Timeline 

Our progress since 2012.

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  2019-2021

  January 2019

  • Council approved funding for 800 Robson plaza construction

  Spring 2019

  • We’ve partnered with the Province of BC to construct the 800 Robson Plaza
  • Construction is anticipated to begin September 2019 with completion in spring 2021
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  2016-2018

  April 2016

  • On April 20, Council approved staff’s recommendation to permanently close 800 Robson Street to all vehicle traffic to create a permanent public square

  December 2016

  • Staff present design concept to Council
  • Feedback received informed a flexible and adaptable design concept to accommodate many different uses

  Dec 2016 to spring 2019

  • Detailed design work advanced for the permanent plaza

  Summer 2017

  • Temporary plaza
  • An interim painted asphalt infill was installed to create a level plaza surface ahead of the construction of the permanent plaza
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  2014-2015

  January 17, 2014

  • Public invited to share thoughts on redesigns
  • We heard from over 900 people, most of whom were very supportive of the open plaza concept reoccurring throughout each design

  November 26, 2015

  • Open house: North plaza design
  • A consultant team developed a plaza design in response to public feedback on the three concept plans in fall 2013, and has applied for a development permit
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  2013

  January 25, 2013

  • Staff prepare for a summertime public plaza on 800 Robson Street, launching in late June 2013
  • 800 Robson re-opened until summer

  June 14, 2013

  • VIVA Summertime Plaza opens at 800 Robson from June 22 to September 2
  • During this time, 800 Robson was temporarily closed to traffic. City staff monitored the impact to traffic and pedestrians

  June 22, 2013

  • The City, in collaboration with TransLink, held its first public consultations as part of the Downtown Vancouver Local Bus Service Review

  September 3, 2013

  • VIVA Summertime Plaza removed from 800 Robson
  • The street reopened to traffic

  September 11, 2013

  • The City selects Nick Milkovich Architects (NMA) as the primary consultants
  • The NMA team includes Hapa Collaborative, Matthew Soules Architecture, and Urban Forum Associates (UFA)

  October 1 and 5, 2013

  • Open house to see the preliminary concept plan options for the Art Gallery North Plaza
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  2012

  October 4, 2012

  • Initial consultation
  • City staff consulted with key stakeholders including the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and TransLink

  November 28, 2012

  • Council approves staff recommendations
  • 800 Robson Street reopened to vehicle traffic on December 1, 2012 until the summer seasonal closure

Project summary

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  Documents

  Public engagement

  This report summarizes the input from the two open houses, an online questionnaire, and stakeholder meetings.

  • Read the consultation summary PDF file (346 KB)

  North Plaza: Public open houses (October 1 and 5, 2013)

  Display panels:

  • Design concept 1: Wet PDF file (2.5 MB)
  • Design concept 2: Active Edge PDF file (2.4 MB)
  • Design concept 3: Plalo Ring PDF file (2.1 MB)
  • What makes a great public space PDF file (1.7 MB)
  • Site analysis PDF file (13.1 MB)
  • Project background PDF file (2.2 MB)
  • Full set of display panels PDF file (23.9 MB)

  Reports and documents

  January 2019

  Council approved funding for 800 Robson plaza construction.

  • Read the report PDF file (523 KB)

  December 2016

  Staff presents design concept to Council.

  • Read the report PDF file (2.5 MB)
  • Read the engagement summary PDF file (2 MB)

  April 2016

  Council approves permanent plaza on 800 Robson Street.

  • Read the report PDF file (990 KB)

  Staff report to Council "800 Robson Street: Creation of a Permanent Plaza"

  Report date April 6, 2016; Meeting date April 20, 2016

  • Read the report PDF file (990 KB)

  Staff report to Council "800 Robson Street: Strategy for Moving Towards a Public Plaza"

  Staff are continuing to work with key stakeholders on the issues identified in the following report to Council.

  Report date November 20, 2012; Meeting date November 28, 2012

  • Read the report PDF file (5 MB) 
  • Read the minutes PDF file (82 KB) 

  City Council motion: Creation of a public square, 800 Robson Street

  • Read the motion PDF file

  2040 Transportation Plan

  The City’s transportation plan, Transportation 2040, includes policies and actions to enable: an active and healthy city, a reduction in traffic collisions to support a safe city, an accessible city for people of all ages and abilities, a range of options to help create a more affordable city, a vibrant public realm to foster a lively city, and a resilient city prepared to deal with global issues and unexpected events.

  During the Transportation 2040 Phase 2 consultation program in the summer of 2012, over 10,000 people participated . The most common suggestions to support walking were to provide wider sidewalks and more public spaces.

  • Read the Transportation 2040 Plan PDF file

  Request For Expressions of Interest

  • Partnership for VIVA Vancouver 2013 (800 Robson St)
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  Details

  Project goals

  800 Robson Plaza

  We are constructing a new permanent public plaza on the 800-block of Robson Street.

  During the summers of 2011-2015, the block was transformed into a pedestrian plaza by the VIVA Vancouver Program.

  Recognizing the success of the summer closures, in September 2012, Council decided to close the block to vehicle traffic until the end of 2012, and asked staff to investigate the public's interest in using the space as a permanent pedestrian plaza.

