Core Area Strategy Engagement Plan
Update on Core Area Strategy
The portal to share input on the Core Area Strategy has now closed. Thank you to everyone who shared their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges in Downtown, Midtown and Old East Village. City staff are currently reviewing all submissions and will provide updates and further engagement opportunities on this page as they become available. Once the vision statements and areas of focus for the Downtown, Old East Village and Midtown neighbourhoods have been developed, they will be integrated into the engagement process for Council’s next Strategic Plan and Multi-Year Budget process.
Want to stay up-to-date with core area improvement initiatives, events and engagement opportunities? Sign up for the Our Core Area newsletter.
About the Core Area Strategy
From Wednesday, October 5 to Wednesday, November 9, the City of London requested input on the opportunities and challenges experienced in London’s Core Area. Input was received from Core Area visitors, business owners, residents, workers and property owners. This input will be used to help develop the Core Area Strategy vision statements and areas of focus, which will guide future actions in the Downtown, Old East Village and Midtown neighbourhoods.
Input may relate to things like economic growth, safety and security, residential development, accessibility, and arts and culture, as well as social and health issues, homelessness prevention and housing. Ultimately, we want Londoners to share their perspectives and provide input on where they would like to see the City focus future strategies related to Core Area improvements.
The Core Area is made up of several unique and vibrant business districts and neighbourhoods, including Downtown, Old East Village and Midtown. Each area plays an important role in the success of the core and has different opportunities.
It is important to have a Core Area Strategy to help strengthen our past investments, coordinate our work to address challenges and problems and engage the community in developing improvements for each area so that people feel safe and secure, businesses have an environment that allows them to be successful and the Core Area attracts more people.
Once finalized, the vision statements and areas of focus for Downtown, Old East Village and Midtown that will describe the key drivers for the Core Area Strategy will be integrated into the engagement process for Council’s next Strategic Plan and Multi-Year Budget Process.
The Strategic Plan sets the course for City Council and Administration as they work to deliver on the City’s goals between 2024 and 2028. The Strategic Plan will also drive the direction of the 2024-2027 Multi-Year Budget. This plan lays out how resources will be allocated and what priorities the City will put tax dollars toward. The vision statements and areas of focus within the Core Area Strategy will be built into the City’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan and set the direction for improvement efforts in the core over this four-year period.
Where we are now:
In 2019, the health of the Core Area was recognized as vital to London’s prosperity as a whole and, as such, the City set out to develop the Core Area Action Plan. The plan outlines short-, medium- and long-term actions the City has and continues to implement to improve the core, ranging from strategic to operational.
Through the plan, we have invested in economic development and worked with our community partners to address social and health issues, cleanliness, safety and security, and communication and coordination in our Core.
Through the implementation of this plan, the City has helped to create a cleaner, more welcoming Core with infrastructure to support residents, businesses and visitors; provided housing stability and other social supports for vulnerable populations; addressed safety and the perception of safety in the Core; and supported and promoted Core Area businesses and events.
The Core Area Action Plan does not exist independent of other programs and plans that have been created to foster success in the Core Area. Other City programs and plans, including the London Community Recovery Network, the Housing Stability Action Plan, the Core Area Community Improvement Plan and the Our Move Forward: London’s Downtown Plan, to name a few, are also focused on improving the Core Area.
Through the creation of the Core Area Strategy, we want to build on the success of previous planning initiatives and continue to address social and health issues, homeless prevention and housing and safety and security. We also want to continue the work required to create an environment where businesses can thrive and people are attracted to visit Downtown, Old East Village and Midtown.
Our Core Area newsletter
Want to stay up-to-date with core area improvement initiatives, events and engagement opportunities? Sign up for the Our Core Area newsletter.