Featured Guest
You’ll find this guest among our growing roll of Urban Champions.
Thom Mahler
Director, Downtown Strategy, City of Calgary
Susie Grynol
President & CEO, Hotel Association of Canada
Stephen Willis
Discipline Lead, Urban Planning, Canada, Stantec
Kate Fenske
Chief Executive Officer, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ
Carl Weisbrod
Senior Fellow, NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management
5 Key
Takeaways
A roundup of the most compelling ideas, themes and quotes from this candid conversation
1. Focusing on the hardest hit sectors
According to Susie Grynol, some industries have a better chance of recovering from the pandemic than others, and it is critical to develop sector-specific solutions for those hardest-hit. The hotel sector, for example, is at serious risk of permanently losing a sizeable proportion of the industry. She proposes, among several solutions, the proportional restructuring the federal wage subsidy program, and policies that support businesses with their fixed costs.
2. Working together to populate vacant downtown spaces
According to Thom Mahler, it is vital for Calgary’s downtown ecosystem to take approaches that integrate across sectors—bringing together economic development, tourism, real estate partners, large employers, and others to talk about the future for downtowns. Kate Fenske shares similar views, emphasizing the importance of innovation around shared spaces and supporting businesses to go online. She cites the example of a recent business opening in Winnipeg—an online butcher shop renting space from a local restaurant.
3. Watching for the future of work-from-home
Ottawa is in a fortunate position, facing the fastest recovery of any city in Canada because of the proportion of its workforce comprising public sector employees. However, Steve Willis argues that there is a big unknown—if these large employers decide a proportion of their workforce will continue to work from home post-pandemic, it will have a massive ripple effect on the future of the city’s downtowns.
4. Responding to the needs of people experiencing homelessness
The pandemic has greatly impacted those experiencing homeless in our downtown cores, with the closure of many city facilities, non-profits, and physical distancing in shelters leading people to have nowhere to go. According to Andrea Jung, now more than ever, ensuring everyone has safe and secure place to live is critical.
5. Rethinking the future of our downtowns
According to Carl Weisbrod, technology has changed the way we think and move through our urban cores. In the future, everything—office use, brick-and-mortar retail, how we move, and more—will be transformed. Collectively, we must reimagine what our downtowns physically look like, and how they integrate pedestrians, commerce, and commercial use.
Full Panel
Transcript
Note to readers: This video session was transcribed using auto-transcribing software. Manual editing was undertaken in an effort to improve readability and clarity. Questions or concerns with the transcription can be directed to events@canurb.org with “transcription” in the subject line.
Full Audience
Chatroom Transcript
Note to reader: Chat comments have been edited for ease of readability. The text has not been edited for spelling or grammar. For questions or concerns, please contact events@canurb.org with “Chat Comments” in the subject lin
From Canadian Urban Institute: You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our webinars at https://canurb.org/citytalk
12:02:14 From Andrea Jung to All panelists : my contact is andrea.jung@vancouver.ca if anyone would like to reach out after the talk.
12:02:41 From Canadian Urban Institute : Welcome! Folks, please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.
12:03:00 From Abby S : hello from Tkaronto. hope everyone is safe and healthy. The CUI work is so
12:03:13 From Abby S : important in shining a light.
12:03:18 From Mark Garner : Thanks CUI for another great session and discussion
12:03:28 From Canadian Urban Institute : You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our sessions at https://www.canurb.org/citytalk
12:03:48 From Canadian Urban Institute : To support CityTalk and the Canadian Urban Institute’s other city building initiatives, please donate at www.canurb.org/donate.
12:03:53 From Brian Pincott to All panelists : Hello from Treaty 1 territory & the Homeland of the Metis Nation
12:04:06 From Canadian Urban Institute : Keep the conversation going #citytalk @canurb
12:04:31 From Canadian Urban Institute to Brian Pincott and all panelists : Hi, Brian! You might want to change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees”. Thanks!
12:04:41 From Abby S : Mary I appreciate your openess and acknowledging these things.
