Turning Asphalt Alleys Into “Livable Laneways”
They don't call it the most livable city in the world for nothing. Even the alleyways in Vancouver are community gathering places. That's because about ten years ago, the city of Vancouver launched an initiative aimed at converting garbage strewn alleys into "livable laneways."
The results, well, they sort of speak for themselves, says Jillian Glover at Spacing Canada:
According to resident Mike Klassen, whose home backs one of these country lanes, it has brought together his east side community. Neighbours are expected to maintain the space.
“It’s not a place where people feel they can dump their old couches and garbage,” he says in the National Post. “It became a gathering place for many of us over the summers. We’ve held barbecues there.”
Imagine if today’s alleyways all looked like this, backed by increasingly popular laneway homes and garages converted to artist’s studios or wo/man caves ;), with children meeting from around the neighbourhood to play.
In one of the world’s most expensive cities where space is at a premium, alleys serving as country lanes would be a much more effective use of space than the current single-purpose, service lane for garbage trucks and cars.
Elsewhere on the Network today: The Green Lane Project says Memphis hopes to use cycling to connect low-income residents to jobs. Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space attempts to define the key ingredients of an inclusive city. And Mobilizing the Region reports that Connecticut plans to spend the equivalent of its entire annual federal transportation allocation expanding three miles of a single highway.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
‘We Don’t Need These Highways’: Author Megan Kimble on Texas’ Ongoing Freeway Fights
...and what they have to teach other communities across America.
Should Wednesday’s Headlines 86 SUVs?
American tax law encourages people to buy the gas-guzzling and deadly vehicles, but some in Canada are pushing to ban them.
Brightline West Breaks Ground on Vegas to SoCal High-Speed Rail
Brightline West will be a 218-mile 186-mile-per-hour rail line from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga — about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. — expected to open in 2028.
Tuesday’s Headlines Fix It First
How voters incentivize politicians to ignore infrastructure upkeep. Plus, are hydrogen trains the future of rail or a shiny distraction?
Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police
Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?
