CHANGE CONTROVERSY & COMPROMISE Public Reaction to New Facilities in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan MA Project Supervisor: Penny Gurstein School of Community and Regional Planning University of British Columbia October 6, 2004 Abstract The objective of this report was to examine change, to least common. They were then discussed in terms controversy, and compromise in the site selection of how the controversy was managed. process for new activities in Vancouver’s parks. The research questions for the study were: Parallels were drawn between the precedents and the case study, and the following controversial themes What elements of the three proposals for new emerged: facilities in Vancouver parks generated controversy? Consultation What are the similarities and differences Change between the controversy generated by the Noise three projects examined, and how were these Traffic and parking concerns addressed? Private use of public space What are the implications for future projects? Loss of green space Design and appearance The scope of the report was limited to facilities within Attitude the City of Vancouver as the report was being written Dust and illegal activities to inform site selection processes undertaken by the Undocumented concerns Vancouver Park Board. The following three facilities were examined: Overall, the causes of controvery can be grouped into two broad categories – process issues and liveability Downtown Skateboard Park impacts. There are a number of steps the Park Board Beach Volleyball Tournament Facility could take to address these issues and increase Stanley Park Community Garden dialogue in future planning processes. Issues that could be addressed to improve process concerns and A two-part methodology was utilized. First, two liveability impacts are: precedents were studied via on-line literature including Park Board reports and minutes, and media files from Proactive communication the websites of the Vancouver Courier Newspaper Use of precedents and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Second, Facilitating partnerships, education, and a detailed case study was undertaken of the Stanley stewardship Park Community Garden, a joint project of the West Better record keeping End Residents’ Association and the Stanley Park Good neighbour agreements Ecology Society. This case study included a review of Garden-related on-line Park Board documents and in- In conclusion, this study examined the causes of depth interviews with various stakeholders involved in controversy in three projects proposed for its creation. Information gathered on the precedents Vancouver’s parks, and how well that controversy was and case studies was organized into the following managed. In two of the three cases the controversy areas: was addressed sufficiently that the projects were approved, and are now open and actively used. In the Background and stakeholders third case, the controversy proved insurmountable. It Project development process is hoped that this study will give the Park Board a Controversy and project outcome clearer understanding of the controversies inherent in managing change, and the role of constructive Areas of controversy identified by the general public in dialogue when introducing new recreation activities to the research were organized by how commonly they Vancouver’s parks. occurred in the three processes – from most common CHANGE, CONTROVERSY, & COMPROMISE i Public Reaction to Change in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan Acknowledgements There are a number of individuals who deserve acknowledgement for their role in the creation of this I’d also like to thank the individuals who were involved report. in the creation of the Stanley Park Community Garden. From the West End Residents’ Association – I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my Brent Granby, Rob Wynan, Marie-Claire Seebohm, advisor, Professor Penny Gurstein at the School of Jeff Salmon, Lexi Steed, Annette Aarbo, and others Community and Regional Planning, University of too numerous to metion. From the Stanley Park British Columbia. Her support, advice, and insight Ecology Society – Brian, Kelly, Alix Mathias, Oren along the way proved invaluable in creating a topical Mizrahi, and Annemari; and from the Vancouver Board and “Masters appropriate” report. As well, her of Parks and Recreation – Dana Walker, Brian Quinn, unprecedented turn-around times on the edits allowed Eric Meagher, and Jim Louden. me to graduate on time. A huge thank you. Of course there are my fellow “SCARPies” and thanks I would also like to thank Mark Vulliamy, Manager of in particular to those who were in Penny’s advising Planning at the Vancouver Board of Parks and group for your suggestions, edits, and fruitful Recreation. His mentoring in the area of professional