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

elatively lower intensity, which could be due to the larger land area
that comprises their downtown study area. While, Edmonton,
Victoria and Toronto each have a similar intensity of jobs in their
downtown cores despite the dramatic differences between the
physical lay out size of the three downtown study areas.
Downtowns are increasingly attracting
educational institutions
Many of the downtowns have been successful in attracting post
secondary institutions over the past decade. Downtown Toronto
stands out in this regard, as the university sector is emerging as
one of the most transformational city builders in the core. The
University of Toronto, Ryerson University, George Brown College
and OCAD University have each been responsible for iconic and
inspiring additions to the downtown. London, Edmonton, and
Winnipeg have also had great success attracting universities to repurposed/heritage
buildings; while downtown Saskatoon has
attracted a satellite campus for the University of Saskatchewan. In
downtown Vancouver, the redevelopment of the Woodward’s
Building is an exemplary project that adds an SFU campus to
existing satellite campuses in the core.
This trend is highly promising as the role of post secondary
institutions in the downtown essentially provides a double value.
Firstly, post secondary institutions bring a student population to the
core that is able to support local business, and add a critical mass
of pedestrian activity throughout the day and evening. Secondly
each university has a generation of students that may form bonds
and attachments to the downtown and decide to stay on after they
have completed their studies, adding to a highly skilled labour
market. 3
The Sharp Centre of Design at OCAD University,
designed by Alsop Architects.
Red River College led an exciting new program downtown that
restored 6 heritage façades in downtown Winnipeg.
The University of Alberta’s downtown campus in Edmonton occupies the
renovated Hudson’s Bay building, constructed in 1894.
3 International evidence of this comes from Paris, where the national government provides
subsidies to the regional government to allow that government to invest in student housing.
This invariably cultivates vibrancy in the downtown and ensures downtown residency is feasible
for all income levels. Farro, S. (1997). Les aids au logement. Retrieved from http://sos-net.eu.org/etrangers/fiche5.htm.
Accessed 2012 February 13.
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