While "the strip" has certainly improved with the help of Cranbrook in Bloom it still tells other people that we are a drive through community. We require more stringent follow through regarding retail landscaping as they do in Kamloops and we should require architectural guidelines such as they do in Fernie. What would convince people that we have more to offer other than refilling their gas tank and a cup of coffee?
Our downtown is much more attractive but we need to make sure it remains viable by not letting banks and other financial institutions move elsewhere such as the TD Bank did. We need to encourage more small and medium size business into the downtown core and revitalize or revision the use of some of the empty retail spaces. Other cities have encouraged this type of development by using tax abatement's as incentives. Would this work in Cranbrook?
What are other cities around the world doing? They are becoming greener, more pedestrian and bike friendly, more dense and they provide a place for young and resourceful people to be entrepreneurial and creative. These cities are controlling urban sprawl and creating vibrant downtown's by creating sustainable urban solutions. We can take some of these ideas and use them here but in a way which fits our culture and our community.
I am a huge fan of the division that Golden, BC has managed with their "strip" and downtown core - it really highlights the value that both areas bring to the community. With Cranbrook Connected highlighting the transport of Cranbrook I am hoping for more walkability in our community - it is about 10 degrees hotter to walk down the strip which further isolates it as the drivers area of town...
ReplyDeleteIf the problem is getting more vistors to visit downtown, the solution would appear to give them more places to go -- more reason to go -- downtown. A larger, more visible tourist information centre closer to the "Arch" would be a good place to start. Actually marketing downtown, both to vistors from afar and closer to Cranbrook would also be a good idea. If I live in Creston, or Invermere, or Sparwood, who or what is telling me what awaits me should I choose to vist Cranbrook downtown? Is anything? Is anyone?
ReplyDeleteWherever I have lived I've always been a downtown kind of person, including Toronto, but I have lived here 22 years, and even though Cranbrook's downtown, has visually improved, it has never appealed to me as THE place to be. It is a cold unfriendly place. For example, I said hello and had more friends between Queen and Bloor on Yonge St in To, than I have had in downtown Cranbrook. I don't recall the last time a downtown business person said a friendly hello! The Spirit Square activities are exception but not run by downtown businesses!
ReplyDeleteKids are more likely to walk to school (or anywhere else) if there are trees planted between the sidewalk and the street. Gives them a greater perception of safety.
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