreach programme?

The Victoria Coalition Against Poverty (VCAP) is having a meeting to discuss:

Date: July 12, 2010
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Camas Books, 2590 Quadra (@ Kings)

You might want to go, and bring up the community garden concept, O Reader of this Post!

Thanks, addhum!

I am not in Victoria to attend. However, I hope that we can prevent such a dismal 'solution'.

MVB is a big fan of community gardens and effective public spaces, as you well know. One of the ideas presented (via a friend) was using this boulevard on Pandora as a community garden for the disadvantaged and homeless in our fair city. It has the potential to be part of a progressive, collaborative, and very beneficial project for Victoria. 

I am not sure how shooing the homeless out -- while ruining a green space and potentially vibrant public space -- is going to help anything...