Element |
Description |
1. Strengthen downtown
as the main retail and
service centre in the
region. |
Downtowns in general have been losing ground to suburban commercial
centres in large part because most regional population growth has been in
the suburbs and retailers have located in these growing local trade areas.
As a result, downtowns import less total retail trade and have had to
become more specialized. In addition, changes in the structure of retailing
(more big box stores, fewer major department store chains) have favoured
low density, automobile-oriented retailing in suburban locations. This
pattern is common in metropolitan regions and most cities have little power
to stop it, given that suburban commercial development is often under the
control of other municipalities and that it is difficult to force people
to shop
in ways they do not prefer. Downtowns need to find an appropriate niche
in the regional commercial landscape and work aggressively to maintain
and increase their market share. Ways to enhance downtownÕs retail
prospects include:
- ensure that downtown provides a unique, high quality shopping
- experience.
- manage the retail mix to provide a quality retail inventory, without
skewing too much in favour of tourist-oriented retail (especially lowquality,
generic products).
- recruit new tenants to fill vacant space.
- encourage investment in new/refurbished retail buildings.
- conduct ongoing effective marketing aimed at residents of the region,including
advertising and special events.
|
2. Ensure that downtown
is accessible to residents
of the whole region and
ensure that parking is
adequate, convenient,
and reasonably priced.
|
A strong roster of retailers will only be successful if shoppers can
travel to,
and within, downtown quickly and comfortably. Good transit is essential,
especially as the region grows and traffic increases. However, in medium-
sized communities with dispersed development patterns, road access and
parking are essential to retail success. |
3. Strengthen downtown
as a visitor destination.
|
Some downtowns are fortunate to be significant tourist destinations,
providing a second major second source of retail sales in addition to
regional residents. For downtowns in this category, an important major
component of downtownÕs strategy must be working to enhance this
market. Broadly speaking, actions should include:
- marketing to attract visitors.
- ensuring high quality, reliable, reasonably priced access for visitors.
- ongoing refurbishment and additions to key attractions.
- ongoing improvements to the inventory of accommodation.
- providing attractive meeting, trade show ,and conference facilities.
- maintaining tourism infrastructure (tourist information, reservation
- systems, signage).
- maintaining the basic quality and integrity of downtown as a place
with a distinct, attractive image or brand.
|
4. Strengthen downtown
as the regional focus
of government and
office space.
|
Downtown is oftenthe government and business centre of the region.
However, some downtowns have been treading water in this regard while
suburban business park locations are increasing in prominence. Daytime
office employees are a major source of retail/service spending and should
be retained whenever possible. Reinforcing downtownÕs prominence
requires:
- commitments from senior governments to maintain their presence in downtown, rather than choosing suburban locations. While there is a need for government to find ways to economize on space and a need to ensure that agencies are accommodated in functional space, there is also a need to consider the overall economic impact of government office location decisions. Economic spin-off tends to be maximized in a high density commercial core, such as downtown.
- planning policy that discourages the creation of major high density office nodes that are too directly competitive with downtown. While it is sound regional planning policy to encourage the creation of suburban employment concentrations that minimize regional transportation demand, these centres should not rival downtown by encouraging and facilitating investment in new/refurbished office space.
- ensuring adequate off-street parking to meet the needs of office users, especially in historic areas where buildings do not contain off-street parking.
|
5. Strengthen downtown
as a cultural,
educational, and
entertainment centre.
|
Downtown is oftenthe government and business centre of the region.
However, some downtowns have been treading water in this regard while
suburban business park locations are increasing in prominence. Daytime
office employees are a major source of retail/service spending and should
be retained whenever possible. Reinforcing downtownÕs prominence
requires:
- commitments from senior governments to maintain their presence indowntown,
rather than choosing suburban locations. While there is aneed for government
to find ways to economize on space and a need toensure that agencies are accommodated
in functional space, there is also a need to consider the overall economic
impact of government officelocation decisions. Economic spin-off tends to be
maximized in a highdensity commercial core, such as downtown.