12:05:13 From Brian Pincott to All panelists : Nah, just wanted to say hi to Thom… 😉
12:05:55 From Brian Pincott : Hello from Treaty 1 territory & the Homeland of the Metis Nation
12:06:26 From Barbara Myers : Hello from Victoria BC
12:06:36 From Canadian Urban Institute : CUI is looking for volunteers to help us continue the great work of our COVID-19 initiatives. If you can help, please contact us at covidresponse@canurb.org
12:07:06 From Canadian Urban Institute : Susie Grynol, President of the Hotel Association of Canada @sgrynol https://www.linkedin.com/in/susie-grynol-cae-b2787711/ Carl Weisbrod, Senior Advisor, HR&A Advisors, New York City @CarlWeisbrod https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-weisbrod-2005aa36/ Kate Fenske, CEO, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ @FenskePeg https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-fenske-32413641/ Steve Willis, General Manager, Planning, Infrastructure & Economic Development, City of Ottawa https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-willis-b1124a23/ Thom Mahler, Manager, Urban Strategy, City of Calgary @thomcal https://www.linkedin.com/in/thom-mahler-22680918/ Andrea Jung, City of Vancouver
12:08:05 From Abby S : yes
12:08:50 From Gwen Bang to All panelists : Hello! Gwen Bang from Kensington Market BIA
12:09:56 From Canadian Urban Institute to Gwen Bang and all panelists : Hi, Gwen! Your post only went to panelists – you might want to change your settings to “all panelists and attendees” and resend if you want everyone to see your comment. Thanks!
12:10:21 From Gwen Bang : thanks!
12:21:08 From Julie McGuire : Fantastic presentation!
12:21:24 From Gwen Bang : yes!agree
12:21:33 From Gloria Venczel : Hotels do provide significant employment. Has your organization considered exchanging shares with the gov’t equivalent to money lent? A small minority share would not affect business governance that your hotels would buy out when the industry bounces back. What would be the disadvantage of such an approach? Would this approach not also protect the overall Canadian financial ratings and overall economic health?
12:26:48 From Renita D’Souza to All panelists : a very complicated condition and brought out with extreme clarity and an even more important roadmap going forward. great presentation!
12:27:11 From Canadian Urban Institute : We love your comments and questions in the chat! Share them with everyone by changing your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees”. Thanks!
12:28:38 From Caleigh Doyle : Agreed, and small businesses in downtown cores are hit hardly without tourism, tourism both international and domestic. There are no games, no concerts, conferences, etc downtown which dramatically decreases the flow of people walking the streets downtown
12:29:53 From Susie Grynol to Renita D’Souza and all panelists : Thank you. Appreciate the comment.
12:32:44 From Cindy Simpson to All panelists : Carl, thank you. When will office towers fill up again?
12:33:35 From Jason Syvixay to All panelists : How can/should municipalities reconcile the desire from the local economy to convert the public domain for private interests (e.g. winter patios, cafes) with community-led discourse on how public spaces have historically left them out?
12:34:07 From Canadian Urban Institute : Reminding attendees to please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.
12:34:27 From Jason Syvixay : How can/should municipalities reconcile the desire from the local economy to convert the public domain for private interests (e.g. winter patios, cafes) with community-led discourse on how public spaces have historically left them out?
12:36:36 From paul mackinnon : Oddly in Atlantic Canada, where we essentially have NO community Covid spread, our sales, office workers, etc are no better than anywhere else in North America. So concerns about the quickness of recovery, even post-vaccine.
12:36:45 From Carl Weisbrod to All panelists : I’m not convinced office buildings will ever be exactly the same. Crises don’t necessarily create trends, but they truly accelerate trends. There will be more remote work and obviously more stress on bricks and mortar retail.
12:37:37 From paul mackinnon : Thom, what can city planners do to accelerate commercial to residential conversions for downtowns?
12:37:41 From Canadian Urban Institute to Carl Weisbrod(Privately) : HI, Carl! Could you please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” and re-post your comment in the chat? The attendees didn’t see your post. Thanks!
12:38:33 From David Low to All panelists : or converting empty office space to school space to make that safer
12:38:37 From Thom Mahler : We in Calgary have removed requiremnts from Development Permits for a conversion – building permit only.
12:39:50 From Canadian Urban Institute to David Low and all panelists : Hi, David! Can you change your chat settings and re-post? Your comment only went to panelists. Thanks!
12:41:58 From paul mackinnon : BC gov’t has mandated employees to return to office. Any movement on this from other provinces, cities, or Feds? Has this advantaged BC more than other places?
12:43:42 From Carl Weisbrod : I’m not convinced office buildings will ever be exactly the same. Crises don’t necessarily create trends, but they truly accelerate trends. There will be more remote work and obviously more stress on bricks and mortar retail.
12:44:37 From paul mackinnon : Jason, our message on this has been that most re-allocation of public space for private business has come from spaces traditionally used by CARS, not pedestrians. So little or no free, public space has been lost.
