Roles of the Downtown Part 4 - Central Business District

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THE MANY ROLES OF THE DOWNTOWN 
 Part 4 — Central Business District

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The old Central Business District. It conjures up images of a single-use area where businesses shut down at 5:00 pm, after which the streets are deserted and dangerous. It has been replaced by 'Downtown' with its images of mixed uses which include a strong residential component. As is often the case, when we replace old concepts with new ideas, we tend to forget everything we have learned from them. But the central business district remains just as important today as it ever was and offers insight into the stagnation of so many of Ontario's downtowns.

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A healthy downtown is a complex network of business connections that brings together energy, ambition, initiative and diverse ideas, and leaders in every field from finance to culture and healthcare to meet, discuss, negotiate and seal the deal. For it to function it needs leaders, conditions in which it can flourish, and a focus to bring business interests together. The Central Business District serves these critical economic functions that cannot be met by any other planning arrangement.

! What Is The Role ! 1.

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It provides a highly charged, business atmosphere, which brings together people with energy, ambition, initiative and diverse ideas. These are the leaders in every field from finance to culture and healthcare. It is a place where decision makers can have face-to-face meetings - easily, frequently, and even accidentally. Such meeting may be formal boardroom meetings, less formal business lunches, or casual meetings in a social environment. Meetings can be arranged in minutes and the travel time between meetings is incidental. This is where business people take the measure of each other and their business proposals. It is where the deals are negotiated and the papers are signed. Economic, social, political and other relevant issues can be discussed in mixed settings that include educational and institutional leaders, simply because meeting spaces and institutions are available to host such discussions and to facilitate actions.

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Essential business services are readily available, such as finance, law, accounting, real estate, marketing, advertising, publishing, public relations, design, project management, and many more. Also available are supporting business services such as printing, delivery, ICT, catering and office supplies.


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Business start-ups are facilitated by the availability of small spaces, at the right price, with plenty of foot traffic past their doors. These same criteria support non-profit organizations, clubs, associations, and social service institutions.

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A centralized public transit system provides low cost accessibility for workers from the entire municipality and doesn't disperse the business district with parking lots.

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Worker services and amenities are readily available, such as lunch and afterwork venues, shopping, public spaces, day care, continuing education, and medical services.

! Why It Is Essential To The City !

When big decisions are made that affect the local economy, it is essential that they involve local players, be sensitive to local needs and be made where local interests can easily participate.

! What It Requires !

To perform this role the downtown requires a variety of places where decision makers can have face-to-face meetings - easily, frequently, and even accidentally, where essential business services are readily available, where business start-ups are facilitated by the availability of small spaces, and where a public transit system provides low cost accessibility for workers from the entire municipality.

! How It is Monitored !

It is measured by the strength of its clusters of local businesses, by the number of the city's biggest employers with offices in the downtown,by the number of downtown workers and by the availability of space and the room to grow.

! What Actions Are Not Consistent With This Role !

Actions that are not consistent with the central business district role include: − traffic congestion and lack of downtown parking large speculative office development outside the downtown − relocation of government services outside the downtown −

development of retail centres which reduce the number of people coming into the downtown.