Vancouver's city planners are taking a page from the
imagination of one of the city's most celebrated writers. Douglas Coupland's V-Poles are conceptual
multipurpose poles of 12 feet or higher, that are equipped to bolster cellular
and wi-fi infrastructure, power electric cars wirelessly, process parking
transactions and display information via an LED display. The V-Pole (V standing for Vancouver) is an
efficient solution to urban utility clutter, and, according to Mayor Gregor
Robertson will enable “new generation communications, data and zero emission
transportation.”
Coupland hopes that these multipurpose poles will eventually
replace inefficient old infrastructure, reducing the need for multiple utility
poles cluttering neighbourhoods. The
poles will also be a statement attesting to Vancouver's readiness to transition
from fossil fuel automobiles to efficient electric vehicles.
The technology for these does
not yet exist, however, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has approved a Telus proposal to build three monopoles in the West
End. A monopole is similar in concept to
Coupland's V-Pole. They are integrate
wireless improvements with electric car charging, but lack the wifi, parking
and signage features of the full V-pole. Coupland himself seems a little bit disappointed by the monopoles,
likening them to giant lint rollers over his twitter. Vancouver city council has passed a motion to
seek out pilot projects to develop full V-poles, so we can hope to see the full
technology in the next few years.
Check out these articles to learn more about how electric
cars are driving Vancouver's green future:
