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

uilding and reconnect it with surrounding streets by
attracting the new central library, office space, a post
secondary institution and a smaller retail component
(i.e. Goodlife Fitness with direct street access). The
Toronto Eaton Centre also sets a great example and
has attempted to activate almost all of its edges to the
street allowing for traffic to move seamlessly between
the mall and the streets outside.
Encouraging Alternative Modes of
Transportation
A highly visible and irritating quality of any successful downtown
is congestion. Yet a certain amount of congestion contributes to
the “buzz” associated with vibrant downtowns. The greatest
asset of any downtown is its density of people and jobs, and its
intensity of activity. The challenge for cities is to accommodate
as much density and intensity as possible without grinding to a
halt. The key is to find the balance. In contemporary Canadian
cities, this generally involves getting people out of their cars,
because automobiles are inefficient users of land and
incompatible, in great numbers, with vibrant, prosperous
downtowns. While transit undoubtedly plays a key role here,
there are other less costly options that could be considered to
help move people away from private vehicles.
Residents of several Canadian cities have access to car
sharing programs which offer residents short-term rentals at
an affordable cost. Car sharing programs allow downtown
residents to live without the high costs of maintaining or parking
a car, while still having a convenient option to drive when
necessary. Many municipal planning departments are requiring
condominium developments to provide car shares in parking
lots. Similarly, bicycle sharing programs have recently been
established in a number of North American cities. As well as
serving local residents they have the added attraction of being
accessible to tourists and non-drivers. In combination with safe
cycling infrastructure, bicycle sharing can make short trips
around the downtown faster and more reliable than by car or
public transit. Today, these programs tend to be unprofitable in
Canada, but they are still young; the oldest, Montreal’s Bixi, has
only been in operation since the fall of 2008. Downtown Toronto
and Ottawa also have Bixi programs.
AutoShare, Toronto
Fenwick Tower Revitalization and Preservation, Halifax
Bixi bike share, Montreal
City Plaza (formerly Galleria Mall) London, ON
Bike lanes in Vancouver
Example of building redevelopment, while preserving structural
heritage. Oxford St., London, UK
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‘Smart Parking’ in San Francisco, California
Inclusionary new development, London UK