Downtown Neighbourhood Plan

Architecture, Scenery, Walkability, Feels cultured and busy but not too busy and a concrete jungle

More Homes = more people = Vibrancy

Allow the construction of mixed use buildings and a few highrises. It would be so nice to walk down a few flights of stairs to a restaurant or a barber shop. Downtown St. John's is special and it is a shame that very few people are able to live in close proximity to it.

Downtown lets us be spontaneous

Our family's life is so much richer living downtown. When we have a few minutes we can step out to look at the boats, or go over to Bannerman Park, or catch a performance, without all the rigamarole of needing to drive places

The potential

Waterfronts and main downtown streets are typically super important for a city's commerce, and ours could be a huge draw for tourists and businesses. We need to attract people by focussing on people: pedestrians, the sidewalk mall, accessibility, improved wayfinding, artist collaborations, community partnerships, market pop ups, green spaces, etc.

The charm, the character - and characters - the walkability and the variety of local shops.

Bike lanes

Half the roads are wide enough to add them in. People WANT to ride bicycles here and they try it but then get scared away because bike commuting here is far too dangerous. This only adds to the influences creating one of the least healthy cities in Canada! With the recent cultural movement towards walkability and the increase in electric bicycle use, St John's is at a prime point to introduce REAL bike lanes! Do it for the tourists, the locals, and the kids. Do it for our health. Do it for the economic benefits. Do it for our safety.

Waterfront Development

Our harbour is beautiful but harbour drive is a wasteland of cars and metal fencing. Our harbour-front needs a plan to draw the community and the tourists (physical and social development).

Make it a more attractive space in which to spend time - green spaces, better snow clearing, public library etc.

Adding more green space (or at least more planters/trees), better snow clearing on the sidewalks in winter, maybe also a Christmas market to attract people downtown in the winter, and a new public library, which would be a great attraction and also provide essential community space and services/resources!

Bicycle infrastructure, more green spaces, a library, and remove the waterfront fence.

People want to spent more time downtown. Often because of parking and lack of useable space, people leave. Having bicycle infrastructure will allow for more safety, less car traffic, and make for a more enjoyable downtown. Having more green spaces, even roof top gardens or parks would be a fun idea, and a business opportunity. I have heard from a number of people of all demographics say how much they would enjoy having a library downtown. It would allow students a place to study, vulnerable folks to get internet access, and a place for families to go, especially on cold wet days. I remember when the fence was installed, and it really took away some of the beauty of downtown. I get why it's there, but can we move the working part of the harbour more north and/or south, or at least open up a section that can be more enjoyable? In order for businesses to thrive, you need to keep people downtown.

Reduce speed limit

Reduce the speed limit downtown to 30 km/h. Then, over time, redesign the streets with speed calming in mind. This will make the streets safer for pedestrians and open them up for bicycles, electric scooters, etc. For car drivers, that 20 km/h reduction will only affect a small portion of their car trip so the additional time would be very small.

Fewer cars and improved public transit. More taxi kiosks

Carew St. + Bishop Feild Elementary

Carew St. is very narrow (with nearly non-existent sidewalks) and is frequented by children accessing the school and Bannerman Park. It also accesses the school parking lot. Could this street be made pedestrian priority to improve safety for children (remove sidewalks and make the entire street a pedestrian space)? And could the crossing to Bannerman Park be upgraded (raised crosswalk, bump outs, pavers)? The current crosswalk is somewhat obscured by parking and a utility pole, does not nicely flow into the park, and could be relocated so you only have to cross one street to go from the ice cream shop to the park.

Overnight bus routes

Perhaps this is a "move to" not "move within" answer, but it's bonkers that there are not late-night buses serving downtown - it's a huge safety isse.

Funicular

A funicular could make the hike up (and down!) the hill more accessible.

Stop paying for cycling consultants and do something!

Our city's lack of bike infrastructure is embarrassing! There is way more infrastructure for dogs than bikes. Stop hiring people to consult and plan and actually build some bike lanes instead of taking them out. DO it or we'll do it for you.

