Raise the Hammer

Hamilton, without a doubt, has an image problem. Or rather, we have an "image problem" problem. We're obsessed with the notion that some superficial change, event or landmark is going to solve all of our problems. Some say it's the Pan-Am games, others say it's "getting rid of the panhandlers", fancy "downtown hamilton" gates and banners or even redeveloping keystone buildings (the Lister, Howard Johnson, City Hall etc).

This image problem has two components, the first being the reality we see, the second being the eyes viewing it.

Firstly: Hamilton is a city with problems. Poverty, addictions, deindustrialization, the draining of urban shopping flow to suburban retail empires though an expensive and unmaintained set of urban highways etc... These problems are solvable - there's boatloads of books, courses and Profs talking about them right now at McMaster, though you'll probably never see anything in the Spec reflecting current sociological or urban-design theory (or coun that's come out since the 1960s). But every time someone actually tries to tackle them they're drowned out by more talk about "fixing Hamilton's image problem". Wanna deal with crazy people downtown? Start funding the HPH again! Wanna deal with alcoholics and crack addicts? Treatment centres! The homeless? Affordable housing! Want people living, shopping and working downtown? Stop subsidizing suburban growth. Tired of ugly strip-mall architecture in the city? Get rid of zoning requirements for setbacks and parking lots...

Secondly: it's time to recognize that a very good chunk of the problem with "downtown's image" is the prejudice and bigotry of the people viewing it. We all know who these "scary people" downtown are - minorities. The poor, homeless, mentally ill, natives, immigrants, countercultures, young or otherwise marginalized. How far are we willing to go to "clean up the core"? If we can demonstrate that we'd get more shoppers from the suburbs if we got all the black people out of the core (and honestly, we might), would we do it?

What can you get in the core that you can't get at Limeridge?

• Authentic ethnic food, clothing, groceries, (Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Ethiopian, Caribbean, Indian etc)
• Much better prices
• Cheap, varied housing (apartments, houses etc) -Public Library, Convention Centre, Copps Coliseum, Farmers Market, City offices etc
• Bars and clubs to suit many different tastes (clubs, pubs, dives, bars etc)
• Harvest burger. How do ya beat harvest burger?
• Arts and culture - More galleries than I can count and tons of local and visiting musicians
• Walkable, bussable and bikable places to live, work and shop.
• Local publications like Mayday and H-Mag.
• Myriad chances for political involvement (council meetings, protests, speaking events etc).
• Access to intercity busses and trains

What other part of Hamilton can offer anything that compares to this? Perhaps it's time to start enjoying downtown for what it is and what it has, rather than an idyllic picture in our heads which will never come to pass?