The power of place

While surfing through some websites a few months ago, I came across this organisation called PROJECT for PUBLIC SPACES. They are dedicated to helping neighborhoods, towns and cities build positive public spaces that help foster a greater sense of community. One of their main foci is on building markets as a central focus for an area.

I love markets. Living in France for 8 months made me value them even more. The people, the products and the whole process of going to a market. We all love ritual, and markets provide that too. While going to the market in St. Etienne, I would look at the older people coming and going from the market and wonder how many times they'd make that trip. Markets don't have to be in great areas either, they make an area great.

In my opinion, the thing most North Americans long for the most when thinking about Europe are public spaces. North America has some great spaces, but it's also about building those small local neighborhood spots that become our own little meeting grounds. These local meeting grounds are hard to find in most suburban areas, as they are usually void of anything other than rows of houses. People don't walk much in their own neighborhood and consequently don't bump into each other in familiar places.

It's not all doom and gloom and with spring here I have discovered some great little fruit and vegetable stands as well as a small farmer's market (located in a mall!). While I don't think I'll live here forever I will continue to frequent these local spots. With all luck I'll be one of those old dudes making the same trip back from the market each Sunday.

Neal Michael writes for several publications including www.lecity.blogspot.com as well as his own personal sketchpad. He lives and works in Surrey British Columbia where he lives in his wonderful girlfriend's basement. NANG!

Breakfast anyone?

Taken @ Windermere secondary school in Vancouver BC. Pretty incredible what students can come up with.

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No seriously, I'm not a treehugger.

Came across this interesting article about a couple who ate only food grown and produced within a 100 mile radius of their home. The main impetus for the challenge is the ever dwindling amount of locally grown food, and the perpetually increasing amount of imported food. With all the imported food comes increased GHG emissions produced while in transit. Pretty interesting idea. Check it out.
100 mile diet

Pheeeeeeew.

The past week has been crazy, though in a fantastic way. Every morning I arrive at the office only to be inundated by calls, e-mails and thoughts of what I was supposed to be doing 3.4 minutes ago. Things have come alive and a lot due to the weather. What a difference a few degrees can make. Many things to write about, and will get to them soon.

Sun Run 2006 Part 2

Well it's over and it was great! Pretty cool to have been part of the BIGGEST Sun run ever. Over 50,000 people crossed the finish line, and it was a great day. Half-marathon here I come!

Sun Run 2006

nervous, anticipatory excitement probably sums up my feeling for this Sunday's 22nd annual Vancouver Sun Run. I have run many other events, but this will be my first Sun Run. The Sun Run is Canada's largest 10k and North America's second largest. One of the biggest reasons for my nervous excitement, is that in many ways it is a right of passage for me living in the great Vancouver area. The Sun Run is a huge event for the city and attracts close to 50,000 people each year. I'm excited to participate and join the thousands of people that will be running through the streets this weekend. Hope to see you there!

velo-city

Working in the area of sustainable transportation, I get all sorts of cool anecdotes about related topics delivered straight to my inbox. This morning a great article from this past weekend's Toronto Star was there waiting for me.

The article discusses Toronto architect Chris Hardwicke's vision for a network of elevated cycling pathways throughout the city. His vision would have a series of pathways that are completely enclosed and link major hubs around the city. The pathways could be used year round and would allow users to escape the elements, while travelling at speeds of approximately 50 km/h. The plan is not as outlandish as it may seem and has been around for some time now. Who knows what could happen in the future.

the worst emotion of them all.

In thinking about procrastination, and why we put things off for days, weeks and months on end I started to think about fear. It's crippling, to the point that nothing will get done out of fear failing, or even worse succeeding. In my own life, I know that I let this most unnecessary of emotions get to me, and limit my success. I guess it must be a vestige of our ancestry, not knowing when the hell a bear is going to break through the tree line and ransack camp. I would have put off going for water too, had that been the case.

Architecture in my mind.

Recently, it seems like everywhere I go there is something else drawing me into architecture and design. My girlfriend flies back from Toronto,snags the Enroute AirCanada magazine, and there just happens to be an article on design and Canadian architecture. I grab today's DOSE and there is an article about pre-fab sustainable housing. It's surrounding me! Metaphorically, although if great design and sustainable housing surrounded me literally I wouldn't complain.

One of the things I have been thinking about lately is how most North Americans long for Europe. In longing for it, what I believe people are after is the architecture, and the public spaces. They have the ability to inspire, comfort and bring people together. Personally, I am most drawn to the parts of the city where there is vibrant street life, and the buildings have character. While Coal Harbour, for example, is beautiful place naturally, the architecture is repulsive. It's cold and uninspired. What ALL cities need more of is unique architectural projects, public art and design, and great spaces for people to congregate and be together.

With an increased emphasis, and mainstream acceptance of the importance of interesting architecture and design, our cities, and pockets within them that need it will get a much needed facelift. I for one would love to see the area east of Gastown along Alexander rejuvenated into something brilliant.

patio furniture re-designed.

