Comment 80832

By Jay Robb (anonymous) | Posted September 11, 2012 at 13:05:07

There are some very good comments here. Two-way supporters seem to putting ahead their swords, taking a deep breath and hitting the reset button on messaging. This is a good thing.

I believe the downtown could & should be the cultural and economic heart of Hamilton. Two-way streets will be one of the ways to elevate the core' heart rate.

We're well on our way on the cultural side (Exhibit A is this weekend's Supercrawl plus the AGH, Hamilton Place and Copps).

On the economic side, downtown Hamilton should aim to have the highest concentration of creative workers of any mid-size city in Canada. The companies that have set up shop in the Tannery District in Kitchener are exactly the businesses Hamilton needs if we are to compete in an economy that rewards creating and innovating.

Downtown Hamilton can be a low-cost, high-reward field of dreams for entrepreneurs who are willing to invest everything to build a business. They'll offer personalized experiences that can't be replicated at power centres and big box stores.

Downtown Hamilton should be top of mind with organizers of health sciences conferences and conventions. This was one of the big ideas that came out of the Hamilton Economic Summit. When conferences are done for the day, delegates could spend their nights in a thriving, vibrant downtown.

And with all-day GO service, downtown Hamilton should be the Plan B for commuting Millennials & young families who've been priced out of the Toronto market. A report out last week shows walkable urban space will be the hot real estate market for the next generation. Downtown Hamilton will be among the city's most valuable real estate.

So those are my four reasons why it's worth investing in two-way streets downtown. If we get it right, fewer of us will be driving through downtown because more of us will be going & staying there to work, live, play and shop.

Onwards and upwards.

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