Public policy for downtown redevelopment in Winnipeg

Abstract

Downtown redevelopment in general, and its more specific component, commercial development, is an issue that has not received much attention by researchers, especially from the policy formation point of view. The planning and political decision-making process around the formulation of Downtown redevelopment plans and their general proposals for stimulating commercial redevelopment, are the concerns of this study of public policy for downtown redevelopment in Winnipeg. This study explores the planning and political decision-making process surrounding the Downtown Winnipeg plan and evaluates both the above process, and the plan itself . The conclusions are that: the policy questions of commercial development and downtown redevelopment have lacked a proper framework for the establishment of goals and the formulation of viable alternative plans for realizing these goals; citizens have been excluded from the planning process and the political decision-making process; and that politicians lack direction, a sense of priorities, and a real understanding of the public interest in this question. The major purpose is to explore the debate around this issue and raise some important questions for further research and consideration by planners, political decision makers and citizens...