Map of the City of Vancouver, Circa 1903
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Founding of Vancouver
The land on which the current city of Vancouver, British Columbia sits has a long history, dating back to the coastal settlements of the Coast Salish tribes. While the development of Vancouver's waterfront from a planning perspective doesn't start until the mid 1800s, the coastal areas and beaches here had been used by the Salish for thousands of years [1]. The city of Vancouver was first explored in 1791 by Spanish explorers under Jose Manuel Navarez, and in 1792 by British explorers under Captain George Vancouver [2]. The basin-like area provided a protected water in a climate that can see some severe weather, and the 500 acres of land provided an ideal settlement location. False Creek is approximately 40 feet deep, providing enough depth for the ships of early explorers, navigators, and trade [3]. However, it wasn't until 1827 that a true, permanent village trading post was established with trade in raw materials, such as pelts and furs, and timber [1]. This trading post settlement persisted for another 57 years, until 1884 when the Canadian Pacific Railway made Vancouver it's western terminus [3] (perhaps spurred by rumors of gold in them there hills [1].)
The Canadian Pacific Railyard at False Creek North Shore
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Industry Development – The arrival of the Railroad
When the province of British Columbia decided to join Canada in 1871, it was in large part due to the promise from Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) that the railroad would extend all the way to the Pacific Coast. At that time the closest province east was Manitoba – that's a long horseback ride! - and the government in British Columbia wanted assurance that they would be connected with the rest of their new country on the Atlantic Coast. The city grew rapidly once the railroad arrived, with the City of Vancouver being incorporated in 1886 [2]. In 1887, CPR agreed to locate their pacific rail yard along the waterfront in Vancouver, on the north shore of False Creek, creating a large need for labor and industrial materials along the waterfront. With this, CPR became one of the largest private landowners on the Vancouver waterfront. Within only a few years, other industry had moved to the waterfront, so as to have easy access to the trade routes over water and via the newly established railroad. The first were wood-working plants such as sawmills, lumber mills, and ship builders because the logs could be floated directly to the plants. Other industry such as a creosote mill, slaughterhouses, metal yards for the railway, and service yards quickly moved in. By 1915, the city began dredging the channel to create wider and deeper access to all of the docks and industrial facilities. With the dredge spoils they created Granville Island, which was immediately developed by more factories [3].
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Unrest among the workers and worker's rights
With such heavy industry comes the issue of hiring, and Vancouver's early waterfront history is closely tied to that of the longshoremen who worked the docks. Longshoremen's work is tiring and dangerous, and clashes between workers, employers, and eventually unions, created high tensions on the waterfront. The work was plentiful, and the money was good, but political and racial issues and pride created a gang-type atmosphere. A 1923 worker's strike threatened to shut down the waterfront industry, but it wasn't until after a 1935 strike and violent agitation that the worker's unions finally gained a strong hold and created an efficient waterfront industry system [4]. By this time the area was not only being used for heavy industry, but was also becoming overrun with housing slums and squatter's shacks for the longshoremen and other workers. With an ever growing industry and little thought to planning, the waterfront was becoming an unruly and dangerous place. In the early 1930s, the first steps were taken to attempt to clean up the area [3]. As the city grew and more development happened on all sides of the water, more and more bridges and roads were constructed to connect the industry of the waterfront to the residential neighborhoods where workers could live [1]. Talk among the city officials in 1937 indicated a need for some sort of development policy for the False Creek area, but little more than talk was accomplished [3].