More public transit. Better washroom hours in city parks. Affordable housing . Restrict number of AirBnB units.

Many newcomers and young people don't have cars. We need better transit. If vandals are a problem for park washrooms install vandalism-proof sinks and toilets (like the ones the have in prisons). There's very little rental options in DT because you've allowed AirBnBs to proliferate unbated.

High traffic area - runoff from Paradise/Mount Pearl/CBS.

Downtown neighborhoods are experiencing more heavy traffic as the roads become arterials for the growing suburbs outside St. John's. Families do not want to permanently stay on high traffic roads - this had already devalued much of downtown residences. As downtown becomes a traffic hub, families will choose to reside in quieter regions such as Mount Pearl, Southlands and CBS.

Physically Clean up downtown

As a community we need to take some pride in downtown. It currently looks atrocious with sidewalks in poor condition, litter/garbage, graffiti, vacant building lots, vacant buildings and lack of public improvement on Duckworth Street. There is no place for youth in the downtown that has focused on bars and restaurants. George Street is the last place I would suggest a young person go or anyone else visiting the city.

Pedway system

We have such terrible weather. If we had pedways it could link a couple of shopping & eating areas with some of the hotels.

More walkable food shopping options. We have bakeries, butchers and corner stores. Need to be able to get produce without having to drive.

Focus infill and adaptive reuse development downtown.

The current focus on Downtown has taken years to bleed out to other suburban areas like Galway, Kimble Drive, Stavanger Drive and Hebron Way to mention a few. In doing so we have diluted the development potential throughout the city because our “market” is not big enough to support economic development in all of these locations. How many commercial tenants have left downtown as a result and yet residents continue to pay for the new infrastructure costs when that money could have been invested in our downtown. This is just short sighted poor planning/engineering that lacks any genuine cost benefit analysis.

Better snow clearing. More green spaces/benches. Public library.

The benefits of snow clearing are pretty obvious and would of course have a positive impact on everyone, but for seniors in particular I can imagine downtown must be a nightmare to navigate through in the winter! More green spaces/benches would make it more enjoyable for seniors (and others!) to spend time in the downtown area. As I've mentioned in previous responses, a public library provides a free, warm space for people to spend time in inclement weather - but could also provide amazing activities/resources/services for seniors, who might otherwise struggle to avail of such things due to accessibility/transportation issues, lower incomes, or lack of knowledge on how to access resources (especially online ones).

Indoor gathering spaces

This comes up all over this consult, but an indoor public space downtown would be a huge asset for seniors as a place to gather particularly when weather is not conducive. A library is the obvious one but there are other options.

Accessibility

Build high rise/apartments that have amenities inside or nearby. Have better public transport to and from the city that’s free that runs multiple times per hour

Accessibility and washroom facilities

Every business has a step up from the sidewalk which creates accessibility issues and trip risks. Aside from inside of restaurants there is no access to washroom facilities.

Harbourfront development

Greatest asset is not accessible (get rid of the fence)… could be a fabulous outdoor meeting space with picnic tables and trees!!! Foodtrucks, and other pop ups. Would also better visibility and access to businesses in the harbourfront.

A big vision for Duckworth Street

Duckworth is great, and there's a lot of energy there, but the public realm feels very shabby and car-focused. Dig it up, bury the power lines, widen the sidewalks, narrow the car lanes, prioritize development on the parking lots, and it could be so much more.

Pedestrian Mall / Bike Lanes / Harbour Access

Cars are a requisite but the downtown doesn't need to revolve around them.

Build up and Closing cars

Build higher homes and Make many more areas pedestrian only.

Incentivize development of blighted properties

Some sort of vacancy tax is required to get commercial spaces back on the market at a fair rate. Landowners need to be forced to fix properties and get them rented, or sell them at fair market rate. Increasing population density through an easing of development restrictions will also help support more business development in the area.