Dundas Place

Dundas Place program review

The City is currently collecting feedback about programming on Dundas Place. Please review the Dundas Place 2021 animation and activation report below, then share your experience of last year’s activities and events, and tell us what programming you would like to see on Dundas Place this year.

An accessible version of the report is available below.

Dundas Place 2021 animation and activation report

Dundas Place overview

Dundas Place is a destination for shopping, dining, art, and celebration. From Wellington to Ridout Streets, Dundas Place is a flexible street shared by pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. With extra wide sidewalks and no curbs, parking spaces can easily transform into patios, be used for sidewalk sales, or for street performances

How we got here

Transforming Dundas Street into Dundas Place was identified as a key Transformational Project in London's Downtown Plan (2015). Construction began in 2018 and ended in December 2019. The construction project also included storm sewer, sanitary sewer and utility (internet, hydro, water) upgrades.

Place management

In the development of Dundas Place, proactive place management and programming were identified as integral to success. In support of this vision, the City of London identified funding and a dedicated staff to ensure Dundas Place is effectively managed and programmed. In early 2020 a full schedule of events was planned for Dundas Place but with the arrival of COVID-19, all programming plans were put on hold.

Programming overview

In early 2021, despite the uncertainty of COVID-19, plans began for filling Dundas Place with a diverse range of small-scale programming, should restrictions allow. An animation and activation plan were created and shared with City Council in the May 18, 2021 Core Area Action Plan Implementation Status Update. You can review this plan by clicking here. As the summer arrived, restrictions began to shift, and small-scale outdoor activities were permitted with appropriate COVID-19 safety measures in place.

A team of staff was hired, equipment was moved into the recently completed Dundas Place Field House and programming began in July.

From July to October 2021, Dundas Place hosted 249 activations working with over 20 community partners.

These activations included:

• 125 Music Performances
• 64 Arts Activities
• 37 Special Events
• 20 Recreation Activities
• 3 Street Markets

Over the 4-month period, an estimated 20,000 people attended an event or activation on Dundas Place.

COVID-19 safety

The Dundas Place team had an active COVID-19 safety plan and worked closely with the Middlesex-London Health Unit to confirm appropriate precautions were being followed.

During activations, signage was in place to encourage social distancing, washing hands, mask wearing, and getting vaccinated. Seating was placed six feet apart and hand sanitization stations were installed with all activations.

Dundas Place also partnered with the Middlesex-London Health Unit to host multiple mobile vaccination clinics.

Programming review

Music performances

The London Arts Council and the London Ontario Jazz Hub programmed over 80 musical acts between July and October. Performances took place at Library Terrace, the Dundas Street and Clarence Street intersection, and in Market Lane during the evenings from Wednesday to Saturday as well as the afternoons on Saturday and Sunday.

Arts activities

The London Arts Council, 519 School of Hip Hop, Forest City Film Fest, Latin Passion Dance Academy, IAOVA, The Arts Project, AlvegoRoot Theatre, and Good Sport shared a diverse range of artistic programming on Dundas Place. This included mural painting, dance lessons and performance, film screenings, painting classes, writing classes, pop-up art sales, comedy, mime, and other types of art.

Special events

Dundas Place worked with Budweiser Gardens, Downtown London, local businesses, Pride London Festival, Sunfest, London Food Truck Association, and the Middlesex-London Health Unit to host a series of events and activities on Dundas Place.

Recreation activities

Working with City of London Recreation staff, Dundas Place hosted programming for kids, as well as health and wellness classes for adults.

Street markets

Dundas Place hosted multiple street markets including Vintage on the Block and the Witch's Veil Night Market. Later in the year, working with Downtown London, Dundas Place also hosted the Festival of Markets.

Strategic framework and fundingThe Dundas Place 2021 program of activities was directed through the Dundas Place Management vision and was supported with funding from the Core Area Action Plan and the London Community Recovery Network.

Core Area Action Plan

The Core Area represents the heart of London. It holds the greatest concentration of employment, heritage properties, largest community gathering places, a primary stage for music and entertainment, and the majority of our city’s tourism infrastructure. The health, vitality and resiliency of the Core Area is key to any successful economic development strategy for London and sends an important message to the world about London as a place to live and do business.

This plan included direction and funding to invest in Dundas Place, increase range and intensity of programming in the Core, and activate places and spaces with bistro tables and chairs.

London Community Recovery Network

Created on July 21, 2020, the London Community Recovery Network (the Network) was formed to power London’s recovery from COVID-19. The Network brings together leaders from the private sector, non-profit and institutional organizations to undertake community conversations about London’s recovery, and to identify short/long term ideas for action to be considered for implementation by the City of London, other orders of government, and the community at-large.

City Council endorsed and funded the recommendation to support outdoor performances and to make public washrooms on Dundas Place open 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Accessibility

Seating and public washrooms

Dundas Place offered residents and visitors a place to sit and play with flex seating and giant games throughout the summer and fall. These daily set ups played a vital role in making Dundas Place an accessible and fun place for all.

The Dundas Place public washrooms were available 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Providing accessible public washrooms that were consistently open to all ensure a basic dignity to those in need.

Like the flex seating, the Dundas Place public washrooms became more integrated in the routine of people who live, work or visit downtown, creating a more holistic place for all to enjoy.

Public washroom use in 2021:

• July - 1052
• August - 1621
• September - 1912
• October - 1863

The Dundas Place team is proud to offer this essential service to our community.

Marketing and communications

The Dundas Place animation and activation program was promoted with our social media accounts. Every week, the full list of activities was shared with bright beautiful images of people enjoying the street. Our social media accounts saw significant growth in engagement and followers over the course of the summer.