  The road re-opened to vehicle traffic in January 2013, while the investigation continued and VIVA Vancouver created another temporary plaza for the following three summers.

  Council voted to open the block permanently as a public plaza in April 2016 and staff launched an engagement process to find out how the public wanted to use the space. The feedback informed the design concept, which was further informed through consultation with key area stakeholders including the Vancouver Art Gallery, UBC Robson Square, the Province of BC, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, City advisory committees, and advocacy groups.

  The final design offers a single, level surface and an open, flexible space for lingering, gathering, relaxing, and eating, for musical, cultural, and community events, and for demonstration.

  šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square

  šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square, formerly the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery, completed renovations in June 2017.

  With this redevelopment work, our goal was to create a plaza that reflects the needs and desires of the public, respects its location at the historical entry to the Vancouver Art Gallery building and its relationship to Robson Square.

  Because the plaza needed to undergo critical maintenance to repair the membrane protecting the lower levers of the art gallery beneath the plaza, we took the opportunity to launch a consultation to inform the redesign of the site.

  šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square is owned by the Province of BC and leased to the City for use. Activities on plaza are currently coordinated and permitted by the City.

  In June 2018, the former Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza was renamed as part of the City of Reconciliation initiative.

  Consultation summary

  28 November 2012 - In summary of the Block 51 consultation, we hosted two public events at the Vancouver Art Gallery seeking ideas on how both sides of Block 51 could be used in the future. The events were attended by 165 people and participants worked with architect Stanley King’s Co-design team. Illustrated ideas around use of space were then incorporated into an online and intercept survey, which was open to the public from November 1-12th, 2012. This resulted in over 2100 completed surveys. One of the key findings from the survey was that 64% of respondents had a preference for 800-block Robson to function as a permanent public space, while 17% preferred a summertime public space and 19% preferred only occasional closures of the street to traffic for special events.
  
  We hosted a stakeholder workshop on October 4, 2012, which was attended by 22 people representing a broad range of stakeholders, including TransLink, business associations, public space and active transportation advocates, the adjacent Robson Square facilities, seniors living in the West End, Tourism Vancouver, the local design community, the Province, and the Court Services Branch. Based on the key issues raised, staff conducted four smaller, more focused stakeholder meetings throughout the Fall with youth, the downtown and west end business communities, the adjacent Robson Square facilities, and seniors living in the West End. The key issues identified by stakeholders on the creation of a year-round public square relate to: 1) the downtown transportation network, 2) the overall ‘look and feel’ or design of the space and 3) programming for the space. The resolution of these issues is critical to the long term success of a permanent public square, thus demanding a flexible and incremental approach to planning.

  15 October 2012 - Public event - “A Look Back”: Hosted by CBC Radio 1’s Shiral Tobin, included a screening of the 1973 National Film Board of Canada film Chairs for Lovers.

  This was followed by a panel conversation with Stanley King, local architect who led a similar Co-Design process in the 1970s to gather input on the Robson Square development, as well as members of Arthur Erickson’s design team for Robson Square, Bing Thom, Alan Bell, and Nick Milkovich.

  17 October 2012 - Public event - “A Look Forward”: Hosted by local inter/multi-disciplinary artist Vanessa Richards, included short and inspirational presentations that explored how this block has been used over the years, while drawing on experience from other cities.

  Speakers included:

  • Civic historian John Atkin
  • Lon LaClaire, the Manager of Strategic Transportation at the City of Vancouver
  • Jenniffer Sheel and Krisztina Kassay from the City's VIVA Vancouver program
  • Heather Forbes from the Vancouver Public Space Network
  • Matthew Blackett from Spacing Magazine
  • Pop Rocks designers Matthew Soules and Joe Dahmen

  Both events ended in a Co-Design process, led by Stanley King, where artists illustrated participant’s thoughts on what future uses the 800-block of Robson and the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza could accommodate.

  These events were presented in partnership with Spacing Magazine, the Vancouver Public Space Network and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

  In four follow-up stakeholder sessions, City staff consulted with:

  • The business community, including the Robson Street Business Improvement Association, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and West End Business Improvement Association.
  • Robson Square facilities, including the Vancouver Art Gallery, UBC Robson Square, the Law Courts and the Province.
  • Youth
  • West End Seniors

  View illustrations and event photos

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  Background

  Work leading up to this project

  800 Robson Plaza

  The block was first closed to vehicles during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

  • Staff investigated the feasibility of a permanent public plaza through monitoring and data collection
  • During the summers of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 the 800 block of Robson was closed to vehicle traffic and became a temporary pedestrian plaza hosting unique seating and events under the VIVA Vancouver Program
  • In December 2010, Council directed staff to examine the creation of a public square in the 800-block of Robson
  • During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, 800-block Robson was closed to vehicle traffic and became a pedestrian plaza for Games events

  šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square

  The North Plaza opened in 1911 as a courthouse.

  • In 2011, funds were requested from the 2012-2014 City budget for the redevelopment of the plaza and the re-waterproofing of the underground spaces of the Art Gallery
  • In 1966-1967, it was redeveloped with a different style of landscaping and to accommodate the fountain. Since then. changes have been small and incremental
  • In 1911, the courthouse, now the Vancouver Art Gallery, was completed and the plaza was used for large ceremonies