Identifying the need for a new kind of waterfront
Finally, in 1950, a study was conducted to assess the economic conditions of Granville Island and the shores of False Creek. In the mid-50s, largely due to the impetus provided by this study, the land at False Creek began to be viewed not only from an economic and purely planning standpoint; the legal and social challenges associated with the area were also assessed [3]. A policy of public ownership of the waterfront lands, be it city, province, or federal ownership, had been in place since the 1920s [5]. After 1956, and a failed land-owner's committee, the city began making concerted efforts to consolidate areas of public and private land through purchase or trade of parcels with private owners, including the Canadian Pacific Railway [3]. One of the policies that encouraged the need for redevelopment of the waterfront was a city Growth Management initiative, in place by the early 1960s to limit metropolitan sprawl, including the Agricultural Land Reserve, which was meant to protect the farmlands just outside the city. This policy encouraged high-density redevelopment of lands, especially the waterfront, rather than the typical urban sprawl seen in other parts of North America [2]. By 1967 the False Creek waterfront was still under a policy of long-term industrial uses, but in 1968 the planning department was able to convince administrators to at least allow within policy the consideration of other uses such as commercial, housing, and public space [3].
The first waterfront redevelopment project
In 1968, the city and province swapped land when the province decided to locate a university on some 200 acres of city land inland. For this, the city received 85 acres on False Creek's southern shore, which would make up a portion of the first city-led redevelopment project. In 1973, the city council finally voted to change it's land use policy for the area on the south shore of False Creek, allowing for redevelopment. This was in large part due to the consideration of 5 different development plans, opened for public opinion and commentary in 1970, which showed overwhelming public support for redevelopment projects consisting of residential and commercial uses and large open spaces. In 1974, the city rezoned the entire False Creek Basin as one, changing the area from a heavy industrial zone to a multi-use zone[3]. Their Official Development Plan included mandatory requirements and design guidelines, “to encourage redevelopment of False Creek in the direction set by the policy guidelines adopted by the city [including] social viability, economic soundness, conformity with the city's lifestyle and income mix requirements (p176)”[3].
False Creek South Shore was the first redevelopment project undertaken, as a public-private partnership, with the city leasing land to private developers, under the direction of the city's False Creek Development Group. The Development Group aided in the selection of a design plan from a 1974 design competition, and in 1975 undertook hiring an architect, hiring a contractor, soliciting residents for the new residential construction and keeping the public informed and engaged [3]. Intensive thought and planning was put into the development of the False Creek South Shore project for all areas. Large parks were planned, pedestrian friendly walkways along the water and pedestrian friendly streets were laid-out. A 100-berth co-op live-aboard marina was even planned, taking into account Vancouver's live-aboard history dating back to the 1930s when industrial workers would live on houseboats at the docks. The False Creek South Shore project was developed in three stages, with each stage being developed by different teams. Each team created a separate Area Development Plan, but each of these plans had to conform to the guidelines established in the Official Development Plan [3].
The process followed in the False Creek South Shore site is one followed in all planning in Vancouver – the policy statement for public review, the Official Development Plan, and the amendment of zoning regulations [2]. The False Creek South Shore redevelopment is important to the city of Vancouver, not only because it is the first waterfront redevelopment, but because it proved to the city that cooperative, public-private partnership projects can work, and that the involvement of the community and potential residents is important. Like any project mistakes were made and lessons learned. For example, the developers of the first stage of the project hoped that the pedestrian friendly atmosphere and access to mass transit would limit automobile use, and therefore included only minimal parking spaces. They were correct that the residents of this area used automobiles less on a daily basis, but automobile ownership was no different than any other residential area, and therefore parking was grossly inadequate. Additionally, this redevelopment project was seen as isolated from the rest of the city, and somewhat elite. These are important lessons to be learned however, because the False Creek South Shore redevelopment project was just the first step in the mixed use waterfront development in Vancouver [3].
