Downtown Edmonton improving every year, report says

The Downtown Business Association saysEdmontoniansare starting to feel more optimistic about the citys downtown.

In his report for theDBAtitled Realities of a Revitalized Downtown: A Look at the Negative Perceptions and Why They are OutdatedMBA studentLucaPetryshynlooked at howEdmontoniansthink about the city core.

Petryshynsurveyed 1,400 people living across the city and from a variety of backgrounds, asking questions about downtown safety, business, culture, nightlife and livability.

Downtown is a brand and negative perceptions are hurting it,Petryshynsaid on Wednesday morning.

Of the people surveyed, 75 per cent said concerns over safety was the main thing discouraging them from coming downtown.

ButPetryshynsaid many of the negative perceptions people hold about the city core date back to 1995a period he called a commercial and cultural rock bottom.

It was a very dark time for downtown and it colours todays perceptions in a big way, he said, noting downtown was more dangerous and with fewer businesses and recreational activities available.

Its much more vibrant todayit really is.

Living vs. working downtown

The biggest surprise that we found in our current research on negativity is that people who live downtown see it completely differently than people who might just work there,Petryshynsaid.

In particular,Petryshynsaid the people most worried about safety are those that workbut dont livedowntown.

Around 70,000 people work downtown but only about 13,000 call it home. Of those who live downtown, 60 per cent are under 35.

That disparity in opinion between those that work downtown and those who live there causes an imbalance in opinions about the core, he said, with those that leave being more out of touch with downtowns dynamic nature.

In my opinion, people who live and work downtown have arguably the best understanding of safety at any time of day, he said.

And that imbalance extends beyond concerns over safety and policing, he said.

"Some of the biggest myth perceptions around downtown Edmonton is that it is dead after five, saidPetryshyn.

For those of you who know there's been a 67 per cent increase in late night premisesincluding restaurants and clubs downtown. And its fast becoming one of the most vibrant nightlife economies in Edmonton."

The people who live downtown are incredibly, shamelessly positive about what kind of place it isand I think thats an important message to hear, said Petryshyn.

Downtown has changed

That opinion was seconded by city councillor Scott McKeen, who has been working downtown since 1986, and now calls it his home.

[The report] confirms a lot of what those of us that live and work downtown already know, he said. Downtown has changed.

The challenge now will be to get people who had previously ruled out downtown to change their minds, he saidespecially those who dont often visit the city core.

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I think the arena is going to be the biggest marketing plan the downtown has ever had, he said.

The planned Galleria projectwill also bring new interest, he said.

I expect that experience is going to be eye-opening for a lot of people. Theyre not going to get stabbed, theyre not going to trip over litter. Theyre going to see restaurants and museums and clubs theyve never seen and go I think we should come back on the weekend.

The reality is that downtown is attracting entrepreneurs and businesses in a way it hasnt in years, Petryshyn said.

In 10 years, I think downtown is really going to be an amazing place. I think youre going to see vibrant streets, you're going to see a lot of business activity, starts ups, entrepreneurs, settling in and choosing downtown as the place to be.