The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns - International ...

Downtown Winnipeg has a diverse mix of land uses.
Commercial and institutional uses make up over half
of the downtown land area, while an industrial legacy
persists in downtown Winnipeg’s warehousing district.
Residential parcels occupy almost a tenth of land
area. The downtown is fortunate to have open space
extending around its eastern boundary.
Public Realm
There has been significant effort to enhance the
public realm in downtown Winnipeg. This effort has
been particularly strong in areas where residential
growth is being encouraged, such as along
Waterfront Drive (site of the downtown’s newest
residential community), and in the Exchange District.
Effort has also been made to upgrade one of the
downtown’s established neighbourhoods, Central
Park, to make the park safer and more attractive as a
destination. These areas provide excellent examples
of quality design and investment in spaces that many
more people now gravitate toward.
Yet, the downtown still has some ways to go, as one
interviewee explained that downtown Winnipeg (with
the exception of The Forks) has not yet emerged as a
destination people to go – ‘to just hang out.’
Continued effort to enhance the public realm will likely
contribute to the attractiveness of downtown
Winnipeg as a place to simply relax and spend time.
Connectivity
Two rivers and two transcontinental railway lines
dominate Winnipeg's geography. While they are
clearly assets, both rivers and rail lines can be
barriers to connectivity. The downtown has six
bridges to cross to the opposite sides banks for the
Red and Assiniboine Rivers. Moreover, the rail lines
and yards continue to have a large presence in the
downtown, with the yards occupying a significant
portion of the total downtown area. The rail line can
create connectivity challenges between the Forks,
(one of downtown’s main draws) and the downtown
core.
123
As a matter of policy, no freeways have been built as
part of the urban transportation system in downtown
Winnipeg. Yet, there are some very wide roads that
extend through downtown Winnipeg that inhibit
pedestrian movement around the downtown. For
example, Portage Avenue and Main Street are six to
eight lane roads (in part), detracting from the
pedestrian experience. Large surface parking lots can
also lessen from the pedestrian experience. The
downtown has 35,000 off street parking spaces,
comprising an estimated 20% of downtown real
estate. The municipal, provincial or federal
governments own about 20% of the surface lots in
downtown, offering a significant redevelopment
opportunity. 25
Given Winnipeg’s extremely cold climate, an
extensive underground and above ground pedestrian
system exists. This may
Downtown has
be important to allow for
movement in the colder 13,470
months (five months of
residents
the year average below
zero temperatures) 26 , yet
it creates challenges for 1.9%
activating street life year
population growth
round and fails to take
downtown between
advantage of Winnipeg
1996-2006 (compared to
being one of the sunniest
2.4% citywide)
cities in Canada. 27
66%
of the downtown population
identify as a visible minority
1.6
is the average household size
(compared to 2.4 citywide)
25
Winnipeg City Council. (2011). Council Minutes – December 14, 2011:
Downtown Parking Strategy. Retrieved from:
http://www.winnipeg.ca/clkdmis/DocExt/ViewDoc.asp?DocumentTypeId=2
&DocId=5476. Accessed 2012 January 31.
26
Living in Canada (n.d.). The Climate and Weather of Winnipeg
Manitoba. Retrieved from http://www.livingin-canada.com/climatewinnipeg.html.
Accessed 2012 January 16.
27
Current Results (2012). Sunniest Cities in Canada. Retrieved from:
http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/Canada/sunniestcities.php.
Accessed 2012 January 16.