Making Space: An Exploration of Parklets in North America and Vancouver
Making Space: An Exploration of Parklets in North America and Vancouver Kathleen Corey University of Guelph, 2014 Advisor: Nathan Perkins University of Guelph In the last few decades many municipalities have temporarily closed streets to vehicular traffic to open them to people and foster community. More recently, New York and San Francisco introduced pop-up parks to street rights-of-way, initially as plazas reclaimed from excess road space. On a smaller scale, ‘parklets’ are a response to people’s desires to repurpose parking stalls for community spaces. In June 2013, VIVA Vancouver launched its stand-alone Parklet Pilot Program. The parklet application and design process was examined using an action research case study method for one of the first parklets to be built under the program by PWL Partnership. San Francisco and Vancouver parklets were mapped and compared. Findings reveal that parklets begin as business sponsored projects and over time evolve into community partnerships. Recommendations have been developed for emerging and established programs across North America.
Looking at Cities
Looking at Cities Allan B. Jacobs Y o u can tell a l o t a b o u t a city by l o o k i n g . C o n s i d e r , briefly, w h a t y o u can see a l o n g a few n e i g h b o r h o o d streets, and w h a t i t m i g h t tell y o u . There is a three-story w o o d house, a n o t very fresh y e l l o w ochre i n color, at the n o r t h w e s t corner of D i a m o n d Street and 2 4 t h Street i n San F r a n c i s c o . ' T h o u g h clearly not one o f San Francisco's V i c t o r i a n s , there is a V i c t o r i a n sense to some of the details. M a y b e i t is a house of the t u r n o f t h e century o r of the teens. Stairs c l i m b to a small second- level p o r c h , o f f o f w h i c h are t w o doors. There are also t w o house numbers, 748 a n d 7 5 0 , so there are p r o b a b l y t w o d w e l l i n g units. The m a i n b o d y o f the house is set back f r o m one street. B u t at the street, i n a small c o n s t r u c t i o n t h a t looks as t h o u g h i t w e r e added to the o r i g i - nal b u i l d i n g , is a store: the San Francisco M y s t e r y B o o k Store. O v e r the store w i n d o w s some of the p a i n t is m i s s i n g where earlier signs have been r e m o v e d , leaving distinct shapes. T h e shapes are reminiscent of f a m i l i a r signs: D i d M e a d o w G o l d d a i r y p r o d u c t s have signs like this? Perhaps t h i s was a corner m o m and p o p grocery store before the b o o k s t o r e opened. T h e w i n d o w s o n the top floor have d o u b l e h u n g w o o d f r a m e sashes, the upper half o f w h i c h are divided into three panes. T h e y are p r o b a b l y o r i g i n a l . T h e second floor w i n d o w s are newer, a l u m i n u m casements. P o c k m a r k s i n the a l u m i n u m suggest t h a t they have been there for a while. S o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h a t y e l l o w ochre p a i n t attracts o u r a t t e n t i o n . O n a A. DOUCLASS r~<—-r-l—r-u ST. —La. 1 W SaaJ^odL LS 3 - S'-ftrUy UMJTI*L & # t l £ « . Oi A M O N O ST. I A b l o c k in S a n F r a n c i s c o P l a c e s / V b / « m e 3, Number
Fantasy City: Pleasure and Profit in the Postmodern Metropolis
Fantasy City analyses the post-industrialist city as a site of entertainment. By discussing examples from a wide variety of venues, including casinos, malls, heritage developments and theme parks, Hannigan questions urban entertainments economic foundations and historical background. He asks whether such areas of fantasy destroy communities or instead create new groupings of shared identities and experiences. The book is written in a student friendly way with boxed case studies for class discussion.