Events, activities and engagement opps – taking place in and around Vancouver.

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Monday, March 17, 2014, 6:30-8:30pm – Bing Thom Lecture

Bing Thom Architects’ present their Margolese National Design for Living prize lecture. This School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) lecture is free and open to the public. The SALA lecture program qualifies for British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects Continuing Education Credits. Members of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada may self-report this activity for Learning Unit consideration. Takes place at Robson Square, 800 Robson Street.

Friday, March 21 & Saturday, March 22 – Evergreen presents: Urban Watersheds Forum

Under the streets of Metro Vancouver, there are hundreds of watersheds, ducking in and out of sight.  Through careful management and stewardship, citizens can show leadership in urban watershed restoration and education. Join Evergreen to explore how Metro Vancouver – from city managers and storytellers to volunteers and city residents – can work together in their communities.  This forum intends to address the following questions: What are the challenges and opportunities for watersheds in cities? What stories do the watersheds hold? Who are the stakeholders and stewards? The Urban Watersheds Forum is part of Evergreen’s Uncover Your Creeks program and takes place over two days. Dialogue and presentations will be on March 21st and a field trip to local watershed restoration sites will be on March 22nd. Please register here

March 13, April 10, May 15 – The Lulu Series: Art in the City announces three captivating speakers in 2014

An expert in transforming public utility facilities into thought-provoking public art, an artist who involves hundreds of community members in his creative process and a journalist who has uncovered how urban design can affect our emotions and decisions are all scheduled to present talks for The 2014 Lulu Series: Art in the City. Arts and urban design aficionados from across Metro Vancouver are invited to all three inspirational evenings in Richmond, the first happening on Thursday, March 13. The 2014 line‑up features engaging discussions on Art in the City and its importance to establishing connections between citizens and their communities. On Thursday, March 13, Cath Brunner, Director of 4Culture’s public art program for King County, WA, will showcase some innovative examples of art where you least expect it, but where it may have the greatest potential to positively impact the public realm. Preceding her talk will be a short performance by the award-winning performance poet, Johnny MacRae. On Thursday, April 10, Eastside Vancouver muralist Richard Tetrault will discuss how his public art projects explore cultural identity through a multifaceted process of community engagement and activism.  Preceding his presentation will be a short performance by Killer Apps, a group that plays original music using musical apps on iPads, iPods and iPhones. On Thursday, May 15, Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design, will explain how cities influence how we feel, behave, and treat other people in ways most of us never realize. Preceding this talk will a brief performance by the Indigenous vocal ensemble, M’Girl. All events will be held at Richmond City Hall Council Chambers, located at 6911 No. 3 Road at 7 p.m. They are free to the public and seating is limited. To RSVP, please email lulu@richmond.ca.  Visit the City of Richmond for more information 

Sunday, March 23, 9-11am (coffee service from 8:30 – 9am) – Sunday Morning at Hinge Park 

Vancouver Heritage Foundation is hosting another great coffee and history event with JJ Bean Coffee Roasters! Sunday Morning at Hinge Park brings together PWL Partnership and DIALOG design at the new JJ Bean False Creek location to talk about the incorporation of False Creek’s industrial heritage into Hinge Park. The morning includes a coffee tasting, coffee and a muffin, plus a bag of coffee to take home, a talk from DIALOG about the design of the JJ Bean café, and a tour and talk with landscape architects PWL Partnership about the design of Hinge Park, including how they chose the pieces of salvage to be incorporated into the design. This event is a chance to learn from the experts about the process, challenges and triumphs of creating a new public space that embraces the past. Tickets $28 available here or by phone at 604-264-9642.

Monday, March 24, 7pm (Doors 6:30pm) – Community Cinema: Design & Thinking documentary screening + Salon

The Vancouver Design Nerds & Civic Renewal Lab, in partnership with SFU Woodward’s & Gen Why Media present Design & Thinking – a documentary that links commonalities between business, design, social change-makers, and citizens in the profoundly ambiguous 21st century. The film will be followed by a salon-style forum discussion investigating how design thinking can be applied to improving civic engagement, moderated by panelists Amanda Gibbs of Public Assembly, Justin Langlois of Broken City Lab, and Am Johal of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. 149 West Hastings. Please register here.

Wednesday, March 26, 6-9pm – 100 in 1 Day Urban Intervention Workshop

An urban intervention is a one-day community-based project, led by an individual, an organization or a group of like-minded residents and neighbours. First in a series, this workshop will be a source of inspiration and will provide resources to guide successful urban interventions across the city. Building up to 100 in 1 Day, people of all ages, backgrounds and locations across the city are invited to attend workshops to develop their interventions—from idea to execution. Takes place at CityStudio, 1800 Spyglass Place. Please register here.

Wednesday, March 26, 7pm – Choosing the Happy City: lecture and live webcast with Charles Montgomery

Part of the Rethinking Transportation series brought to you by Translink in collaboration with the SFU City program. In his new book, Happy City, Charles Montgomery shows how urban systems shape our emotions and behaviour in ways most of us never recognize. Can we build transportation systems that maximize future happiness in Metro Vancouver? It won’t be easy but there is hope. Montgomery will offer a powerful new vision of city life and novel strategies for how to get there. Reserve seat or watch the live webcast.

Tuesday April 1, 9am-4pm – Hubbub #2

Bring the next big idea to Hubbub #2! CityStudio returns to Vancouver City Hall with the highly anticipated Hubbub #2. Come see the latest collaborations between CityStudio students, faculty, and City of Vancouver staff . Join our dialogue and design workshops to work on real solutions. Takes place at Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue. Register here.

Thursday, April 3, 4-8pm (drop in anytime) – Vancouver Park Board Open House: Mt. Pleasant Skateboard Facility

The Vancouver Park Board has identified the need for a mid-size skateboard facility in the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood. The public is invited to attend an open house to consider which of the two proposed parks is the most suitable location for the new facility – Jonathan Rogers or Robson. Takes place at Mt. Pleasant Community Centre (lobby), 1 Kingsway near Main Street. Open house materials and questionnaire will be available online April 4-17. For more information contact: Debra Barnes, 604.718.5852.

Saturday, April 5, 3-3:30pm – 2014 World Wide Pillow Fight Club 9.0

In cities around the world Saturday April 5^th is International Pillow Fight Day! Meet in front of the Art Gallery along the 800 block of Robson Street at 3 pm with a pillow (of course) and join the shenanigans! Hosted by Flashmob Vancouver. International Pillow Fight day

Friday, May 2 – Sunday, May 4 – The 8th annual Jane’s Walk Festival

Interested in attending a walk in your neighbourhood, leading a walk, or volunteering with Jane’s Walk? Taking place in 100+ cities worldwide, Jane’s Walk celebrates the ideas and legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs by getting people out exploring their neighbourhoods through free walking tours, led by locals. By walking together, communities engage in civic dialogue about what matters most in the places they live and work. Please visit Jane’s Walk to see what’s happening in Vancouver and in other cities around the globe.  

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