My only question is how to keep it trimmed. The grass chair is a corrugated cardboard frame that is set in a desirable spot, filled with soil and then seeded. A few weeks later-voila your very own seat in your yard. Brilliant. That would be fabulous if there were different varieties such as the bench, bleacher seating etc. Neighbourhood parks could really be transformed.

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toot my own horn.

A year ago today I ran the Paris marathon. I'm pretty proud of it, and it's something I will take with me forever. The sounds, sights, smells and faces are definitely in there. Apparently only 1% of the population has completed a marathon. Not bad company.

the city at night

The photo is a bit dark, but I loved the shadows on the windows of this building. It hasn't seen the last of me I can tell you that much. It's on Georgia st. west of Burrard.

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Lonely Planet-Cities book.

Say what you will about The Lonely Planet, but they put out great travel guides and get people exploring new and interesting places fairly responsibly. While browsing through their site recently, I came across a book the recently put out called The Cities Book, which is an ode to 200 of the world's greatest cities. Looks very cool and given my love for the world's cities, I will definitely be trying to get a better look at it.

Bon anniversaire

So not to be the type of person who goes around telling people about their birthday, but ... well I've been doing this a month. Pretty happy with it so far and it has definitely been a good tool to get me writing and shooting more. I look forward to more of it and hopefully adding a few new things to the site in the future. Collaborators are in the work as well, nay international men of mystery.

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Say what ... dirty hippy.

With the new conservative government taking to parliament on Monday certain programs have already been nixed. The One tonne challenge, which encourages Canadians to do their part to mitigate climate change through simple actions such as driving less, got nixed on Monday. The government will not continue to fund any program connected to the One tonne challenge after this cycle. Before they were elected the conservative government had stated that it was going to look ways to reduce Canada's GHG emissions through programs focused on industry versus individuals. They definitely wasted no time getting to work.

One of my biggest issues with the government axing this program, is that it took a huge problem and provided people with concrete approachable solutions. Most of the solutions are so non-intrusive that anybody can adopt in their lifestyle without feeling like they are wearing hemp. The One tonne challenge showed people that it's easy to do something and that we all need to be doing our part. It drives me nuts when people look at you like you're crazy when you tell them you rode your bike somewhere or heaven forbid walked! I am no "chicken little" believe me, all the same I would like to see the message about climate change get out there some way.

Vancouver graffiti

Some of the great graffiti located in a back alley off of Richard's, between Hastings and Cordova. If you've never seen it before, it's definitely worth it.

La joie de marchant

While walking from a meeting to the skytrain stop it struck me how much I like walking. It's such a great time where I can think and just relax. I mean everybody walks throughout the course of their day, but for many people it is only between home, car, work, store. There are so many interesting things that I see while walking. Don't get me wrong, a good road trip is definitely one of lifes great pleasures, but walking is a daily pleasure.

Broken ground-Urban/Suburban

While the following pictures will mean very little to most of you, they represent a part of my future and a conscious choice. In approximately a years time, the now broken groundthat you see will be a 14 floor condominium in New Westminster B.C, and my(and my girlfriend's) home. We choice this spot because it offered a compact walkable community that wouldn't require a car for every little aspect of life. Buying here was a conscious choice on our behalf to move closer to the city and further from the suburbs.

There are countless studies and even more reports that state how people who live in urban centres are much healthier than their suburban counterparts. In most urban centres, residents have transportation choices other than cars, and are close to essentials such as food and recreation. The suburbs also compartmentalise everything. Residential is divided from commercial, which is in turn divided from light industrial and so on. Most commercial real estate is located along a few major streets which makes it mandatory to travel there for all shopping needs. In turn most residential areas are extremely low-density which makes public transportation a joke and difficult to sustain. All this, and we continue to build these suburbs.

Though New Westminster is by no means a booming urban centre, it is close to transit, has an active waterfront with shops and cafes close by, as well as food options within walking distance. It is increasing in density and in a few years will hopefully be a great little community that provides all the benefits of "urban living" without the prices of Vancouver. Check out from the Heart and Stroke foundation that talks about the health benefits of living in an urban centre.

Globe 2006 ... sustaina-what

Yesterday morning I attended a short presentation at the Globe 2006 conference in Vancouver. The conference is focused on business and the environment, but I attended a session that was giving the results of a nationwide survey on Canadians ideas, beliefs and knowledge about sustainability.

The results were not shocking, but illustrated one very important point. Most people don't know what the *%$! sustainability is! Canadians are very well aware of the issues facing both the nation and the world, but are also in favour of government sanctions imposing certain environmental measures. Nonetheless, the results proved that people want more to be done and for the most part need more direction on how to take action.

For a quick definition of sustainability that encompasses all the major aspects look no further. sustainability

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d'ou?

For those of you who hang on my every word waiting, wanting to see what I will write about next I apologise for my extended leave of absence. No excuses other than needing some time to gather my thoughts, mind and self. I am back.

One thing, that I hope will come out of the past week's absence is a drive to write a bit more, regardless of how I feel. Indeed, I hope to look at the writing as cathartic versus a chore. All in good time.