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Over the many years, Downtown Van has spearheaded and funded numerous public art installations, such as murals. Most recently, it funded the major “Canopy” installation — a system for 3,000 programmable LED catenary lights, suspended above the street plaza at Robson Square.

Canopy was first installed on a temporary basis from late November 2023 to late March 2024. Due to its popularity, it has since become a seasonal installation, with the catenary lights returning this past winter from late October 2024 to late February 2025.

“Our Public Art Strategy may be launching today, but we’ve been championing public art for years,” said Jane Talbot, president and CEO of Downtown Van, in a statement today.

“We’ve been creating welcoming, inclusive spaces all along. This strategy simply makes our approach even more intentional.”

The new strategy will be phased over the coming years, “ensuring consistent progress” and a “growing impact.”

From lighting art to landmark works that evoke civic pride

There will be more lighting activations, including temporary installations created for the dark winter months, given the success of Canopy. This can make spaces not only more vibrant, but improve ares perceived to be unsafe, such as poorly lit areas.

The BIA’s strategy also envisions the addition of “iconic landmark” artworks — must-see or destination pieces designed to convey meaning, attract visitors, strengthen civic pride and identity, and serve as both physical and visual landmarks for wayfinding and orientation.

The strategy includes considerations for interactive public art that incorporates technology, enhancing engagement and accessibility. For particularly popular installations, there may even be opportunities to develop themed merchandise — fostering a deeper sense of community ownership and pride, while also generating revenue to support future public art projects.

It should be noted that public art in general is also a principle of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), with significant public art pieces serving to attract more foot traffic to public spaces, effectively creating more “eyes on the street” and deterring criminal activity.

Such art projects can directly reduce vandalism and contribute to a cleaner and more inviting public realm, such as the use of murals on blank walls or boarded up windows and storefronts to deter graffiti and damage.

Permanent “VANCOUVER” sign

Planning is currently underway for a permanent landmark giant “VANCOUVER” three-dimensional letter sign, following Vancouver City Council’s April 2024-approved motion directing City of Vancouver staff to work with relevant stakeholders to plan for such a sign’s location and design.

Downtown Van, Destination Vancouver, and Greater Vancouver Board of Trade expressed their support to City Council for such a permanent public art installation. This sign is expected to be ready in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The upcoming creation of a permanent “VANCOUVER” sign is a response to the resounding foot traffic success of recent temporary installations, particularly the temporary “VANCOUVER” sign originally created for the 2023 Christmas activations at the central waterfront.

This was followed by a temporary “VANCOUVER” sign for Junction Public Market in Summer 2024, the popularity of Taylor Swift–themed signs during The Eras Tour’s final stop in Vancouver in December 2024, and the series of subsequent winter-themed converted displays after the concerts.

Public art is recognized as one component of a placemaking strategy for Vancouver — a point emphasized by Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, during a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade event in March 2025.

“Placemaking, at its heart, is about creating vibrant, people-centred spaces… Today, the impact of placemaking has evolved. An era where social media possibly influences where people go and what they experience. The best placemaking projects, they don’t just enhance the quality of life, they become some of the most powerful destination promotion assets available to cities,” said Chwin.

Chwin also echoed the sentiment of renowned urban planner Mitchell Silver, stating, “We don’t want a plan based on land uses. We want a plan based on experiences. Who visits downtown to see land uses?”

In July 2024, Downtown Van also unveiled a new five-year strategy through 2028 to create more laneway activation projects — a type of placemaking strategy — following the success of previous projects such as the pink laneway of Alley Oop.

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