After months of pooling data from workshops, surveys, individual research and small group interviews, Civilis Consultants has unveiled the results of its report examining the civic identity of downtown Vancouver.
The 69-page report, commissioned earlier this year by Vancouver’s Downtown Association (VDA), will be used in decisions related to economic development, land use, policy and marketing of the city’s core.
“It’s going to help us prioritize our work and really understand where we need to be spending our efforts,” said Lee Rafferty, executive director of the VDA.
Why civic identity?
Michelle Reeves, principal at Portland-based Civilis, told the Vancouver Business Journal in March (when research began) that civic identity plays a critical role in revitalization because lack of identity is often tied to economically under-performing downtowns.
“Typically, business owners get to work and they are so focused on making sure they’re putting out a good product and keeping all the ABCs of their business in the right direction, they don’t do much community building,” explained Rafferty. “This is about relying on each other for referrals, promotion and event planning. [This report] will help build the fabric of this downtown so that it’s even stronger than it
is now.”
The story framework
Civilis’ comprehensive report looks at identity through what Reeves calls the “CORE (Characterization, Objective, Relationship, and Environment) Story Framework” – the same building blocks that improvisation artists and screenwriters use to create compelling stories.
For example, in the “Relationship” section of the report, local business owners, property owners, neighbors and visitors were asked, “What do people relate to downtown?” and “What businesses most define downtown Vancouver?”
The answer (pictured in the adjacent word cloud), includes businesses that drive economic impact but don’t necessarily drive identity, the report noted.
Recommendations
Based on the data collected from workshops, surveys and interviews, the new civic identity report concludes by offering a number of recommendations to grow downtown Vancouver’s vitality. Those recommendations include:
• Telling a more vibrant story with buildings – The report suggests promoting the restoration of historic buildings; introducing color and dramatic building lighting; tenanting with active, outward facing uses that reinforce the downtown’s brand.
• Focusing on destination – Attracting tenants that bring entertainment, experience and customer service.
• Ramping up street dialog – The report recommends Vancouver’s ground floor businesses engage pedestrians in much the same way vendors engage foot traffic at the farmers market, contributing to a fantastic walking experience.
• Creating an authentic story – To establish civic identity, the report suggests downtown businesses must consider audience, authenticity, and conflict as it communicates with prospective visitors.
• Improving communication between east and west Vancouver – Authors of the report said a two-cities syndrome plagues Vancouver’s citywide identity.
• Building lasting connections through events and experience – The report recommends better leveraging of existing events for brand spillover; building upon existing themes; and targeting those who are currently not relating to downtown.
• Differentiating downtown Vancouver from the suburbs – Civilis suggests differentiating downtown from the suburban environment by managing parking effectively, improving gateways and thinking about creative ways to bring community, not cars, back to 4th Plain.
Implementation
Rafferty said the civic identity report will be “informing everything we (VDA) are going to be doing over the next year and a half.” That includes hiring consultant Bridget Bayer, principal at Portland-based Business Association Management, to connect business owners working in different segments of downtown.
“There are old familiar faces downtown that may not know the new ones, and there are new ones that may not know the new ones. This is a way to get them blended together,” said Rafferty, adding, “This is definitely an exciting time for downtown.”
