It’s been called the next Robson and Burrard – but who would’ve thought that 72nd Ave and Scott Road would be the gathering place for playoff fans celebrating the Canucks recent success on ice?
Only a week ago, it was estimated that there was 1,500 fans in the area. Last night, that number went up to 2,000 with the crowd lasting almost two hours!
I’m not sure why exactly sure why that street corner has emerged as the celebration site for the playoffs, but here’s some observations about the area:
- Extremely high South Asian population which are notorious for having an very connected community and high participation rate
- Intersection of two of the major streets in the South Fraser area
- Site of the Strawberry Hill community, with some density nearby
- An Earl’s and local Pub stand side by side, leading onto a small private square – the space where most of the pedestrians gather
If you view the video, you’ll also notice that there seems to be a lot of younger adults/teens. Furthermore, and rather unsurprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be too many people on their feet – a lot of them seem to be in their cars of course.
It all just leads me to believe stronger than ever before that people have an innate desire to gather and celebrate occasions, and require a safe public space in which to do so (Scott and 72nd, although highly visible to cars, isn’t highly visible to pedestrians, nor is it safe for them).
And this all occurred with only a few of the ingredients coming together: population density, pubs in close proximity to watch the game, small private square to celebrate on, high profiled intersection to gain visibility to others. It goes to show that the potential is more than for “Robson and Burrards” in the ‘burbs.
Just imagine the size and vibrant of the celebration if this was in a ore Downtown like area – with huge population densities, a vast array of pubs and restaurants, a large well designed public square, and a pedestrian oriented urban environment to make it all work.
To do so, we need to invest in building proper urban communities once again, especially in the ongoing transformation of the suburbs like Surrey.
The real “next Robson and Burrards” won’t happen until we do so. But the demand for these gathering places will.
The question is, will we satisfy it?
The meeting place is a busy intersection with an Earl’s? That’s sad. I thought Vancouver was lacking in public spaces.
Maybe someone should start a Where’s the Square? for Surrey.
surrey working on its mini plaza but its gotta look outside of the city centre
to be honest actually i’m surprise that area isnt consider an regional center in which north delta and surrey could share
There were many people on their feet, gathered in the open area that is surrounded by the streets, Earl’s, & the pub.
Most of those automobile users wanted to drive by. They weren’t looking for parking, just as people on a Sunday drive aren’t looking for parking. I don’t know if you know what a Sunday drive is or not. Maybe you do. I bet that many of the automobile users were circling the blocks just for fun.
Yes, we need more open areas. There already is an open area there.