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

LIVEABILITY
Is the downtown vibrant, liveable & connected?
Population
As downtown Halifax overcomes some of its
development challenges, the population growth has
been relatively strong. From 1996 to 2006, the
population grew by 25% to 4,500. Growth in
downtown Halifax outpaced HRM’s growth, which
was 13% during the same decade. Downtown Halifax
still relies heavily on workers who outnumber the day
time population 6:1. Additionally, tourists play a key
role in creating vitality in the downtown core with one
and half millions tourists per year.
Diversity
Downtown Halifax has a younger population profile
compared to the entire city; the median age is almost
a decade lower in the downtown.
While largely beyond the boundaries of the study
area, the Old North neighbourhood is one that has
historically been characterized with diversity, as well
as socio-economic challenges. In the 1960s, many
historic dwellings in Old North were cleared and
replaced with high rise housing towers, as part of
major urban renewal projects. For example, the
removal of Africville between 1964 and 1969 created
major rifts in inner core’s community lasting until
commemoration of this event and an apology was
provided by the City in 2002. Africville is now
designated as a national heritage site. This
experience illuminates some of the shortfalls to widely
accepted approaches to urban renewal from 60s and
70s and the way the legacy of these decisions can
impact communities for decades.
Housing
A quarter of housing downtown is in buildings less
than five storeys and 60% is in apartments taller than
five storeys. Single detached dwellings make up 2%
of housing downtown compared to 50% citywide. The
average household size in downtown is also smaller
than city wide, 1.7 compared to 2.4 respectively.
40
Housing prices downtown have also close to doubled
in the past decade, correlating with increases
experienced across the City.
Safety
A recent survey (the CityThink Survey) found that
most Haligonians feel safe in downtown Halifax. The
survey found that 71% of respondents thought
downtown was either “mostly” or “very safe”.
Haligonians are feeling much safer in downtown
Halifax compared to several years ago; in 2007, the
same survey revealed only 50% of residents felt
“mostly” or “very safe”. 6
Downtown has
4,500
residents
21%
population growth
downtown between 1996-
2006 (compared to 13%
citywide)
1.7
is the average household
size (compared to 2.4
citywide)
Downtown has 2
grocery stores
6
Thompson, Aly. (2011). “Majority feel safe in downtown Halifax” in Metro
News. Retrieved from:
http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/857004--majority-feel-safein-downtown-halifax.
Accessed 2012 January 16.