International Downtown Association Conference Minneapolis, Minnesota September 21-24, 2012

June 22 2012The Value of Investing

in Canadian Downtowns

The Canadian Urban Institute555 Richmond Street West, Suit 402Toronto, M5V 3B1www.canurb.org

International Downtown Association Conference

Minneapolis, MinnesotaSeptember 21-24, 2012

The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns




‘The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns’ study

• The first study of its kind.• Designed to raise awareness and create an ongoing

dialogue around downtown issues in Canada• Aims to bring downtown stakeholders together

across the nation• Works to develop a body of high quality ‘downtown

specific’ data• Seeks to highlight the level of effort going toward

downtown revitalization across Canada




Connectivity Architecture and Design

Innovation &Venture Capital

Diversity

Sustainability

Culture

Heritage

Public Realm

What makes a downtown great?




Principles for a thriving downtown

Measures downtownsagainst 5 principles:• Visibility• Visionary• Prosperity• Livability• Strategy




Dow

ntow

n St

udy

Area

s




Dow

ntow

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udy

Area

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Canadian downtowns are enjoying a period of renaissance

Canadian downtowns are:• Moving in a positive direction• Benefitting from innovative

partnerships• Adopting progressive approaches

to urban development • The subject of long terms plans and

planning processes




Principle 1: Visibility Does the downtown play an integral role in the life of the wider city?










Principle 1: Visibility Does the downtown play an integral role in the life of the wider city?

• Downtowns are undergoing a renaissance

• Downtowns are iconic and powerful symbols for a city

• Downtowns may be physically small in area, but typically highly visible




Downtown Toronto is crucial to the strength of the city and region

• Occupies 3% of the City’s land area but generates 25% of the City’s property tax revenue.

• Home of Canada’s largest stock exchange• Strong concentration of historic and distinctive

architecture • Comprehensive range of cultural, educational,

and retailing amenities and services• Concentration of major infrastructure. Union

Station is the busiest passenger transportation facility in Canada, with 65M passengers.




Principle 2: VisionaryDoes the downtown have strong leaders that collaborate to achieve a shared vision?

• A clear vision goes a long way• Patience, Patience, Patience• Downtown specific master plans are helping

to shape and articulate downtown visions• Implementation of downtown master plans

must consider local circumstance• Implementation efforts benefit from strong

partnerships.• Tracking and monitoring downtown

achievement is invaluable.




HRMbyDesign has unlocked development potential downtown

• Unified stakeholders and created a positive dialogue around development.• Strategic Urban Partnership has been established.• Introduced heritage incentives and design guidelines.• Brought certainty to application process, reduces application processing

time from up to 3 years to 60 days.• Helped unlock development potential in the core, more investment in the 3

years than the previous 20 years combined.• Revitalization efforts are young and long term commitment will be required.




Downtown Toronto does not have a specific master plan

• Downtown Toronto, is not subject to a single master plan, allows for local champions to emerge and diverse neighborhoods

• The size and diversity of Toronto’s downtown creates a need for innovative partnerships that are likely to remain viable and consistent across election cycles

Just a handful of downtown Toronto’s many city builders:




• Residential development is bringing vitality back to downtowns

• Downtowns are retaining office space

• Downtowns have a strong concentration of jobs

Principle 3: ProsperityIs the downtown’s economy robust and innovative?




Edmonton has developed a formula to attract residential growth

• Proactive municipal investments to enhance the public realm (i.e upgraded streetscapes, plantings, and green spaces etc) and residential development has followed.




Downtown Toronto has attracted high portions of new development




Post-secondary institutions are transformational city builders




Downtowns make a major contribution to the City’s bottom line




Principle 4: Livability Is the downtown vibrant, livable and connected

• Downtowns are experiencing positive population growth

• Downtowns are accommodating young, educated populations in smaller households

• Downtowns are providing a growing number of dwellings but are challenged with housing diversity and affordability

• Downtowns have to overcome perceptions and concerns over lack of safety




Land use data can help identify development potential




Downtowns have higher rates of walking and cycling

Downtown City Wide

Edm

onto

n

Hal

ifax

Lond

on

Vanc

ouve

r

Vict

oria

Car45%

Other mode55% Car

79%

Other mode21%

Car23%

Other mode77% Car

76%

Other mode24%

Car44%

Other mode56%

Car73%

Other mode27%

Car33%

Other mode67%

Car58%

Other mode42%

Car37%

Other mode63% Car

72%

Other mode28%

Win

nipe

g

Fred

eric

ton

Car30%

Other mode70% Car

77%

Other mode23%

Car41%

Other mode59% Car

85%

Other mode15%




Downtown Toronto is becoming increasingly livable

Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto Reference Library 519 Church Street Community Centre

Regent Park revitalization Waterfront Revitalization




Principle 5: Strategy Is the City strategically investing in it’s future?

• Many new public investments in Canadian downtowns.

• Large investments grow confidence and increase profile of downtown.

• Smaller investments add up to be transformational.

• Tracking investments can build momentum behind revitalization efforts.




Downtown investment must be ongoing

Downtown Years Municipal Investment ($)

London 1998-2011 $174M

Vancouver 2002-2010 $149M

Edmonton 2002-2011 $137M

Saskatoon 1998-2011 $94M

Fredericton 2006-2010 $84M

Halifax 2000-2014 $34M




Public investments in Downtown Toronto

• Redevelopment of Union Station

• Nathan Phillips Square

• Post secondary sector has made significant investment in the core i.e. U of T, Ryerson, George Brown

• Important investments in arts and culture i.e. AGO, ROM




Innovative approaches to financingThe Partnership in Saskatoon• Collaboration between the City and the BID

since the 1980s, sees money collected from parking meters being spent on streetscape upgrades in the downtown.

Heritage Incentives in Victoria• Heritage incentive have been highly

successful in Victoria. • Heavily leveraged by the private sector and

led to significant investment in the downtown.

• Led to dramatic increases in downtown assessment values, that in effect pay back these grants over time




Innovative approaches to financing• RE-DO-IT Ottawa: Development charges waived in

downtown Ottawa.• Additionally:

– Applications dealt with on a priority basis (90 days).

– Parking standards and open space requirements relaxed.

– City compiled a list of vacant sites with development potential.

• As a result, more than 6000 units built since 1994• $9.2M exempt since 2004, but increase in property

taxes compensates for loss in less than four years.• Program so successful at attracting growth that it has

been discontinued.




Melbourne, Australia

Curbside cafes

1983

Collecting and visualizing data

Source: Rob Adams, City of Melbourne




Curbside cafes

1993





Curbside cafes

2004Source: Rob Adams, City of Melbourne




extent of bluestone paving in 1985





extent of bluestone paving in 2004





1983= 5 dwellings





19973,763

dwellings

= 5 dwellings

convenience storeSource: Rob Adams, City of Melbourne




= 5 dwellings

convenience store

20029,895

dwellings





ContactKatherine MortonSenior Planner, Economics and Researchemail: [email protected]: 416.365.0816 x280fax : 416.365.0650

www.canurb.org

Documents

International Downtown Association Conference Minneapolis, Minnesota September 21-24, 2012