- planning policy that discourages the creation of major high densityoffice
nodes that are too directly competitive with downtown. While itis sound regional
planning policy to encourage the creation of suburbanemployment concentrations
that minimize regional transportationdemand, these centres should not rival
downtown by encouraging andfacilitating investment in new/refurbished office
space.
- ensuring adequate off-street parking to meet the needs of office users,especially
in historic areas where buildings do not contain off-street parking.
|
6. Maintain the high
quality of the physical
environment.
|
Downtown can only achieve economic improvement if it is physically
attractive to visitors, regional residents, and people who live and work in
the core. There are many inter-related aspects to the physical environment,
involving public agencies and private property owners, including:
- maintain good quality and attractive streetscapes including sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, street furniture, and signage.
- keep sidewalks clean (free of dirt, litter, snow).
- maintain basic civic infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage, roads, utilities).
- maintain high quality public spaces.
- maintain the stock of historic buildings.
- ensure that new development is sited and designed to contribute to the image and character of downtown.
- maintain/improve the quality of the waterfront, including access, views, activities.
- maintain an overall sense of authenticity and quality.
|
7. Keep streets and
sidewalks safe,
comfortable, and
attractive.
|
This element involves the challenging interface between downtown
revitalization and broader social/economic issues such as homelessness,
addiction, crime, health, and unemployment. In this arena, there is ample
room for philosophical and political arguments about who has what rights
to be on the streets, whether panhandling is a nuisance that should be
subject to regulation or a basic right, classism, and social engineering.
There is even room for debate about how much ÒgritÓ is just enough
for
downtown, in that a too-sanitized environment makes a downtown seem
unauthentic or boring while too much forced interaction with non-
mainstream people makes ordinary shoppers and visitors uncomfortable.
Our approach to this, in the context of a downtown strategy, is pragmatic.
Downtown needs:
- streets that are clean.
- streets that are safe (and feel safe) at all hours.
- a minimum of uncivil or illegal behaviour (such as aggressive or intimidating
behaviour, urinating in doorways, property crime, graffiti in inappropriate
locations, or blatant drug dealing). These short-term objectives require some
immediate actions that some people will regard as avoiding the underlying problems,
but this is not an either/or proposition. Of course the community needs long
term, lasting solutions to basic social problems, but in the meantime, downtown
needs to be a safe and comfortable place to work, live, shop, and visit.
|
8. Increase the number of
people living downtown.
|
People living downtown add retail spending and increase the level of
on-
street activity, which helps to dilute or displace undesirable street
behaviour. These key ingredients are necessary to fuel a downtown
residential market:
- attractive development sites must be available at acceptable cost.
- developers must believe there is a target market that wants true downtown living, not only on a few high amenity sites such as waterfront.
- purchasers must believe that downtown is a safe place to live.
- City regulatory processes must be supportive of downtown residential development.
|
9. Guide land use and development at the regional, city, and local
scale |
. Land use and development in downtown must be guided by an overall
plan and regulatory framework that provides:
- clear guidance for preferred locations for concentrations of retail, office,
and residential development within the region and within the City.
- sufficient infrastructure to accommodate office and residential
growth in downtown.
- development parameters (e.g. height, density) and design guidelines
for downtownthat achieve a high quality of development and are consistent with
market and financial feasibility.
- vision for the future use and enhancement of public lands in downtown.
- a reasonable and efficient system for processing applications for new development.
|
10. Provide vision and coordinate the efforts of many stakeholders. |
The many stakeholders interested in the future of downtown must to
some extent share a common view of the future of downtown and find ways
to make sure that they work together. The lack of a coordinated effort
results in gaps, overlaps, wasted effort, and in extreme cases, conflict.
Coordination cannot be forced upon agencies with wide ranging interests
and resources. Coordination results from a willingness to share ideas,
take suggestions, accept input, and work for the greater good of all
downtown stakeholders. Written strategies, organizational charts, and
adopted plans can appeal for a coordinated approach, but cannot cause
it. The checklist above gives us a method of comparing what ought to
be done with what is actually occurring in downtown Victoria, in order
to identify any critical gaps or overlaps. |
