Placemaking sets the scene for city’s success

Beautifying is simply good business, says Charles Gauthier

Vancouver’s geography, natural beauty, culture and climate all contribute to our economy being one of the most vigorous in Canada. It should surprise no one that half the city’s economic growth in 2016 was attributable to finance, insurance, real estate and construction.

You may also be aware that Vancouver’s economy is also fuelled by trade, film, technology, tourism and natural resources.

But what you may not know is how our economy is supported by invaluable behind-the-scenes work called placemaking.

As Canada’s gateway to the Pacific Rim, Vancouver is home to Canada’s second-busiest airport and largest port, both of which facilitate the flow of goods and people between our nation and the world.

The number of visitors is increasing, too: YVR welcomed more than 24 million passengers last year and expects to welcome 29 million in 2020.

More than 230 cruise ships call annually at the Port of Vancouver, which expects to welcome 895,000 passengers this year. Next year, more than one million passengers are expected to arrive on more than 280 vessel visits, with each ship call stimulating an estimated $3 million of economic activity for our city.

Keeping Vancouver attractive for tourists and residents alike is no easy feat. It includes urban planning, policy and tax incentives, hosting major events like Expo ’86 and the 2010 Olympics, as well as other large-scale commitments to raise awareness and create a conducive environment. But making Vancouver an attractive place to live, work and visit includes literally making Vancouver attractive.

Beautification, ongoing maintenance and cleanliness are vital components of our city’s security and economic development. Fewer tourists would visit here, fewer producers would film here, and fewer people would live here if Vancouver wasn’t attractive and safe.

Metro Vancouver’s largest employment centre is downtown, where 145,000 people work. More than 75,000 people live in and around the area, which boasts more than 1,000 shops, 200 restaurants and 50 entertainment spots.

To encourage economic activity in the downtown core, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) subscribes to the “fixing broken windows” philosophy pioneered by Dr. George Kelling, who believes disrepair and untidiness invite more of the same, inevitably leading to escalating levels of vandalism, crime and depressed property values. Conversely, attractive, well-managed neighbourhoods achieve more customers, happier and more prideful staff and more investment.

Over the last decade, the private and public sectors have invested billions of dollars in downtown Vancouver to restore historic buildings, improve infrastructure and build new hotels and condos. There has also been a significant investment in placemaking, the process of creating squares, plazas, parks, streets and waterfront attractions that provide a place to congregate and draw people in because they are pleasurable or interesting. Placemaking investments in our community support the economy by driving dollars to key areas.

The DVBIA’s placemaking initiatives range from hanging beautiful flower baskets along downtown Vancouver streets to wrapping electrical boxes in local art, installing original tile mosaics in sidewalks throughout downtown and installing pop-up patios where people can watch activations, like street performers or yoga classes. We are also reshaping laneways into engaging public spaces, such as the pink Alley Oop between Hastings and Pender at Granville and Seymour, where you can relax or shoot hoops. We have just finished refurbishing Ackery’s Alley beside the Orpheum, engaging an international artists to create an interactive light-and-sound installation that changes colours and emits sounds in reaction to the people who move through the formerly plain laneway.

So, next time you pass by an attractive, inviting public area downtown, recognize that a lot of behind-the-scenes effort went into creating that space. Ultimately, these initiatives will benefit tourists, our residents, and the local businesses that underpin the downtown Vancouver economy.

Keeping Vancouver attractive for tourists and residents alike is no easy feat.