Billions of dollars spent downtown changing perceptions, survey suggests
A new Downtown Business Association survey suggests billions of dollars invested in Edmonton’s downtown are changing public perceptions of the area while highlighting challenges ahead as the city looks to double the number of people living in the core.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work and putting a lot of money and time and significant investment into making downtown a more inclusive and inviting place, and we’re seeing that pay off,” said Ian O’Donnell, executive director of the Downtown Business Association (DBA), speaking at the Matrix Hotel at 10640 100 Ave. on Wednesday.
The report,
Mapping Growth: A Comparative Look at Downtown’s Transformation, compared survey results from 2010 to new results from an online survey conducted in June and July with nearly 1,500 respondents.
Both those living inside the downtown core and suburban respondents reported feeling safer downtown in 2017 than in 2010, with 89 per cent of those saying they feel safe in Edmonton’s downtown during the day and 57 per cent saying they felt safe in the core at night.
Nupur Thakor, who authored the report, said all of the
eight crime indicators used by the Edmonton Police Service overall have dropped six per cent downtown since the opening of Rogers Place in September.
While some of this can be attributed to increased police presence downtown — saying the number of officers patrolling downtown has increased from less than two dozen 20 years ago to nearly 70 officers today — Thakor said increased foot traffic is making downtown streets feel safer.
“There is more visibility of people and more vibrancy, and when there are more eyes on the street, you are more likely to feel safer,” Thakor said.
