I am amazed by the energy, excitement, and life a running race like the BMO Marathon brings to a city. Yesterday morning when I ran across the Cambie Bridge in Vancouver I noticed it had been newly decorated in banners for this weekends marathon. There seemed ...

People tend to be lonely in the big city. Urban designer Mark Lakeman has seen the power of community placemaking, or the reclamation of public space as social gathering points, as a powerful antidote to this phenomenon. Today, he is in Vancouver to spread the...

I was visiting family in St Petersburg Florida recently and as I was finishing a morning run noticed several older guys hanging out by a baseball field. I was curious as to what they were gathering there for. I noticed more guys all getting out of nearby cars ...

Recently I ran into one of my neighbours, Bonnie, and we started talking about the Olympics, the building, and our neighbourhood. Then she brought up the crazy snow sculpture Hayley and I made during the last big snowfall, and how that unique piece just sittin...

Nelson’s Market Tucked back in the quaint York neighbourhood of Bellingham, WA is Nelson’s Market.    This small convenience store and cafe is a hub of hospitality and neighbourly connection.  From the surprisingly positive signage on the outsid...

I walked into the Community Resource Centre in Powell River and was warmly greeted by Eric. My attention was immediately drawn to the beautiful stone fireplace and glowing fire. There were people on computers, cooking in the kitchen and hanging holiday decorat...

Stories and pictures build community and create understanding. Through them, people who have taken different roads to create a home in Vancouver are able to share memories and create a lived history of place and space. Project CLIC: Creating Liveable and Inter...

“Business should be a part of and build community” were the words of Joon, the new manager at the Waves Coffee shop at 2588 Main Street in Vancouver. Over the past few weeks, a it’s like a wave of hospitality has become noticeable here. Yesterday I n...

Selecting and hiring people to be Community Connectors can be a difficult task. What type of experience and education should the applicant have?  Does the person need to be out spoken and an extrovert?  How can I find the right person? I recall John McKnight...

I spend a lot of time in neighborhoods. Recently, I came across this very creative use of a traffic island. In the middle of the island, there was a board with a book swap on the top shelf, a variety of announcements and a couple benches for neighbors to spend...