conversation. content and presentation has helped to make this experience one of my most valuable at SCARP. By Thanks, Jeff, for your understanding through my identifying my professional weaknesses and emotional ups and downs, for your steady encouraging my strengths, he has helped me grow as encouragement, and for your technical bailout at the a skilled practitioner of planning. eleventh hour. A special thanks to my interview subjects. Your This paper marks the end of my formal education, at honesty, insight, and passion for Vancouver were least for the foreseeable future. I’d like to end by inspiring. We all shared a great love of our city and I thanking the person most involved in my education – gained new insight into the motivations for people to my mother, Margaret Buchanan. get involved in civic life. CHANGE, CONTROVERSY, & COMPROMISE ii Public Reaction to Change in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan Table of Contents PAGE Abstract i Acknowledgements ii Table of Contents iii Chapter One 1 Introduction and Methodology Objective 1 Literature on Change in 1 Parks Context 2 Problem Statement and 4 Research Questions Methodology and 4 Scope Project Organization 5 Chapter 2 6 Site Selection Precedents Background and Downtown 6 Skateboard Park Stakeholders Project Development 7 Process Controversy and 8 Outcome CHANGE, CONTROVERSY, & COMPROMISE iii Public Reaction to Change in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan Background and Beach Volleyball 8 Tournament Facility Stakeholders Project Development 9 Process Controversy and 10 Outcome Chapter 3 12 Case Study: Stanley Park Community Garden Background and 12 Stakeholders Project Development 13 Process Controversy and 15 Outcome Chapter 4 17 Discussion: Controversy and Compromise Consultation 17 Change 18 Noise 19 Traffic and Parking 19 Private Use of Public 19 Space Loss of Green Space 21 Design and 21 Appearance Attitude 22 Dust and Illegal 23 Activities Undocumented 24 Concerns CHANGE, CONTROVERSY, & COMPROMISE iv Public Reaction to Change in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan Chapter 5 25 Policy Implications and Conclusion Proactive 25 Communication Precedents 25 Partnership, Education, 25 and Stewardship Record Keeping 26 Good Neighbour 27 Agreement Future Research and 27 Conclusion Appendix A Questionnaire 29 Bibliography 30 CHANGE, CONTROVERSY, & COMPROMISE v Public Reaction to Change in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan Chapter One Introduction and Methodology Objective land was cheap, and the accepted public health notion at the time was that the “good air” in parks was beneficial to a wide range of ailments. There was an The objective of this report is to examine change, emphasis on the pastoral landscape, with curvilinear controversy, and compromise in the site selection paths to provide aesthetic pleasure and a break from process for new activities in Vancouver’s parks. It the linear, finite experience of the city. This is not to begins with a short discussion of these concepts in say there were no recreation areas – there were park planning literature before moving to the numerous outdoor activities facilitated in these parks. Vancouver context. In this model the city was a necessary evil for which an antidote was needed. This is the period when Literature on Change in Parks Stanley Park was founded. Change has been a constant in North American park planning. In her seminal book The Politics of Park Design (1982), Galen Crantz presents an overview of four major epochs in park planning from the past 150 years: Pleasure Ground, Reform Park, Recreation Facilty, and Open Space System. This time period closely mirrors Vancouver’s short history. © CITY OF VANCOUVER Data quality not guaranteed Georgia Street Entrance to Stanley Park Reform Park: 1890 – 1930 In this period it was recognized that there were limited opportunities to have “pleasure ground” type parks in the city. In order to bring the benefits of parks to the masses, they evolved into smaller facilities, and the pastoral illusion was abandoned. This was an era of Downtown Skateboard Park social control, including prohibition in the US, when, for example, men and women used different entrances Pleasure Ground: 1850 – 1900 to pubs, and recreation moved indoors. Public health Public park advocacy developed as a reaction to the was becoming more specialized, and developmental squalor and resultant high rates of disease in cities. psychology believed at the time that humans had They were located at the peripheries of the city, where different needs at different developmental phases. CHANGE, CONTROVERSY, & COMPROMISE 1 Public Reaction to Change in Vancouver’s Parks Don Buchanan Spontaneous play could no longer be trusted, as 1982 book ends with this period, Crantz argues that people needed