Downtown Neighbourhood Plan

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Downtown St. John’s is a vibrant neighbourhood, recognized and appreciated for its unique and colourful residential neighbourhoods; its walkable business corridors; its popular arts and entertainment scene; its working port and cruise terminal; its unique collection of heritage buildings; and more recently, its world-class culinary offerings, among many other things.

Like much of the province, however, Downtown has been experiencing change:

  • Economic and business activity has wavered;
  • Many companies have relocated to other parts of St. John’s, leaving behind large, empty office spaces in the downtown area;
  • Retail storefronts are struggling to compete with online shopping, hybrid retail, and the ever-present challenge of big box development;
  • Businesses in general are facing a new reality as employees adopt working from home or other alternate live/work scenarios;
  • Long-term social changes due to COVID-19, such as increased awareness of hygiene and social distancing, have created challenges in the current compact urban environment;
  • There is a need to respond to impacts of a changing climate and improve the resilience of new and existing buildings, roads, and stormwater management infrastructure to extreme weather.

These challenges, among others, raise some big questions: What does all of this mean for Downtown? How do we tackle these concerns and ensure that Downtown St. John’s remains a desirable place to live, work, invest, and play in the future?

Finding the answer to these and other challenging questions is part of this Neighbourhood Plan.

The Downtown St. John’s Neighbourhood Plan will focus on the area highlighted on the following map:


Downtown St. John’s is a vibrant neighbourhood, recognized and appreciated for its unique and colourful residential neighbourhoods; its walkable business corridors; its popular arts and entertainment scene; its working port and cruise terminal; its unique collection of heritage buildings; and more recently, its world-class culinary offerings, among many other things.

Like much of the province, however, Downtown has been experiencing change:

  • Economic and business activity has wavered;
  • Many companies have relocated to other parts of St. John’s, leaving behind large, empty office spaces in the downtown area;
  • Retail storefronts are struggling to compete with online shopping, hybrid retail, and the ever-present challenge of big box development;
  • Businesses in general are facing a new reality as employees adopt working from home or other alternate live/work scenarios;
  • Long-term social changes due to COVID-19, such as increased awareness of hygiene and social distancing, have created challenges in the current compact urban environment;
  • There is a need to respond to impacts of a changing climate and improve the resilience of new and existing buildings, roads, and stormwater management infrastructure to extreme weather.

These challenges, among others, raise some big questions: What does all of this mean for Downtown? How do we tackle these concerns and ensure that Downtown St. John’s remains a desirable place to live, work, invest, and play in the future?

Finding the answer to these and other challenging questions is part of this Neighbourhood Plan.

The Downtown St. John’s Neighbourhood Plan will focus on the area highlighted on the following map:


  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    A Vision Statement is an aspirational statement that conveys the ideal future of Downtown St. John's.

    The following Vision Statement has been proposed for the Secondary Plan:

    Downtown St. John’s is a vibrant destination that serves its residents and draws visitors from all over the world. 

    New development will build on the rich natural and cultural heritage that makes Downtown St. John’s unique and so cherished by all who live there and visit. 

    Through sustainable development and enhanced public realm initiatives, Downtown St. John’s will continue to grow and offer an increasingly diverse range of places to live, work, shop, be entertained, and enjoy community life in a setting that artfully integrates old and new development into a picturesque landscape. 



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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Guiding Principles are a set of goals or objectives that aim to provide general direction when making decisions about land use in Downtown St. John's.


    The following Guiding Principles have been proposed for the Secondary Plan:


    A Healthy Downtown

    • Support the creation of a complete community with easy access for residents of all ages and abilities to a wide range of uses including shopping and restaurants, parks and open spaces, employment opportunities, educational and cultural opportunities, live-work options, mobility options, a mix and diversity of housing types, and a range of community facilities, services and amenities.
    • Consciously seeks to improve the health of citizens by putting public health high on the social and political agenda. Physical, social, and mental well-being are considered as the necessary components of public health.
    • Create a healthy, pedestrian-oriented environment that supports opportunities for daily physical activity in a safe, inclusive, and accessible Downtown.
    • Provide for an appropriate mix of housing options, including affordable and rental housing to meet the projected needs of present and future residents throughout all stages of their lives.
    • Provide for “age-in-place” facilities within Downtown St. John’s that anticipate changing housing needs for an aging population.
    • Ensure the provision of an accessible and connected multi-modal transportation network that gives priority to the creation of complete streets and active transportation to ensure all persons have transportation options while reducing automobile dependence.


    A High Quality Downtown

    • A high-quality and ultimately a beautiful Downtown will include well designed buildings, streetscapes, parks and open spaces. A beautiful Downtown protects natural and cultural heritage features and viewscapes and includes an accessible and well-designed system of public parks and open spaces that celebrate the area, and provide opportunities for enjoyment by the entire population.
    • Recognize the importance of the inventory of cultural heritage resources and build upon that context, identifying destinations, landmarks, and gateways that distinguish the Downtown within its broader context and further strengthen its sense of place.
    • Continue to support the Downtown as a key commercial area that functions as a major destination within St. John’s. It should be designed with a high quality of urban design, to give positive impressions of the City to visitors and instill pride in residents.
    • Demonstrate high-quality design in new development and incorporate best practices that respect and complement the character of Downtown St. John’s and its adjacent neighbourhoods.
    • Develop a welcoming Downtown that encourages and supports active living, social engagement, civic pride and the creation of a sense of place and well-being for all people.


    A Sustainable Downtown

    • A sustainable Downtown is economically, environmentally, culturally, and socially healthy and resilient. It meets the challenges of climate change and other environmental issues through integrated solutions rather than through fragmented, incremental approaches that meet one objective at the expense of another.
    • Manage the Downtown’s human, natural, and financial resources equitably and take a long-term view – one that is focused on both present and future generations. Sustainability success relies upon having specific and measurable targets for indicators related to energy, water, and waste.
    • Demonstrate leadership in sustainable forms of green building design and technology, including the incorporation of renewable and alternative energy sources, as well as opportunities to improve air quality.
    • Promote an adaptive and resilient community through the responsible use of resources, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of demands on energy, water, and waste systems, and the impacts of climate change.
    • Incorporate low impact design and other site design strategies to mitigate environmental impacts and to create a more comfortable urban environment.


    A Viable Downtown

    • A viable Downtown provides needed goods and services to a growing local residential community, and is a desirable destination for other people in St. John’s and beyond.
    • Ensure that development optimizes the use of land and is appropriate for the market place, with the flexibility to respond to, and encourage, positive changes in the market place over time.
    • Encourage mixed use development in the Downtown to support the creation of a more vibrant, interesting streetscape and to enable the Downtown to evolve and adapt to changing economic conditions and demands for commercial services.
    • Continue to support Downtown St. John’s function as a key destination for tourists while providing shopping, dining, and other commercial and cultural services to local residents.
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Page last updated: 14 Mar 2024, 11:30 AM