City unveils new plans for Centretown following successful Street Seats pilot project

Following a successful Street Seats pilot project, the City continues to advance the Centretown Street Safety and Revitalization Action Plan to improve the downtown core with enhanced streets and sidewalks, outdoor seating and increased space to encourage active street life.

The City of Ottawa today released the findings of the three-month Street Seats pilot project on Bank Street, which attracted thousands of Centretown residents and visitors to events and activities over the summer, supported local businesses and better connected the community. The announcement was made today by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe alongside Somerset Ward Councillor Ariel Troster and Janette Sadik-Khan from Bloomberg Associates.

Street Seats, which started in July and continues until the end of October, created three temporary pedestrian spaces totaling nearly 400 square meters along Bank Street at Florence, Frank and MacLaren streets. The brightly-coloured spaces were adorned with tables and chairs in shaded, welcoming settings. Over the first two months, 166 events, programmed with a regular schedule of live performers, activities and vendors, drew over 2,500 attendees.

The Street Seat program was the first project in the Centretown Street Safety and Revitalization Action Plan, which will bring additional public space improvements and safer street projects over the next three years.

The report released by the City today found strong interest in establishing more Street Seat projects in the future, according to those who visited the site or visited the project page on Engage Ottawa. Key findings in the report included:

• 91 percent had a positive impression of the new spaces
• 82 percent of visitors reported feeling safe and comfortable
• 66 percent reported visiting nearby businesses more frequently
• 63 percent felt more connected to their community
• 87 percent of visitors reported arriving without a car

The City worked with Councilor Troster’s office and the Centretown BIA to develop and implement the Street Seats pilot, including community outreach and sourcing local talent to lead events. Programming included fitness classes, chess matches, music and comedy shows.

City staff has partnered with Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world and is a part of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to accelerate Council-approved public realm and road safety improvements, such as Street Seats. Janette Sadik-Khan is the transportation principal with Bloomberg Associates and a former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. Sadik-Khan oversaw similar street pedestrianizations and now works with mayors to reimagine their streets.

 

Centretown Street Safety and Revitalization Action Plan

This three-year action plan reimagines Ottawa’s downtown core, with enhanced streets and sidewalks, outdoor seating and increased space to encourage active street life. Initiatives under the plan fall under four categories:

• Fun and Vibrant
• Clean and Inviting
• Green and Resilient
• Safe for All

Key goals of the Action Plan include:

• Redesigning Laurier Avenue West as a safer, more attractive and inviting street
• Designing and landscaping improvements to change the look and feel of Albert, Slater, and Kent streets
• Implementing safety projects to make Centretown crossings safer
• Updating street fixtures, and supporting active streetscapes across Centretown mainstreets
• Re-imagining the Metcalfe Street extension and initiating a programming pilot in partnership with the Canadian Museum of Nature
• Enlivening the streetscape with greenery
• Establishing an enhanced street maintenance program
• Developing a private sponsorship program to support new improvements and activations
• Designing and building a new public washroom in Centretown

Several of these projects, which reimagine streets and create a safer more connected community, will be made possible thanks to support from the Province of Ontario. These projects complement a variety of other City initiatives focused on revitalizing downtown.

Quotes

"Street Seats has been an incredible success this summer, bringing residents and visitors together, supporting local businesses, and showing what vibrant, welcoming public spaces can do for our city. We’re excited to expand the pilot program and continue our commitment to revitalizing downtown Ottawa in new ways."

Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor

 

“These improvements reflect a growing commitment to reimagining Centretown’s public realm. The Street Seats pilot has resulted in increased social interaction, economic support, and community wellbeing throughout the neighbourhood and beyond. It shows that bright, artistic, fun and free spaces attract visitors and increase both pride and safety in our downtown neighbourhoods.”

Ariel Troster, Somerset Ward Councillor

 

“Better streets for people to walk, to stop and to shop are better for business. In city after city, wherever elected leaders have transformed their streets, they’ve seen long-term improvements in the safety, life and livability of their neighborhoods.”

Janette Sadik-Khan, Bloomberg Associates

 

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