THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN

The way people move and work in the core is changing. We explore the possibilities by talking to industry leaders and engaged residents about how to build a great downtown

- Robert Hiltz

The way people move and work in the core is changing. We explore the possibilities by talking to industry leaders and engaged residents about how to build a great downtown

DOWNTOWN OTTAWA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PUZZLE. The needs of the city's biggest employer don't always result in a thriving downtown. This quandary has only become more acute with the rise of work-from-home lifestyles. In a decade or two, things could look very different because our collective perspective has changed so much in the last few years. We set out to figure out how the convergence of many factors will shape the short-term future.

Housing is a key concern, but how viable is it to transform vacant office towers into bustling homes? It's not straightforward, but there are ways to make it work.

The core is home to more than just a few office towers full of public servants. It is a living, breathing community made home by thousands.

We speak with people who live in our area of interest east of Bronson, north of the Queensway, west of the Rideau Canal - about what they love about living downtown and what improvements they'd like to see.

In pursuit of a vision, we look to another capital: Canberra, Australia. We learn how planners there have embraced the waterways and made downtown a destination of residents and tourists alike. We also take the temperature of the hotel industry, which was hit hard by the pandemic but is bouncing back with new projects.

But to start, is this The City that Fun Forgot? A filmmaker looks back at her work of the same name, made 10 years ago, to see what has changed. What could we do better? Read on to find out.

WITH FILES FROM KATHLEEN BARR, MATT HARRISON, DAYANTI KARUNARATNE, HATTIE KLOTZ, AMEN JAFRI, AND NICKIE SHOBEIRY