Restore The Core

Downtowns and Central Business Districts across Canada are in jeopardy.

Office workers have not returned. Transit ridership is way down. Students have moved to online learning and people are staying closer to home for shopping and social activities. The prevalence of people experiencing homelessness, mental health, and addiction challenges has grown, and there are fewer supports for the most vulnerable in turn, making downtowns less safe and supportive for everyone.

While these challenges put the future of downtowns into question, they also open up a whole range of possibilities such as the opportunity for downtowns to become more complete neighbourhoods, with a greater diversity of uses and more affordable housing options.

Restore The Core is focused on supporting the recovery efforts of downtowns all across Canada through research and by engaging with stakeholders and urban leaders across the country to reimagine the future of downtowns.

On March 4th 2021, national and international leaders across industries, communities, and government came together for a one-day virtual gathering to discuss the most pressing challenges facing our country’s downtowns.

Downtown Trends, News and Data

90% of city office workers in Toronto are no longer coming into work. The thousands who staff restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues aren’t there either.

Source: CTVNews.ca

Similarly, downtown Montreal has seen a 90% drop in people heading downtown.

Normally bustling streets are near abandoned, no longer safe or attractive for locals or tourists.

Source: CTVNews.ca

Currently, 28.7% of Calgary’s commercial office space is vacant, with 12,000,000 square feet of empty office space – a record, even after the oil crash.

Source: CBC

Pedestrian traffic in Vancouver is only about 1/3 of what it was in 2019.

Source: Retail Insider

Over 40% of Ottawa’s commercial office space is leased by the Government of Canada. They’re not planning on coming back in 2021.

Source: Globe and Mail

75% of Edmontonians say they don't like going to the city center.

Source: CTV News

In Canada, urban transit systems rely on fare revenues to operate comprehensive services across their regions.

Across Canada, there has been a 71% decrease in demand for public transit.

Source: Transit

We need government, business, institutional, and community leaders to come together to #RestoreTheCore.

Designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.

- Jane Jacobs, “Downtown is for People”, Fortune Magaine, 1958