Feature Stories
The Woodward's Experiment - continued
By Michael Harris published Sep 1, 2009
Who says East is East, West is West, and never the twain shall meet?
Imagine Mrs. Hicks, say, who lives on the 22nd floor of the W tower and descends in need of cilantro from the Woodward’s grocery. Crossing the courtyard, she smiles at six-year-old Shaadi, who has learned more English by playing here than his father can speak; she passes beneath Stan Douglas’s epic mural depicting the Gastown Riots; she is overtaken by teenagers exiting the art school, noisily discussing sex. Buying her groceries, Mrs. Hicks chats with her bank teller, who lives with his three children in a non-market unit. Then she shuttles back up to the 22nd floor. Nothing so extraordinary has taken place. Or has it? Even the millions of nods of recognition to oft-seen nameless neighbours must have some effect. Such proximity might keep us from abdicating social responsibility as often as we do.
Our invented Mrs. Hicks is only one of 6,000 disparate people expected to crowd the courtyard every day. That much body heat can sound combustive. Realtor Bob Rennie was told he could never sell the 536 kitted-out condos that offset the 200 social-housing units. “I said, ‘Be bold or move to suburbia.’ I dared them to live there.” When the condos went on sale, would-be buyers lined up overnight.
There’s a book on Henriquez called Towards an Ethical Architecture, and it has this epigraph: “Architecture must be a poetic expression of social justice.” Architects, in fact, don’t have to do anything. Nor do developers. (The Woodward’s developer, Ian Gillespie, told Henriquez that Woodward’s was 10 percent of his business but took up 50 percent of his staff’s time.) The confluence of activism and vision that brought Woodward’s together is a unique trial, not everyday city-making. And yet, now that it’s done in steel and glass, it looks perfectly natural, like the elemental will of a city. And—who knew?—it’s beautiful. Anyone would be drawn to amble through the diagonal courtyard, a road without cars that leads us at last through a multitude of urban experiences where once there was a single behemoth of a building.
Former city planner Larry Beasley said that Woodward’s has been a spiritual awakening for Henriquez. What the architect has built, says Beasley, “is a complete manifestation of this city’s ethos. And this was the hardest possible site for that.” It happened farther east than any yuppie was expected to buy, and farther west than any SRO was expected to be built.
Cynics will ask whether members of radically different classes want to shop together, eat together, live together. Realists will reply that we have no choice but to shop, eat, live together—the divisions our cities sometimes aspire to are unsustainable, even unethical. Either way, Woodward’s begins its new life as a massive social experiment. The abutted populations that it houses will either embrace or disdain each other; we’ll find out which by the argument of use.
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Wow, that`s a.. strange looking building. I like it. Reminds me of Times Square, especially on this picture.. http://www.monniblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/dominion1.jpg
Regards,
Bensinkort
Woodwards is a metaphor for Vancouver's brand of the politics of political correctness. The poverty pimps' monument to their astounding power to build a trendy ghetto that will never be moved. And its political power to force the govt to create the most expensive social housing in the country. It may be euphemistically called 'non-market' housing, but the opportunity cost of providing such housing in an expensive downtown area is very real and market. It may be idealistic to imagine that yuppies or whatever label we use for the 'rich' will actually pay hundreds of thousands of hard earned dollars to live and risk their lives in a complex along with welfare people. Or on the same street with druggies and dealers and pimps. It's a fact, I guess, that the apartments have really been sold. But, the let's see if it lasts and what really happens because its success will depend on a radical change in human nature. And we can see the real side of human nature outside on Hastings.
Here's a taste of what Woodwards will probably descend into hell. Mrs. Hicks, descends from her apartment and struggles past the dealers and pimps, carefully avoiding all the needles in the park. Meanwhile, the meth dealer, Big Dog, sees that she has left her apartment. He signals to one of his boys to lead the crew up to her place. They jimmy her door and strip her place clean- the Sony flatscreen, Miehl microwave and Kitchen Aid blender vanish and later appear amongst the other hot goods sold in a bar on Hastings. Of course, the police can't help her because who'd ever cooperate with the Nazi police in an enlightened 'hood like Woodwards. And the social workers. Well, they just think Mrs. Hicks got what was coming to her- "Yuppie scum just made a contribution to the poor. Right?"
Is Woodwards just a prize for Jim Green, who finally made 'the man' cough up for the poor? Or is this simply a naive hope that by making yuppies pay for the privilege of living next to junkies and criminals we can all hold hands and sing, "We are the world...?" Aside from sheer, unjustified hope is there any logic that shows that goodness and mercy shall certainly follow and poverty, drugs and homelessness will vanish from Downtown Eastside because Woodwards will be a shining example of how society can work together? Can you really live in that area without being robbed blind by the druggies looking to set up their next fix?
Obviously, Woodwards would be a great location for drug dealers and pimps- it's their prime office location. I love the selective and optimistic examples used in this article. Where are the dealers, pimps, thieves and other assorted subversives? Have any of you asked existing Yuppie residents in the area how it's like to live there? They'll tell you about the high risk of burglary, damage to your car (not Porsche, but Honda) from vandalism and people urinating in the entrance. So all of a sudden you think everyone will behave like they live on Sesame Street if you install some trendy architecture? Why don't we just name this as Jim Green's pyramid.
High minded social activists conveniently forget that human nature can't be changed. I'd be the first person to join Mrs. Hicks as a neighbour if Woodwards actually works. But, common sense says Woodwards will be a neighbourood more suitable for Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) or maybe Dirty Harry- because that's who we'll need to clean it up.
I believe that mixed-use is a good idea so I wish the Woodward's residents luck. However, while Vancouver's poverty industry does a great job of standing up for the poor, there are few people looking out for the rest of us. Too often, those "yuppies" (who pay for everything) are trampled on and made to feel unwelcome in their city. Give us a break for once - we're not all homeless hating thugs. Let's hope that the "non-market" (wow, what a euphemism) residents are willing to respect their neighbours this time. Fingers crossed that the Woodwards can achieve the ideals of its planners.
Thanks for the kind words. Now we're interested to see the Stan Douglas mural that's being installed in the next couple weeks in the Woodward's pedestrian mall. A massive portrayal of the Gastown Riots that took place in 1971. Should be an extraordinary (and challenging) addition to the urban landscape.
This is a fabulous article, which gets to the very essence of the Woodward's Experiment. Are we as a society ready for Inclusive Cities which reflect the true diversity of the Canadian Mosaic? Are we ready for a new form of inclusive democracy? Woodwards is a symbol of what is possible when enlightened individuals in power allow themselves to dream of empowering others.
