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

“getting too much of a good thing”. If the downtown
does succeed at attracting more residents it is also
important that it can attract a wide range of household
types from a wide range of backgrounds, age groups
and income brackets. The City of Vancouver has
made some strides here, pioneering designs that
provide 2-3 bedroom units in the lower floors of
residential buildings that look out over communal
space where children can play. Additionally, high
levels of safety and good schools are important to
attracting families to life in a downtown core.
Reaching the Balance with
Heritage
Balancing heritage preservation and new
development is a major challenge for many cities.
Moreover, communities can quite quickly become
polarized around these issues and discussion can
rapidly degrade to either “development equals
destruction of heritage”; or “protecting heritage equals
economic decline”. Yet cities can have the best of
both worlds and simultaneously achieve heritage
protection and economic growth. When Halifax found
itself locked in a stalemate over heritage and
development, it reversed the situation through an
inclusive planning process that aimed to achieve a
more positive dialogue with a focus on good design
outcomes. This process has delivered design
guidelines that have built trust, certainty, contributed
to new development and encouraged significant reinvestment
in the Downtown’s treasured heritage
buildings.
Some cities are also managing challenges associated
with past decisions to demolish heritage buildings.
More specifically, many downtowns across Canada
were the subject of major provincial or national urban
renewal programs that left the super blocks (large
scale retail or housing developments that are
invariably inward looking). In London the Galleria Mall
opened in the 1960s, occupying one major street
block and providing high, blank walls along each
elevation. This mall has since folded and the City
should be applauded for its efforts to revitalize the
Fenwick Tower Revitalization and Preservation, Halifax
CitiPlaza (formerly Galleria Mall) London, ON
Example of building redevelopment, while preserving structural
heritage. Oxford St., London, UK
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Inclusionary new development, London UK