Three years in the making, the downtown master plan is set to lay the foundation for ten ‘transformational projects’ to make London’s core greener and more inviting.
Next week, city councillors will get their first look at the ambitious plan to reshape London’s downtown core over the next 20 years, but CTV London is getting a sneak peek.
The document is foundational, setting the city on the path to achieve its goals.
Sean Galloway, manager of Urban Design for the City of London, says “There are real identified projects, most are on public land so these are things we can do as a city…We can get to a place where downtown is the capital of cool, for London, southwestern Ontario and maybe the province.”
Among the recommendations:
- transforming the area around Covent Garden Market and Budweiser Gardens into a public gathering place
- narrowing a stretch of Richmond Street to allow a dedicated bus lane and wider patio-friendly sidewalks
- a green makeover for Clarence Street and the area near the train station
- making Dundas Street a flexible street that can be closed to traffic
- allowing for wider sidewalks and patios
- buses moved from Dundas Street to Queens Avenue, again to make Dundas a flexible street
There are no timelines or pricetags for the projects, but the master plan is expected to become the overarching goal for smaller projects as money and opportunity allow.
Janette MacDonald, executive director of Downtown London, says the master plan will become a blueprint for the city’s future.
“We need to be visionary, we need to demand better design to get where we want. If we don't articulate it we're not going to get it.”
A public participation meeting will be held on Tuesday to allow residents to share their vision for downtown London.
