Waking Up the Neighbours: Cultural Venues and their Neighbours November 30, 2007

What are the external effects that cultural spaces and venues can have on communities?

What are the planning and policy dynamics that underlie this?

What are the barriers and opportunities created by land use policies, large-scale cultural initiatives, bylaws, liquor laws, and varying community expectations?

How or is programming shaped by externalities such as noise and other community expectations?

According to Mark Pickersgill, Planner for the Corporation of Delta and live music editor for Streethawk Magazine, concerns related to cultural spaces and venues over things such as noise, crowds, alcohol consumption, and civic disorder can have divisive and corrosive effects on communities. Constraints on available, suitable, and affordable spaces can further exacerbate these effects and also bring forth deeper questions concerning the long-term economic and social sustainability of cultural spaces and venues. Within his discussion, Mark will explore the external effects that cultural spaces and venues can have on communities and the planning and policy dynamics that underlie this. His presentation will specifically include a look at the barriers and opportunities created by land use policies, largescale cultural initiatives, bylaws (noise, zoning), liquor laws, and varying community expectations.

The Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre in Yaletown is a unique public facility dedicated to community development through arts, culture, and recreation. The Roundhouse is a reflection of the dreams and hard work of many dedicated artists, heritage buffs, planners, and community advocates who worked together to not only save the 1888 Roundhouse from complete destruction both before and after Expo '86, but also helped to turn it into a public amenity that serves both the residents of the new False Creek North development and all the citizens of Vancouver. From its former glory days as a maintenance facility for old steam engines to its current function as a community centre for the arts, the Roundhouse has had a great affect on Vancouver and its immediate community. Margaret Watts, Supervisor of Recreation Services for the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre will discuss the challenges of operating an arts based facility in the heart of a new and growing urban neighbourhood that is becoming one of the densest and most diverse sites in North America. Waking up the neighbourhood and keeping them awake has lead to some interesting operating policy decisions for the Roundhouse.

About the salons

This informal networking series is for faculty and students from SFU, UBC and other academic institutions, as well as members of the general public, who are interested in issues of cultural sustainability, infrastructure and community.

On the last Friday of every month, we invite you to share ideas with others with similar interests who come from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. This informative networking series is for anyone who is interested in culture and the city in terms of issues such as sustainability, infrastructure, and community. The Salons begin with a research roundtable, followed by an informal presentation from a guest speaker and a question and answer period. An opportunity to network over refreshments will end the afternoon.

For more information about the Salons, please visit: www.cultureandcommunities.ca/events/cultural-research-salons.html.

If you’d like to present your research at a future Salon, please contact Kelsey Johnson at kelsey@cultureandcommunities.ca

School of Communication Centre of Expertise on Culture and Communities
Simon Fraser University
A project of SFU's School of Communication
www.sfu.ca/communication
Located at Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre Campus

Official Website: http://www.cultureandcommunities.ca