The double rows of street trees planted on both sides of Georgia were the consequence of the “Greening of Georgia” plan – an urban-design proposal done, I believe, in the early 1980s (help me out here, anyone who remembers!).
At that time, the northern blocks from Chilco to Cardero to were largely empty. (Hard to believe, but as late as the 1970s there were used-car lots along the westerly stretch of Georgia, in addition to industrial buildings and parking lots.)
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Once the City had decided that Alberni Street would not be part of a couplet meant to feed one-way traffic in and out of the core, another urban-design plan for the Georgia-Alberni corridor was developed. The idea was that each block would have the same combination of mid- and highrise towers at the ends of the site, with a row of townhouses along the southern edge. And filling up the rest of the site, facing Georgia, would be a green court – a heavily landscaped minipark, often with a water feature or pond.
Today that vision is visible:
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The green court in the 1900-block, combined with Harbour Park on the north and the redevelopment of the old bus loop at the foot of Alberni to the west, does seem to make for an unbroken extension of Stanley Park into the city.
I wish there was a “Greening of Seymour” Plan. From Robson north it’s really bleak, especially between Georgia and Dunsmuir.
Also why weren’t there street trees added to Granville Street between Robson and Georgia? Is it to do with utilities for the Canada Line below, anyone know? That is one bleak concrete building elevation where the Sleep Country is that could desperately use a mass of trees to soften it.
2 reasons:
– the Canada Line Station is directly below and shallow starting from the wall of Nordstrom (formerly Sears – the sidewalk was bolted to the side of the building during excavation and construction).
– the block is an “Event Space” so the absence of trees makes the area more flexible and with the taller light pipes, is supposed to highlight the block as a gathering space.
The concrete slab / road is the station roof:
http://www.seataf.com/blogs/canadaline/2008-09-08/images/KICX3578.jpg
http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.ca/search/label/Vancouver%20City%20Centre?updated-max=2008-10-07T04:09:00Z&max-results=20&start=27&by-date=false
Awesome info! Thanks!
Michael von Hausen was involved in the schematic design stage of the Georgia streetscape improvements… I believe this was done actually in the mid to late ’90s.
I agree that the overall improvements to the Georgia St. corridor have had a profoundly positive impact in improving the urban forest, promoting active transportation and creating A beautiful pedestrian scaled environment.
One portion of the corridor which I find disappointing, however, is the transition from Georgia Street into the Stanley Park Causeway. Around the year 2000, upgrades were made by the Ministry of Transportation to bring it to a ‘highway’ standards level of design. Safety was of greatest concern as accident rates in this area were quite high.
As a consequence, the landscaped median and beatifully crafted concrete balustrades that gave the chicane a human scale character and were indicative of the classical vernacular Stanley Park, were removed and replaced with impermeable concrete freeway barriers. Also many of the resulting pedestrian upgrades including the, balustrades, viewpoints and pedestrian underpass, while reasonable in concept, lack the consistency and richness in detail as the originally designed architectural ‘kit of parts’ that are so important in the park’s historical identity. The picturesque parkway with views of Lost Lagoon were displaced with overgrown vegetation.
I would encourage the Park Board and the Ministry of Highways to address this as a critical component as the next phase of improvements to the Georgia Street – Stanley Park Gateway, as envisioned by the Harland Bartholomew plan. Let’s reinstate views of the lost Lagoon fountain from the parkway, as well as the historic detailing that is consistent with many of the surrounding elements of Stanley Park. At the same time we can also design the urban forest in a way that responds to the urban, historic and ecological context of place. There is certainly care that must be taken in retaining the little history that Vancouver has and the Georgia Street / Stanley Park Gateway has a long history and should be considered a priority area.