Rachael Moulson: Human scale has been lost in Vancouver’s rush to increase density

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      By Rachael Moulson

      In Ontario, it’s a fall tradition to see the changing colours. As days get shorter and the sunny days fewer, the beautiful range of fall leaves brightens our landscape with the knowledge of the coming winter. It’s commonly referred to as "going to see the colours" there, as it’s a popular activity with Ontarians and visitors.

      Vancouver gets continuously grayer going into the fall, experiencing increasing precipitation and the accompanying grey skies on average 170 days a year. Nevertheless, we persist in constructing and painting our urban landscape to reflect that sky.

      We experience enough gray and beige. Instead we could be reflecting the hues in colourful sunsets as the ocean does, the colours in fall leaves.

      In Vancouver, we have always prioritized natural features, with city zoning to regulate the height of buildings within the downtown core in order to create a nice silhouette against the mountains.

      This being said, there are many neighbourhoods in Vancouver that are saturated with colour and art, including Granville Island and 4th Avenue in Kitsilano. These are older parts of the city and that’s the point. 

      In Vancouver’s rush to increase density, the human scale has been lost. Parts of the city are buzzing and lively while others are forgotten. In the contemporary rush to create well-planned developments, we have left little room for residents to personalize their neighbourhoods, leaving harsh, overly sanitary urban landscapes.

      Notice the unutilized urban blank spaces that could be used to enhance our environment. These spaces, whether the underside of a bridge, the side of a building, or a sidewalk, could brighten our urban landscape, hidden canvasses with the potential to create the magic I used to feel when visiting Vancouver.

      That magic diminished after I moved here from Nelson, British Columbia. Nelson, nestled in the interior B.C. mountains, is a ski town, a unique artisan community, a modern hippie refuge, and one of the top hidden places to visit in Canada. 

      It was in the running for being the capital of B.C. at one time, which left Nelson with many old and elegant buildings. Nelson has an art walk every summer highlighting the local artistic talent as well as the local businesses that house the works. Several large community murals inhabit the town, done by partnerships between well-known local painters and community groups. 

      One of the more recent murals was painted on the supporting concrete wall of BOB (Big Orange Bridge), a well-known city symbol. The mural was done in partnership with the Nelson and District Youth Centre and painted in a graffiti style incorporating local animals and scenes.  

      I’m no longer dazzled by Vancouver’s glass high rises and massive concrete bridges and wish for the quirks in my hometown, the unplanned personality that develops in an urban landscape from inhabitants with a strong sense of responsibility to and connection with their neighbourhoods.

      Larger cities can also have these quirks. Victoria, St. John’s, Ottawa, and others all have the sense of identity that comes from attention to the human scale. In Ottawa nothing can be higher than the Peace Tower which creates a walkable, unimposing downtown core. Colourful exteriors of the downtown row housing characterize St. John’s, counteracting the foggy days. Some say Victoria is more British then England itself with its quaint downtown core and eccentric shops.

      These cities and Nelson share identity and a sense of community, while the glass city of Vancouver lacks that lived-in neighbourhood feel. Large cities have always been places of innovation and small towns often try to copy what has been done in cities. Perhaps we should switch this pattern, bringing some of that small town sense of community into larger cities. 

      Blank spaces and empty walls are opportunities for Vancouver residents to beautify, to create personality where there is none. What do you want your neighbourhood to have, what colour is it lacking? 

      The solution could be as easy as getting a few cans of paint and some neighbours together to colour up the neighbourhoods.

      Let Vancouver have some quirks; let’s bring the innovative small town sense of community and changeable human scale back to Vancouver.

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