12:46:11 From Mark Garner : I believe we will see a decentralized employment trend for a period of time until such time as TRANSIT issues are addressed and the community confidence is there knowing it is safe to commute again to our downtown cores
12:50:26 From Mary W. Rowe to Canadian Urban Institute(Privately) : can you post www.restorethecore.ca and invite folks to sign up? thx
12:50:30 From Michael Roschlau to All panelists : The truth of the matter is there have been no confirmed COVID cases transmitted on a transit vehicle or station anywhere in the world since the pandemic began. By and large, people travelling on transit are safe if they wear masks and keep a modicum of distance from others.
12:50:38 From Terry Wong : In several major cities, there is a significant festival and ethno-cultural (e.g. Chinatowns) enclaves that highlights the history and heritage of many downtowns. They cannot be forgotten and must be supported.
12:50:53 From Canadian Urban Institute to Mary W. Rowe(Privately) : For sure!
12:50:58 From David Low : BIA’s
12:52:05 From Kimberley Nelson : Hoping Thom will speak to the return of a hostile pedestrian / active transportation environment and sense of entitlement that is inhibiting our attempts to keep downtown vital and vibrant being exacerbated by lower transit usership
12:52:14 From Mark Garner : Paul Mac.. I think what we should be advocating for in a recovery to all levels of government.. this is a time for politicians to lead.. all government offices, federal, provincial and municipal need to return to work as a priority as most of our downtowns have those offices.. we need those economics to come back as a priority and baseline in the recovery
12:52:46 From Canadian Urban Institute : Engage with us at www.restorethecore.ca or email us at cui@canurb.org
12:53:33 From Michael Roschlau to All panelists : Check out this report on the safety of public transit: https://cms.uitp.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Policy-Brief-PTisCOVID-Safe.pdf
12:53:54 From Kate Fenske : We’re looking at 1M in Winnipeg as well.
12:54:02 From Jessi-anne Reeves to All panelists : 1M great idea!
12:54:16 From Canadian Urban Institute to Michael Roschlau and all panelists : HI, Michael! Your post only went to panelists. You may want to change your chat settings to all panelists and attendees and re-post.
12:54:48 From Michael Roschlau : The truth of the matter is there have been no confirmed COVID cases transmitted on a transit vehicle or station anywhere in the world since the pandemic began. By and large, people travelling on transit are safe if they wear masks and keep a modicum of distance from others.
12:55:02 From Michael Roschlau : Check out this report on the safety of public transit: https://cms.uitp.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Policy-Brief-PTisCOVID-Safe.pdf
12:55:54 From David Low : there needs to be immediate tactical responses tempered with long range adaptation
12:56:06 From Gloria Venczel : Have triple net leases been an insurmountable financial burden for small businesses in your cities as it has been in Metro Vancouver? Solutions?
12:56:07 From Canadian Urban Institute : Engage with us at www.restorethecore.ca or email us at cui@canurb.org You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our sessions at https://www.canurb.org/citytalk Keep the conversation going #citytalk #restorethecore @canurb To support CityTalk and the Canadian Urban Institute’s other city-building initiatives, please donate at www.canurb.org/donate. What did you think of today’s conversation? Help us improve our programming with a short post-webinar survey – https://bit.ly/3oJByDx
12:57:13 From paul mackinnon : UDAs! Great call, Kate!
12:58:10 From Barbara Myers : UDAs and 1M in all Canadian cities…………
12:59:32 From Negin Minaei to All panelists : One irrelevant question, Ms. @Mary, are those jars of jam in the background?
12:59:38 From Kate Fenske : Thanks all. And I agree with ALL those things!
12:59:38 From Canadian Urban Institute : Engage with us at www.restorethecore.ca or email us at cui@canurb.org
12:59:57 From Kathy Suggitt : Great panel today. Thanks to you all.
13:00:02 From Julie McGuire : Thank-you all for the great panel discussion!
13:00:13 From Toby Greenbaum : Diversification is what its all about. Thank you for that clear idea.
13:00:21 From Nick Lilley to All panelists : Great job everyone!
13:00:25 From Mark Garner : Thanks CUI
13:00:48 From Dave Garand to All panelists : missed the webinar due to work. is it recorded and will be accessible?
13:00:56 From Ralph Cipolla : great discussion thank you from councillor Ralph cipolla from Orillia ontario
13:01:03 From Canadian Urban Institute : You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our sessions at https://www.canurb.org/citytalk
13:01:03 From Kathryn Mills to All panelists : thanks very much for an excellent discussion today
13:01:15 From Dave Garand to All panelists : ps, ride your bike, and get others on.
13:01:15 From Andrea Jung : Thank you everybody!
