What was the purpose of the Downtown Pedestrian Mall?

    The City of St. John's opened the Downtown Pedestrian Mall in 2020 to allow the business community to expand their space/capacity, thereby stimulating the downtown economy.  The Downtown Pedestrian Mall also allowed people to use public space while adhering to required public health physical distancing guidelines stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on feedback from 2020, the 2021 Downtown Mall was created to add more pedestrian space and included sections of Duckworth Street and George Street.

    How were businesses consulted about the Mall for 2021?

    Businesses provided feedback via survey and stakeholder meetings following the 2020 event. This feedback, combined with internal feedback from city departments, determined the recommendations for 2021 which were then discussed with the business community prior to the 2021 launch. There have been ongoing discussions with businesses on Duckworth Street during the 2021 event.

    How are you determining whether the 2021 mall was a success?

    Public engagement will include the following:

    1. Point in Time surveys on the street with visitors to the Mall
    2. Business Questionnaire - for businesses inside and outside the footprint.
    3. Public Questionnaire
    4. Stakeholder Focus Groups
    5. Feedback from the City's Events and Regulatory Committee

    Will the city have the Mall in the future?

    The future of the Downtown Pedestrian Mall will be evaluated once the public engagement is completed, reviewed, and presented to Council.

    How will my input be used?

    Input will be used to:

    1. Determine if the Downtown Pedestrian Mall achieved its goals
    2. Identify areas for improvements of the Downtown Pedestrian Mall
    3. Highlight concerns and/or positive experiences of the 2021 Downtown Pedestrian Mall

    I own a business/property in downtown, how will I be consulted for my feedback?

    Businesses and property owners in downtown, both inside and outside the event footprint, will receive a link to our survey distributed by Downtown St. John's.  

    We will also be working with other business organizations to distribute the survey link.

    Additionally, the City will be hosting focus groups for business stakeholders affected by the Downtown Pedestrian Mall.

    Why was the footprint changed this year?

    Based on feedback from the business community on Duckworth Street and George Street, sections were added to the footprint.