The City of Prince George, in partnership with Downtown Prince George, is continuing to invigorate the downtown by finding ways to improve and increase urban offerings and public space. To this end, the partners are developing a downtown placemaking and marketing strategy and need public input. Citizens of Prince George are encouraged to fill out the Downtown Prince George Community Survey at www.princegeorge.ca/getinvolved by February 7, 2022 to provide their feedback.
Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design, and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and well-being.
The Downtown Marketing and Placemaking Strategy will include recommendations on actions to take to enhance the attractiveness of the downtown, improve the offerings in the downtown and make it a more desirable location for businesses, residents and visitors. Creating, embracing, and promoting place in our downtown is one of the strategic priorities identified the City’s 2020-2025 Economic Development Strategy.
“Maintaining a stable workforce and attracting people with the right skills has been identified as a major barrier to growth by many residents and businesses,” says Melissa Barcellos, Manager of Economic Development. “Having a vibrant city core and a high quality of life will help employers to attract and maintain qualified staff. Many people look for the types of lifestyle offerings a city has when choosing where to live and work.”
An advisory committee of eight people (four from the City and four from Downtown Prince George, including two representatives from downtown businesses) are being consulted throughout the process.
“The opportunity to work on this strategy in collaboration with the City of Prince George and its citizens fulfills our vision of supporting and growing the economic vitality and energy of Prince George’s downtown,” says Colleen Van Mook, Executive Director for Downtown Prince George. “Considering the challenges of the last year, this is a great time to rejuvenate our efforts with tangible marketing tools and placemaking concepts that will support and encourage more people to live, work, spend time and open businesses our downtown.”
The City has hired Resonance Consultancy to assist in the development of the strategy at a cost of $65,000. Resonance is a global consultancy with expertise in research, strategy, storytelling, and design to make destinations, cities, and developments more valuable and more vibrant. The company has started reaching out to key stakeholders we identified in partnership with Downtown Prince George for the research phase of the project.
Survey participants who provide their email and/or mobile phone number can fill out a short form at the end of the survey to earn a chance to win a Downtown Experience Package, valued at $300. Only the winning participant will be contacted.
The results of the survey will be reviewed and communicated to survey respondents by March 2022.
Background
The Downtown Marketing and Placemaking Strategy is one of the strategic priorities identified in the City’s 2020-2025 Economic Development Strategy approved by Council in 2019. As part of the Strategy, the City is working toward the continued improvement of the downtown by finding ways to improve its urban offerings and public space.