They go on urban walking tours.
Here are two that coincidentally ran into each other in Roundhouse Plaza this weekend:
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The group in the background – not so sure. But in the foreground, Roundhouse artist-in-residence Catherine Pulkinghorn (in the red boots), is co-leading a group with planning researcher Christine Carino (right)as part of the Artists Walking Home series.
The theme: Commuting and Transportation. The object: examine nodes along paths – the routes people take in their daily lives, and the places of assembly and connection that result (very Kevin Lynch).
We’re sidetracked by the parking meter with the green top – something new in the city. But what’s it mean?
Turns out: for motorcycle parking. But even though there is subtle signage, it’s not at all clear – unfortunately for those cars towed from the space. It’s a small intervention (no doubt the result of lobbying by the B.C. Association of Motorcyclists) – and an ironic one. Since the object is to create a greener city, giving priority to more environmentally responsible modes of transportation, it also results in encouraging more motorcycles – which, given a notable minority’s penchant for unmuffled and noisy engines, makes Yaletown a less livable place.
Or at least that’s one observation among many – the result of conscious looking and examination of the designed environment around us.
If you want to participate, more walks are coming up. The next one:
Architectural Features
November 3, 2012
Presenter/ Madeleine Hebert
Presenter/ Madeleine Hebert
Join us in the Heritage District of Yaletown for an interactive learning experience about the architecture of the area! Madeleine Hebert will feature an introduction to Yaletown history, as well as some fun architectural facts which will be discovered through a scavenger hunt.
“…it also results in encouraging more motorcycles – which, given a notable minority’s penchant for unmuffled and noisy engines, makes Yaletown a less livable place.”
Using your arguments, then bicyclists make an area less livable. They smell, are sweaty, take up a whole lane on many downtown steets, ride around with no regard to traffic laws or accepted conventions, and are a menace to pedestrians.
Or cars and trucks.
Car owners penchant for putting loud “fart” cans” and booming stereos in their cars cause a loud and disturbing presence in our community. Jacked up pickups create a menace for all users of the roads. They are cumbersome, can’t park, they always out loud open exhausts that beltch smoke and noise, and are just not nice to be around.
Do you see what focusing on the undesirable aspects of a group creates? The VAST majority of commuting motorcyclists are just doing what everyone else is… getting to where they need to be.
The fact that motorcycles are efficient, green(for rapid personal transit) easy to park and take up little space seems to be lost on you.
Please do not focus on the negative aspects of a road user group that you are not part of.
Open minds and working together is what brings solutions. Not negativity and prejudice.
BC association of motorcycles? Please inform the masses what this association is that you are referring to.
You are a DIRECTOR at SFU??? Who does your fact checking?