A public survey is now open for Red Deerians to share what they love about downtown Red Deer and their vision for the future of downtown.
The survey is part of the Downtown Identity Project, which aims to create a refreshed identity for downtown Red Deer – one that resonates with Red Deerians, businesses, visitors and investors, and inspires them to visit, shop, work, live and invest in its commercial core.
“Hearing directly from citizens is a critical element in the success of this project,” said Sarah Tittemore, Community Services General Manager. “Our goal is to develop a collective, shared vision for the future of our downtown, so we want to look closely at what people enjoy about downtown, what could be improved, and ways that we can encourage more visitors to our core.”
Launched this summer, this project will result in a downtown identity and strategy plan that outlines a shared vision, guiding principles and opportunities for both the community and The City to implement. The goal is to have an identifiable, well-invested downtown where residents and visitors repeatedly participate in unique, engaging, diverse and positive activities and experiences. Key areas that may be considered by the engagement process and the final plan include heritage, transportation, tourism, the economy, environment, social factors and more.
In addition to community engagement, a Community Collaborative Committee is also playing an important role in shaping the plan. Made up of citizens representing a broad range of interests, experiences and ideas, the group’s role is to ensure the community’s voice is represented at all phases of the project.
“Our aim is to ensure the final downtown identity and strategy plan truly reflects a ‘made in Red Deer’ approach and considers all the factors that make our community unique,” said Tittemore. “We couldn’t achieve this without the work the Community Collaborative Committee is doing to ensure all residents have a voice in the creation of a final strategy that will help reimagine our downtown.”
Following the engagement phase of the project, community insights will be used to inform initial stages of the plan. A report back to the community will also be shared to highlight what was heard and how that information was used.
In addition to the survey, two online workshops are being held November 10 and 17. More information about the survey, workshops and the project is available at reddeer.ca/surveys. The survey is open until November 21.