By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

where does it go from here?

City launches survey to gauge citizens’ vision for downtown

Nov 6, 2021 | 11:25 AM

A new online survey hopes to gauge what Red Deerians love about downtown, and what they envision for its future.

The survey is part of the City’s Downtown Identity Project, which aims to create a refreshed identity for the area, The City says.

The City wants that identity to resonate with businesses, visitors and investors, and inspires them to visit, shop, work, live and invest in its commercial core.

“Hearing directly from citizens is a critical element in the success of this project,” said Sarah Tittemore, Community Services General Manager. “Our goal is to develop a collective, shared vision for the future of our downtown, so we want to look closely at what people enjoy about downtown, what could be improved, and ways that we can encourage more visitors to our core.”

The project was launched this past summer and will result in a strategy plan.

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According to the City, the goal is to have, ‘an identifiable, well-invested downtown where residents and visitors repeatedly participate in unique, engaging, diverse and positive activities and experiences. Key areas that may be considered by the engagement process and the final plan include heritage, transportation, tourism, the economy, environment, social factors and more.’

“Our aim is to ensure the final downtown identity and strategy plan truly reflects a ‘made in Red Deer’ approach and considers all the factors that make our community unique,” said Tittemore. “We couldn’t achieve this without the work the Community Collaborative Committee is doing to ensure all residents have a voice in the creation of a final strategy that will help reimagine our downtown.”

A Community Collaborative Committee is also playing an important role in shaping the plan, it’s added. This committee is comprised of citizens with a wide range of interests, experiences and ideas.

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There will eventually be a report back to the community.

In addition to the survey, two online workshops are being held Nov. 10 and 17. More information about the survey, workshops and the project is available at reddeer.ca/surveys. The survey is open until November 21.