Principles

Several overarching concepts have inspired this competition. The following statements of direction reflect the principles which the competition would like to advance. The design of all entries should seek to advance current thinking in the following areas, or explain convincingly why alternatives should be considered with a demonstrated understanding of the goals and challenges involved.

PLACE: LEGIBLE & UNIQUE. Often considered as leftover or ambiguous parts of the City, re:CONNECT seeks to redefine these places in a way that transforms them into vibrant places and destinations in and of themselves. This sense of place may be developed through buildings, landscape, urban infrastructure, significant public art, information or new approaches. These places should embody qualities that set them apart, creating public spaces that are beautiful, contextual and enlivening and accessible to all citizens.

LINKAGES: MOVEMENT & MOBILITY. This portion of the City is home to rail facilities that are increasingly important for the sustainable movement of goods and people. However these same rail facilities create barriers for movement within the area by all transportation modes. Proposed ideas should reflect the need to maintain a rail presence within the False Creek Flats but examine infrastructure needs to accommodate additional trips with an emphasis on walking, cycling and transit.

Special consideration should be given to the need for transportation connections between the Downtown and the Eastern Core for all modes (walking, cycling, transit, goods movement and the automobile and in that order of priority). In addition, north-south transportation connections across the Eastern Core and general connections to the Eastern Core currently present some challenges that could be addressed.

GREEN ECONOMY: RETAIN & ADVANCE. The ideas proposed need to consider that the City has adopted a goal to secure Vancouver’s international reputation as a mecca of green enterprise and that this area of the city plays a key role in that strategy. The City envisions the future role of the False Creek Flats as an area that would generate significant and strategic job-types and benefit the economy. Existing industrially zoned land would be retained as part of a sustainable and diverse economy while the concept of industry can be enhanced. Only 10 percent of the land area of Vancouver currently prohibits housing, and that land holds half of the city’s jobs, including many strategic job types not economically and spatially compatible with housing. Ideas should advance green job intensification in achievable, practical, and sustainable ways.

GREEN DESIGN: INNOVATE. Successful ideas will suggest ways to lead and support Vancouver’s goal of becoming the greenest city on the planet by 2020. Designs should consider all aspects and scales of green design, from addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches, to sustainable building and public realm design and resilient infrastructure systems.

COMMUNITIES: RESPECT. The areas in question are bordered by communities on all sides. Due to infrastructural and topographic features connectivity and integration between and through these neighbourhoods is often challenged. Successful schemes will respect the presence and nature of bordering communities and suggest ways of making public spaces and amenities that are accessible to citizens of all backgrounds, incomes and abilities.

NATURE, HERITAGE & CULTURE: RESTORE & INTEGRATE. Noting that these are highly urban areas within the downtown, schemes should find ways of creatively reconnecting with natural, historical, and cultural resources or features by improving accessibility to existing amenities or reintroducing these elements into the built environment.

[top]