Redesign Public Space! invites you to propose ways to reimagine one or multiple public spaces by using the Urbanarium Smart map and participate in a charrette session where you will watch your redesign ideas come to life, LIVE!

Redesign Public Space! is a collaboration between the Vancouver Design Week (VDW), Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) and Urbanarium as part of Vancouver Design Week’s Redesign the Future! theme and its 3R’s for Systems Change campaign: Retool, Revision, Regenerate. This event will focus on the ‘Retooling’ R as a means of redesigning existing system/s to serve a new purpose or create new value. Retooling works from what is, and can be deployed tactically to enable rapid adaptive response such as transforming parking spaces and streets into queuing areas, patios and pedestrian-oriented plazas; all the things we’ve been doing since the pandemic began. How can we leverage retooling to Redesign Public Space! so it works for everyone and responds to the new demands and needs that are being placed on them?

The Urbanarium Studio is a virtual urban design charrette studio that engages with communities on city-making challenges and opportunities. For this session 8 Urbanarium illustrators, 8 VPSN facilitators and 6 VDW keynote listeners will use results from the mapping exercise as a starting point to generate ideas with the audience.

Illustrators:

Neda Roohnia, Jaldhi Gohil, Erick Villagomez, Derek Lee, Sam Khany, Kristen Elkow, Athulya Pulimood and Maren Mcbride

Facilitators:

Stewart Burgess, Paola Qualizza, Yuri Artibise, Victor Cheung, Judy Farhat, Emily Rennalls, Carol Koh, Leanna Favaro, Patrice Shang

Listeners:

Paty Rios, Emi Webb, Davide Ontaneda, Marianne Amodio

Special performance by Desirée Dawson

Part I: SMART MAP: Map Your City! [Nov 24 - Dec 9th]

From November 24th - Dec 9th head outdoors and pin spaces that you Love! or that need Redesign! using the VDW edition of the Urbanarium’s Smart Map. Have an insight on how you’d Retool a public space to make it less defensive, more accessible, and responsive to the new demands and needs that are being placed on them? Take a picture and tell us about it. Sites and ideas will be brought into the Studio to be both adored or retooled. *Be sure to check Dr. Bonnie’s latest health guidelines before heading out!

Part II: Studio Session [Dec 10th]

Jump into a space that will transform your ideas into a vision for the future. Share your ideas and workshop with other Vancouverites on public space design. Let’s tap into the potential of what we can do together, building our collaborative agency to empower futures that are mutually thriving and equitable for all. Public space is the stage on which our social and environmental issues play out; it is also the forum within which new opportunities and solutions to these matters will take flight.

* This event is open to all residents of the city - no prior design experience is necessary.

** The Studio Session event will have visual descriptions and closed captioning. For any other accessibility needs, questions or concerns please email joan@urbanarium.org