SFU City

von Hausen in Action

pricetags — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:58:04 +0000

Our Urban Design Coordinator, Michael von Hausen, brings his enthusiasm, along with his knowledge, to every class – in this case, a studio at SFU Surrey, where the students undertook an analysis of the area to the north of the Surrey Central. Here he is in action:

Our thanks as well to Sonny Tomic (far right), the senior urban designer at the City of Calgary, his co-instructor, and the other members of the jury: Jim Cox , CEO of Surrey City Development Corp., to Sonny’s right, and Mary Beth Rondeau, the Senior Urban Designer at City of Surrey, just out of the picture.

Urban Studies Blog

pricetags — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:28:22 +0000

SFU Urban Studies – our academic colleagues – have just started to produce their own blog. You can find it here.

Surrey EnergyShift Panel

pricetags — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:34:25 +0000

Join the City, experts and members of your community in a discussion to move Surrey towards an energy efficient, low carbon, healthy community that supports local job creation.

Learn more and shape Surrey’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan.

Thursday, Feb 2^nd, 2012 – registration encouraged

Enver Creek Secondary | 14505 84^th Avenue

Tons of great prizes including a bike giveaway and bus tickets for the first 70 people who arrive by transit! Snacks and refreshments provided.

Open House | 5:30-7 PM

Interactive Exhibits and Activities

Expert Panel | 7-8:15 pm

Mayor Diane Watts
Mark Forsythe, CBC Radio’s BC Almanac (Moderator)
Gordon Price, SFU City Program
Nimal Rajapakse, City of Surrey’s Clean Technology Task Force
Nancy Olewiler, TransLink & Powertech Labs Director
Penny Priddy, Surrey Board of Trade’s Social Policy Committee

Small Group Discussions | 8:15 PM

You’re encouraged to register to guarantee seating and sufficient snacks & refreshments.

The Rees Summary – Jarrett Walker’s lecture

pricetags — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:55:49 +0000

Here’s Stephen Rees’s summary of the Jarrett Walker lecture: Public Transit: What is the Question?

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Bullitt Environmental Fellowship

pricetags — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:47:22 +0000

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Bullitt Foundation Environmental Fellowship. This prize is awarded each year to an outstanding graduate student at a university in the Pacific Northwest who has overcome a disadvantaged background, compiled a sterling academic record, been endorsed by key professors, and demonstrated promise of emerging as an environmental leader.

The Fellowship was established in honor of Priscilla Bullitt Collins, the late chair of the Bullitt Foundation and carries an award of $100,000, distributed over two years. We send this announcement in the hopes that you will share it with colleagues and encourage any graduate candidate student with demonstrated leadership in an environmentally progressive focus to submit an application by April 1st.

More information and application instructions are available online here.

Canadian Association of Planning Students Conference – Here at SFU

pricetags — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:53:00 +0000

Canadian Association of Planning Students 2012 Conference and AGM

February 2^nd – 4^th 2012

Vancouver, British Columbia – Simon Fraser University’s Downtown Campus, Harbour Centre (515 West Hastings Street)

Website here.

The national CAPS-ACÉAU conference is the premier event for planning students from across Canada. Join us in 2012 in the beautiful and inspiring setting of Vancouver, BC for a three day conference to share your research and projects, network with planning students and professionals from across Canada and the Pacific Northwest, and explore leading planning initiatives in the Greater Vancouver region.

Keynote speakers include: Larry Beasley, Julian Agyeman, and Gordon Price.

Financing Urban Growth

pricetags — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:34:37 +0000

Given the interest in Development Cost Charges (DCCs) and Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) – here’s a class being taught by Jay Wollenberg, president of Coriolis Consulting, on February 2:

Financing Urban Growth: The Use of Development Cost Charges and Community Amenity Contributions

This course is a comprehensive, detailed, and practical examination of the economic, legal, planning, and political dimensions of development levies, negotiated community contributions, and density bonusing as means of creating community amenities and infrastructure.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Financing Urban Growth: The Use of Development Cost Charges and Community Amenity Contributions

