The intent of this Website book is to present readers with information on land use planning ranging from a broad perspective on the future to current urban issues, mainly in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The articles are written in newspaper style for easy reading. I have written as a planner sees the issues and hopefully without a political bias. The name "Vancouver Hot Spots" is meant as an indication to readers that the Website book will be kept up to date, unlike what is possible in a conventional paper bound book.
The first article "The Future" is written by guest writer Dr. Desmon Berghofer, director and founding member of the Institute of Ethical Leadership. Desmond believes that we can plan the future and that all citizens can play a part in determining what that future can be. Desmond's article sets the context for my articles which range in content from broad regional planning interest to specific land use community issues. I wish to thank Dr. George Gray, former professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and a personal friend, for co-authoring several of the first articles and debated and commenting on many more, even by E-mail while he and his wife Renata traveled throughout the United States and Mexico during the last two years. Many other friends and planning colleagues also kindly responded to my frequent requests for information and comments to my drafts.
In the Summer of 1997 I met with Bob McIlhargey, a creative illustrator and visionary, to collaborate on a plan to encourage the Vancouver City Council to create a festival park on 17 hectares of city owned waterfront property in South East False Creek. Soon after that, economist Phil Boname and marketing consultant Mike Hurst joined us as team members in this community vision. An article on the concept for the festival park and process to get it accepted is included. Bob died of cancer in the Fall of 1988 before any resolution to the property has taken place. As a tribute to Bob, and with permission from his wife and business partner, Lori Brown, I have included his project illustrations in support of many of the articles.
Bob's illustrations show how important presenting ideas in a graphic form can be. For our festival park concept for example, Bob took our joint team ideas and quickly sketched them along with the surrounding city context in a loose and fuzzy manner as shown below.
|
|
| Festival Park |
Our initial meetings on the festival park concept usually started with a philosophic discussion lead by Bob on what was best for the city. He knew the history of every proposal and built development in the area. The following sketches show how an illustrator can participate at an early stage of a planning project.
 |
| Hastings Park Complex |
Hastings Park Complex is shown to the right, as how it could be as a focus of ice sports during the proposed 2010 Winter Olympics.
 |
| David Lam Park at Pacific Place |
Well before a project gets designed and built, there is the need to visualize what it might be like. The following illustration of David Lam Park done in 1990 is very close to what actually got built in 1995. It should be noted that buildings in the background varies from what was built in 1998-99. The sketch is important as a record of how the actual design of a project changes. The community, especially surrounding residents of a project, don't like being promised one design and given another, unless it is superior and they have had a part to play in the decision to change it.
 |
| Science Centre |
This festive illustration was done in 1988 and shows what an addition to the east of Science World could look like. Note the solar yacht at the side and the futuristic antenna pole like designs in front. The SkyTrain is present reinforcing the idea of needing public transit near large gathering places. I'll bet Bob's sketch influences what happens someday in the future on this site.
 |
| Early Concept for Port Moody Town Centre |
These three illustrations show how dramatically project designs can change and by doing so change the whole nature of the image of a community. The first illustration by Bob McIlhargey of a design prepared by Paul Merrick Architects, is playful and interesting and if built as shown, would have produced a unique town centre area in Port Moody. The second and third illustrations for the same project, now being built by Greystone Properties, show a standard and uninteresting concept that can be found in most suburban centres in Greater Vancouver.
 |
| Port Moody Town Centre |
 |
| Port Moody Town Centre |
The majority of articles have links to other Websites. These links are intended so the reader can easily obtain additional on-line information immediately. Most of the larger architectural and engineering firms and the larger developers have Websites with plans and illustrations of current company projects. In addition most urban municipalities have Websites where council agendas, minutes and technical reports can be found together with information on council members, municipal departments, boards and committees. Municipal Websites usually provide links to local community organizations. Large private corporations and provincial government crown corporations are particularly good at providing links. As a good example, see SkyTrain'S Website www.rapidtransit.bc.ca., with links to other related Websites such as Coast Mountain Bus Link, Translink, Special Commission for SkyTrain Review, Bombardier, and even the British Columbia Government has a link (which is essentially an advertisement about their achievements with this technology).
Website Design and Maintenance
"Vancouver Hot Spots" articles have been constructed and is updated by John Emard.
E-mail Addresses
Some E-mail addresses have been provided for people mentioned in articles that have their E-mail addresses listed publicly or they have given the me permission to include them in this Website book. E-mail addresses often change and they will be updated yearly along with the articles. I appreciate opinions and additional information sent to my E-mail address eikos@RememberNow.com
Note: This probably is best at the end of the articles like a jacket to a book. We need a front cover as well which I guess could be the cover to my brochure. I have the pictures for that
Art Cowie, is a professional community planner and landscape architect and has managed his own planning firm, Eikos Planning Inc., since 1971. "Eikos" means the nearest to the right answer in Ancient Greek. Art chose the name because he believes "there are no right answers in planning - there are only options." To quote Chuck Davies in The Greater Vancouver Book. "Eikos was the first Vancouver firm to emphasize interdisciplinary planning as a major component of landscape and planning design. The firm brought together practitioners of a variety of fields to brainstorm major projects all over the province." Art has consulted to over 40 British Columbia municipalities and regional districts, several provincial and federal agencies and dozens of private individuals and corporations. Art has also worked internationally.
While continuing his professional career, Art has been elected to the Vancouver Park Board, Vancouver Council and the BC Provincial Legislature representing Vancouver-Quilchena. After serving several years in provincial politics, Art returned to private practice in 1995 and re-activated Eikos Planning Inc. and started a new firm Trees Forever Enterprises Inc. that specializes in memorial park planning, design and unique memorial sales. In 1999 he was appointed a director of the Forest Alliance of BC. Art is widely known for his understanding and guidance on both private and public planning and design issues and he consults to a number of municipalities and private companies. He conducts the occasional workshop on future visions and has been called as an expert witness in legal court cases involving land use conflicts. Nearly half of his recent professional work has been in the field of Government Affairs.