Downtowns have a lot to offer. The key is to make them great places to walk. That way, parking the tank and sending in the infantry on a 5 minute march becomes fun rather than a chore!
Every city has a downtown: A place to go, to see and be seen. Sometimes, changes come to a downtown attracting more people than ever before. That was the case 30 years ago when the Downtown Revitalization Program changed the character of Victoria Street in Kamloops making it a People Place. In 2020-2021 during the Covid epidemic, the sidewalks were widened downtown to provide safe outdoor seating. Now that Covid is under control, a win-win opportunity presents itself:
(1) Make the sidewalks widenings permanent; and
(2) Introduce back-in angle parking to increase the parking capacity in those places where the sidewalks are not widened.
Below is a walk along Victoria today illustrating long-standing strengths, and discussing new emerging opportunities of place.
Continue reading “Victoria Street: The Heart In Downtown Kamloops”