T.P Note: I've taken some text from this PPS article and put it in the sections here as per Ethan's suggestion. However, many sections still need text.
Granville Island is a collection of so many types of public spaces packed into one great multi-layered destination. It is a positive, disruptive example of what is possible in every city if they prioritize the revitalization of public life. It is Canada’s biggest tourist destination after Niagara Falls thanks to a stunning array of cultural facilities, markets, play areas, water activities, restaurants and waterfront views. It is characterized by an intensity of activity defined by a great variety of things to do, commercial offerings, waters edge activations, sports, art, culture, entertainment, and play areas.
It is a high energy, multi-dimensional, authentic place that can be considered the "heart" of Vancouver. It could almost be called the modern day Tivoli Gardens – the beloved pleasure garden in Copenhagen that inspired the Disney universe.
The Magic of Granville Island
In 2010, we hosted a two-day forum of planners, developers and city officials at Granville Island. Drawing inspiration from the island, we discussed what makes a great multi-use destination. Here's what we learned:
- Public multi-use destinations like Granville Island have proven to be very popular and successful, so we should replicate them more often. Why do we spend so much money on new developments that don’t work and that don’t attract people when we have amazing examples of ones that do?
- Don’t lead with design. The design of multi-use destinations should be to create a “setting” for the uses that are occurring and that emphasize the products and the authentic aspects of the place.
- The importance of government learning to say “yes” to new ideas and developing stronger more trusting relationships with the private sector.
- “If you think you’re done, you’re finished” – Develop spaces that are flexible, dynamic, and that “manage themselves.” Ongoing and innovative management are key to creating vibrant multi-use destinations.
- “The magic is in the mix.” We are moving beyond the simple concept of “mixed use” toward a technique of development that builds authentic places through establishing settings and uses that are intimately related, interconnected and interdependent. True sustainability comes from the relationships between uses, tenants, and the organizations within a place.
- Find creative funding strategies to keep rents low, attract a range of tenants and incentivize the presence of tenants who may not produce a lot of money for the site, but who bring a lot of foot traffic and are invested in the area.
gi-admin
Exploring Granville Island - A Visual Tour
Working Waterfront
Boat repair and concrete distribution center
Edges and water-based activities
Granville Island Markets
The Public Market – where local produce and a tempting array of pastry, meat, and other treats are available all year – is the heart of the island. It exemplifies the "Placemaking" approach to urban development that PPS has long advocated. On dry days, the joyful business of eating and drinking coffee spills out along the waterfront, where buskers, magicians, and other performers command large crowds. And it is just a short stroll from the market to a rich offering of bookstores, bistros, theaters, crafts studios, and numerous businesses catering to boaters.
Granville Island Public Market: the heart of the island
Market interior
Market in action
Market waterfront plaza
The public market and adjoining area perfectly illustrate a concept that is at the core of our Placemaking principles and the new Great Cities Initiative: "The Power of Ten." This means ensuring a wide variety of things to do in a place (ten seems the magic number) and then creating a variety of these kind of places within a district as a whole. People's enjoyment of a place seems to increase exponentially based on the variety of things to do and see.
Main market buildings from the water
Craft market building
Kids' market
Another great example of the power of ten is Granville Island's Kids Market, home to 25 retailers and part of a larger "kid-friendly zone" that includes a duck pond, playground, waterfront park, walkways, water park, and the Crystal Ark (an exhibit of rocks and stones). The prestigious Emily Carr School of Art, occupying a number of buildings, is another unique set of places all its own, where students take over the streets for sketching and deep conversation. And that's not all you'll find.
Railspur Alley
Each of Granville Island's destinations is bolstered by the others, thanks to a network of walkways and pedestrian-dominated streets that make moving about the island fun and easy. Although a rather small slice of central Vancouver, it caters to many moods. The public market and adjoining docks where boats load are the "town square," and a stretch of restaurants and bars provide boisterous nightlife, but you can also find a quiet bench to look out on the water or relax in the park that links Granville with the mainland.
False Creek Community Center and Granville Arts Umbrella
Granville Island Water Park
The Hotel
Bridges Restaurant
Views from the Water
House Boats
Water-based activities
People
Granville Island feels like its own small city, designed with the goal of being an interesting and joyful place to be. This is why it is such a popular and memorable destination. It teaches us how great places are characterized by a high density of activations in close proximity to each other, distinct areas with offerings for every interest, and a mix of entertainment, play, shopping, rest, refreshment, and exploration areas. Granville Island embodies the saying – the more the merrier – and just a quick glance at its visitors will show they are merry indeed.
Who we are
The Global Placemaking Movement: Next Steps
Imagine if the places where we live were walkable and shaped by our social lives, re-imagined to make it easy for us to gather, shop, have fun, eat together, and meet new people. With this mindset, we would fundamentally change our communities, and collectively have an impact on the health of our planet.
The mission of the Social Life Project is to incite a renaissance of community connection in public spaces around the globe. Through our online publication, presentations, campaigns, and catalytic projects, we can create transformative impact on communities everywhere. Our work grows out of more than 50 years devoted to building the global placemaking movement. It is an initiative of the Placemaking Fund, along with PlacemakingX — a global network of leaders who together accelerate placemaking as a way to create healthy, inclusive, and beloved communities. We gladly accept donations to advance our work.
Together, we can restore public spaces to their essential role: providing social gathering spots that enrich local life by connecting people, and empowering them to create stronger communities.
Join our campaign by sharing your stories of successful public spaces with Social Life Project, offering up ideas or resources for a Placemaking Resource Center in your community, joining the PlacemakingX network, or identifying key areas in your town that could be a fit for transformative change along with the 11 agendas. Help us start conversations at the local and regional levels about the vital need for community-led placemaking. We invite you to join our ongoing dialogue – for the future of all our public spaces!
