CASE STUDY

Initial Research by: Desiree Theriault

Continued Research by: Samantha Miller

Edited by: Nicole Brekelmans

Case study compiled in 2017

 

 

Project:  Robson Square

Type of Urban Strategy: Smart Cities 

Type of Project: Square / Plaza

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

Date Designed/Planned: 1973

Construction Completed:  1979

Designer: Arthur Erickson & Cornelia Oberlander

 

Robson Square, designed by Arthur Erickson with landscape designed by Cornelia Oberlander in the 1970s, was a massive project to create a space solely for people to gather as a public urban space. Located in the heart of Downtown Vancouver, the designers wanted a revitalized public space in the area connecting the Provincial Law Courts, UBC Downtown campus, a major shopping district, and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

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Since the revitalization project, Robson Square has been one of the best areas in the city to host free organized activities, group gatherings and a great place for students to gather. The designers were battling with the City of Vancouver in trying to make the space permanently closed to vehicular traffic to keep the area one hundred percent pedestrian-oriented, but now that it is entirely closed, it remains an excellent place for pedestrians to walk, sit, or cycle through.