Understand the BC legal framework for Development Cost Charges (DCCs), Community Amenity Contributions (CACs,) affordable housing, heritage building preservation, and other means of obtaining contributions from urban development for infrastructure or amenities.
Discuss the pros and cons of current approaches and practices in BC communities, from the perspectives of local government, developers, land owners, and the community.
Consider and discuss the municipal fiscal rationale for contributions from development projects and compare with the use of property taxes to fund infrastructure and amenities.
Learn the urban land economics foundation for development contributions and the potential market impacts of DCCs and CACs, including potential impacts on housing prices and affordability
Discuss the principles for sound design and effective implementation of CAC and DCC plans
Understand the implications for municipalities: pros and cons of using these tools to obtain community amenities and infrastructure.
Understand the implications for land owners: effect on land value.
Understand the implications for developers: land acquisition costs, impact on profitability, impact on ability to acquire/assemble land.
Understand the implications for provincial legislation: is there a better way to achieve community amenities and infrastructure?
Review actual approaches used in communities in BC. Discuss pros and cons of different approaches.

Jarrett Walker on “Human Transit”

pricetags — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:51:44 +0000

Human Transit – The Book!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 6:00 PM

Jarrett Walker – just possibly the best blogger on transit and transportation anywhere – is now launching his book of the same name: Human Transit. He’ll be speaking more about the issues and ideas raised at previous presentations in Vancouver.

In Human Transit, Walker supplies the basic tools, the critical questions and the means to make smarter decisions about designing and implementing transit services. Whether you are in the field or simply a concerned citizen, he provides an accessible guide to achieving successful public transit that will enrich any community.

His book will be available for sale.

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 6 pm

Location: Room 1400, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 W Hastings Street

Admission: Free, but as seating is limited, reservations are required* Reserve

* Space is limited, so arrive early. We’ll hold your seat until 15 minutes before the event begins.

Walk 21 Videos – from the Plenary sessions

pricetags — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:16:19 +0000

For those who attended the terrific Walk 21 conference in October (and even for those who didn’t), the videos of the plenary speakers have just been posted - here.

If you’d like to go directly to the presentation, by Gordon Price, SFU City Program Director - it’s here (regrettably without the PowerPoint slides.) The story line mostly holds up on its own.

What’s next for Walk 21?

Follow our steps to walkability in the region

Visit our new web site at www.walkmetrovan.ca, visit us on Facebook (WalkMetroVan) and follow us on twitter (@WalkMetroVan).

You can also send us an email at info@walkmetrovan.ca.

re:CONNECT Ideas Competition Award Announcement and Panel Discussion

pricetags — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:59:02 +0000

Free Public Forum
re:CONNECT Vancouver’s Viaducts and Eastern Core
Ideas Competition Award Announcement and Panel Discussion, December 1

On September 22, the City of Vancouver invited the public and local and international design community to submit ideas for the future of the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts and the larger Eastern Core. The response was excellent, with over 100 submissions from 13 countries (US, Mexico, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Slovenia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada) with 75% coming from Metro Vancouver. Submissions range from the beautification of the viaducts, to their re-use as open space or other uses, or their partial or complete removal and replacement. The visions range from the practical and pragmatic, to the futuristic and whimsical.

The jury, comprised of renowned urbanists Allan Jacobs and Joe Hruda, architect Patricia Patkau, sustainability expert Robert Bennett (Portland Sustainability Institute) and urban economics expert Dr. Tom Hutton, have selected the winning submissions which will be announced as part of a public dialog on December 1st.

The public will also have an opportunity to view the submissions on-line and vote for their favourites from November 21-27, 2011. The People’s Choice Awards will also be presented on December 1st.

A panel discussion with the local jury members augmented by Helle Soholt (Gehl Architects, Copenhagen), Ken Greenberg (Greenberg Consultants Inc, Toronto), and Brent Toderian, City of Vancouver Director of Planning will follow the award announcements. The discussion will be moderated by Gordon Price.

Panel Members:
Ken Greenberg , Greenberg Consultants Inc
Joe Hruda , Civitas Urban Design and Planning
Dr. Tom Hutton , UBC School of Community and Regional Planning
Patricia Patkau , Patkau Architects
Helle Soholt , Gehl Architects
Brent Toderian, Director of Planning City of Vancouver

Thursday, December 1, 7-9 pm
Room 3200 – Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema
Woodwards Building
149 West Hastings
Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

CITY OF VANCOUVER
www.vancouver.ca/reconnect