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

STRATEGY
Is the City Strategically Investing in Its Future?
The City of Vancouver is investing strongly in its downtown in three key ways. The City is working to improve
mobility, through investment in its transit infrastructure and the design of its streets and sidewalks. For example, the
City has championed the redesign of Granville Street and is developing bicycle lanes. The City is also focused on
strengthening community facilities and neighbourhoods in the downtown through non-market housing. This is
particularly important given the housing affordability challenges associated with living in Vancouver – especially in the
downtown. In addition, the City has been investing in arts and culture, through theatres, art spaces, and public art
projects. Overall, investments in the City of Vancouver seem to be influenced by an underlying philosophy to make
downtown Vancouver a more accessible and equitable place for residents, workers and visitors.
Collection of Municipal Capital Projects Data
Capital projects data for downtown Vancouver was compiled with input from all departments across the City of
Vancouver. A more specific list of all downtown projects and the total municipal investment associated with each
project was provided by each City department. Additionally some investments were made on the boundary of the
downtown study area. These have been included in both in the wider map and the calculations of total municipal
investment, as this approach has been consistently adopted for the other case studies.
Summary of Municipal Capital Projects
Municipal Project
Municipal
Investment
Municipal Project
Municipal
Investment
Hornby Bike Lane 2010) $3,200,000 Public Art – 350 W Georgia St. (2009) $250,000
Dunsmuir Bike Lane (2010) $900,000 Public Art – 350 W Georgia St. (2005) $210,000
Granville St. Reconstruction (2009) $24,500,000 Public Art – Harbour Green Park Seawall (2004) $200,000
Little Beach Childcare (2003) $1,100,000 Affordable Housing – 1265 Granville St. $1,200,000
Central Library (Renovations and Upgrades) (2004-
2010)
$400,000 Affordable Housing – 1299 W Hastings St. $1,800,000
Orpheum Theatre (Renovations) (2009) $6,300,000 Affordable Housing – 768 Richards St. $700,000
Playhouse (Renovations) (2009) $6,000,000 Affordable Housing – 1261 Granville St. $6,900,000
Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Renovatios) (2010) $60,700,000 Affordable Housing – 1321 Richard St. $5,000,000
Emery Barnes Park – Phases 1-3 (2003-3001) $27,000,000
Coal Harbour (Thurlow to Jervis) (2002) $2,500,000 TOTAL 148,860,000
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