Implementing lessons learned – Granville Island
The renovation of the 42 acre site on Granville Island, which was begun concurrently with the construction of the False Creek South Shore project, took into account and learned from a number of the issues faced from that first project [7]. Since the False Creek South Shore development was perceived to be very secluded from the rest of the city, one of the aims of the Granville Island restoration was to create a very public space, with a focus on cultural and recreational uses. Granville Island was again a public-private partnership project – the island is federally owned, and the initial development was through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a federal entity, but development was subsequently undertaken by private groups [3]. The idea for Granville Island was to integrate some of the existing industry with public open space and useable areas for recreation and entertainment. This was partially undertaken because some of the existing industry was too expensive to relocate, and also because there were industrial building which were empty, but still quite usable. The result, completed in 1979, is a highly pedestrian friendly tourist destination, with restaurants and shops, a farmer's market, an art and design school, and large industry such as a cement plant all integrated in the same area, and adequte parking around the island. By addressing the issues uncovered in the False Creek South Shore, the Granville Island redevelopment has proven to be a huge success, and is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike [7].
Canada
Place in the foreground, looking North over Burrard Inlet.
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The Expo '86 Era
During the time that False Creek South Shore and Granville Island were being developed, land was being cleared and prepared on False Creek's North Shore to accommodate Expo '86. This was a transportation themed World's Fair to be held in Vancouver along the waterfront. The development of British Columbia Place, containing an indoor football stadium and expositions for the fair, and Canada Place, containing a convention center, were the first large scale waterfront developments for the Expo. (Canada Place is located across the island on the waterfront of Burrard Inlet)[2].
The major difference between the development done for Expo '86 and other waterfront developments undertaken at that time is the scale. Where Granville Island and False Creek were both mixed use areas with residential and small scale commercial uses in mind, BC Place and Canada Place were both large scale projects [2]. Again, these were public-private partnerships, with the land being owned by the government, this time the province of British Columbia [3]. The buildings for the Expo remained until 1987, at which time other development took place. The entire site of the Expo, comprising 204 acres was sold to a development company, Concord Pacific, with the express agreement that the city accept a development plan. This included a number of elements in accordance with the city's general development plan, including public park space and public access, schools, a community center and art installations, and a requirement for 20% assisted housing. A question still remained however of how to redevelop some of the larger-scale areas that had been developed for the Expo. These sites were more suited to projects such as a hockey and basketball arena, a large central library, and a cruise ship terminal [2]. Today, Canada Place houses a hotel, large offices, the original Expo convention center, and a cruise ship terminal. It was built for grandeur, on an old pier jutting out into the water, with sail like structures on the roof, creating a large artistic viewpoint out into the water [7]. One of the major challenges when incorporating such large scale projects such as Canada Place anticipating the effects on the surrounding areas through traffic, noise, and visual appeal [2].
Eco Development Today
As we rounded
out the 20th century and now move forward in the 21st,
waterfront development is becoming a more global endeavor. Where waterfront redevelopment was once seen
mainly in developed countries, now waterfront redevelopments are seen in
developing countries around the world.
Each region and culture has different motivations for waterfront
redevelopment – in Europe waterfront redevelopment is driven primarily by the
retention and innovation of the maritime industry, as new technologies and
vessels are created; North America sees waterfront redevelopment largely as
urban development, with waterfront spaces seen as recreational and economic
centers unattached to their former maritime industry; often in developing
countries, waterfront redevelopment is seen as a way to attract more global
tourism and eco-tourism ventures [8].
The 21st century has seen a growing concern with
environmental issues. The focus on green
development and sustainability is in the forefront of development in Vancouver,
a global leader in sustainability. (For
more on sustainability and city wide green development see the Sustainability
section.) Green development plans for
the waterfront in Vancouver include such elements as vegetated paths over top
of retail spaces to maximize green space along the waterfront, green bridges
from local residential buildings down to the waterfront, floating amphitheaters
and concert spaces, a reduction or elimination of automobile traffic along the
waterfront to reduce runoff, and the prominence of water views in all new
construction [9]. In another example of major ecodevelopment along the
waterfront, Vancouver renovated the Canada Place Convention Center in 2009,
creating a grass roof over the West Building [1]. These realized and proposed
design elements along the waterfront showcase the shift in thinking toward
conservation of the environment, and preservation of green spaces, while also
illustrating the North American view of waterfront as recreational space.
References
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