Good, not great: ByWard Market has room to improve, urbanist says
What's your vision for the ByWard Market?
That's the question the city is asking Ottawa residents as it plans to rejuvenate the downtown tourist area.
"Ottawa has all of the elements to be one of the best cities in the world, but it's not," Gil Penalosa told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.
Penalosa is a consultant on the project and founder of the non-profit organization 8 80 Cities, which focuses on urban issues.
"All of the natural features of Ottawa are magnificent, but there are some things that are still missing," he said.
Penalosa said the city lacks a shared vision, and said Ottawa won't get there by settling for "good enough." He points to cities such as Copenhagen, Paris, Melbourne, New York and Vancouver as positive examples.
Plan 'doable'
"The trend of what we have seen in other world-class cities is that people are widening sidewalks, people are making pedestrian streets, people are allowing cars at different times," Penalosa said, adding any successful vision must be good for both residents and business.
Getting there is "doable," he said, but not with Ottawa's current focus on private vehicles.
'You don't need as many cars when you have LRT and you have other modes of arrival.' - Gil Penalosa, 8 80 Cities
"You don't need as many cars when you have LRT and you have other modes of arrival," Penalosa said.
The ByWard Market should be a welcoming place for people of all ages and income levels, he said, something it's currently not.
Penalosa suggested wider sidewalks, public art, more trees, benches, more patios and space for wheelchairs, walkers and bicycles could transform the area into a more vibrant space.
Here's what some residents had to say on social media.
Penalosa is giving a free talk at the National Gallery of Canada's auditorium at 6.30 p.m. Tuesday. Residents are asked to register online.