Weekly emails were also sent out with the full schedule to all the businesses on the street and downtown community partners.

In September, we started issuing a printed schedule with the full month's program. The program was delivered to local businesses, distributed to people on the street and brought to the downtown Tourism London Welcome Centre.

Background

One of our goals heading into the construction season this year was to improve safety and mobility for all road users traveling through downtown, while maintaining access to local businesses for people traveling by car. To do this, the City made temporary changes to traffic operations on Dundas Place using a "traffic diversion" approach.

In this arrangement, motor vehicles are restricted from entering Dundas Place at Ridout Street or Wellington Street. Instead, they have access to Dundas Place from Talbot, Richmond, and Clarence Streets to reach their destination. Vehicles are still able to exit Dundas Place at Ridout and Wellington Streets. The image below illustrates how this works.

With the construction season coming to an end, the traffic diversion arrangement was removed in late December, and the street returned to previous conditions. This was timed to follow the reopening of King Street to general traffic and the final Festival of Markets event, which required weekend restrictions to motor vehicles in the Ridout to Talbot Street block of the flex street.

As part of mitigation planned for 2022 core construction, which includes Phase 2 of the Downtown Loop (rapid transit) on Queen’s Avenue and Ridout Street, the traffic diversion arrangement will be reinstated on Dundas Place in spring of 2022.

The City completed a monitoring and consultation study, which found the arrangement to be effective in achieving its objectives. The findings were summarized in a recent report to City Council, which you can find in the 'Council and Committee Reports' area of this page.

Findings

The feedback on the Dundas Place 2021 temporary construction mitigation traffic diversion is predominantly positive. The survey feedback identifies broad popularity, particularly amongst those who visit Dundas Place. Business owner/operator feedback was mixed between those that supported or are ambivalent and those that preferred removal.

While motor vehicle traffic volumes were reduced by around a quarter, Dundas Place visitors increased significantly through the year, particularly higher numbers of people walking and bicycling, totalling close to double the number of vehicles. It is hard to correlate the street activity to road changes given the short history of Dundas Place and the overwhelming influence of the pandemic restrictions; however, this and other data sources will form a baseline to measure future Dundas Place success.

With respect to transportation and mobility considerations, the influence of the traffic diversion creates a more suitable connection between newly constructed cycle tracks on both ends of Dundas Place. The unique design of Dundas Place supplemented by the traffic calming influence of the traffic diversion creates a street environment that is more conducive to all ages and abilities cycling and walking and completes this component of the East-West Bikeway.

Frequently asked questions

Could traffic diversion be a longer-term solution for the flex street, beyond 2022 construction?

After the 2022 construction season has finished, future use of the traffic diversion model can be considered as a flex street tool, taking into consideration Dundas Place activations and operations, as well as the status of any potential remaining pandemic measures.

What is the proposed traffic detour for Queens Avenue and Ridout Street, which is phase two of the Downtown Loop? Is it Dufferin Street?

The Downtown Loop Phase 2 project is generally divided into three stages:

Stage 1 – Ridout Street – from south of King Street to Fullarton Street.

Stage 2 – Queens Avenue – from Ridout Street to Richmond Street.

Stage 3 – Queens Avenue – from Richmond Street to Wellington Street.

Due to the scale of the project, it is expected that two stages may need to be completed during the same period and may not necessarily follow the order noted above.

The project is further subdivided into multiple substages, to maintain traffic flow through the area as well as property access to the extent possible. Some full road and intersection closures will be required to complete the work.

The final construction staging plan and detailed construction schedule will be available in early 2022, once a contractor has been awarded the contract.

Dufferin Avenue will be the primary designated detour route for Queens Avenue.

How will westbound traffic exit the downtown during 2022 construction?

Westbound traffic will be able to exit the downtown using Queens Avenue. Construction staging is such that access to Queens Avenue, from Dufferin Avenue, will be maintained in at least one location along the corridor.

Will the intersection of Ridout Street and Queens Avenue be maintained?

The contractor will be required to maintain one lane of traffic through the Ridout Street and Queens Avenue intersection at all times. Localized, short-term closures may be required to facilitate servicing or utilities crossings.

How is York St / Stanley St / Wharncliffe St and the reconstruction of the CN underpass at Wharncliffe impact alternate egress from the downtown to points west?

Major traffic impacting work on the Wharncliffe Grade Separation project is not anticipated to occur until after Ridout Street is reopened to traffic.

How does the Victoria bridge replacement (Ridout Street at the Thames River, near London Hydro), which is planned for 2022, also impact movement into and out of the downtown?

Replacement of the Victoria Bridge (Ridout Street over the Thames River) will require the closure of the road to vehicles beginning in the spring of 2022 for approximately a year. A temporary bridge will be provided for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the river during this closure. This project will be tendered soon and after the construction contract has been awarded more information and a detailed construction schedule will be available. This work is being coordinated for completion prior to major traffic impacts associated with the Wharncliffe Road Underpass which will begin in late 2022.[RA1]

Will Blackfriars Bridge be open to traffic coming into the downtown?

The conversion of Blackfriars Bridge to a pedestrian and cycling space was a pandemic response to support physical distancing considering the high pedestrian volumes and confined sidewalk.

As per the November 17 council resolution, staff have reopened Blackfriars Bridge to vehicles, while staff undertake a long-term usage study and further consultation with the community. More information about the study scope and public engagement opportunities will shared in the coming weeks. In the meantime, a Get Involved webpage has been launched so interested parties can sign up for updates related to this process.