Hamilton city staff are currently in the midst of developing a 10-Year Downtown Revitalization Strategy amid an increase in homelessness and major criminal incidents in the area.
They recently shared the results of a survey that was developed to inform the strategy, and it found that safety in the downtown core was a major issue among respondents.
The survey was open from April 2 to June 30 and included open-ended questions.
The first question asked respondents to identify their “big idea for Downtown.”
The number one theme identified by respondents was related to pedestrian safety, with 25.3 per cent of people wanting the city to improve walkability.
After that, 19.8 per cent identified community safety as a priority, 18.7 per cent asked for increased garbage pickup and street cleaning, and 16.3 per cent want the city to address vacant buildings and units.
The next question asked about Hamiltonian’s “vision” for the downtown core.
Answers mirrored those from the first question, with the top response “general safety,” which was mentioned by 35.4 per cent of people.
When asked what people value about the core, 27 per cent chose restaurants, 21.6 per cent said history/historic buildings, and 20.8 per cent said retail offerings.
The top three answers for “challenges and concerns” in the downtown area that need attention were addressing homelessness (45.9 per cent), safety (41.5 per cent), and reducing public drug use (30.4 per cent).
Now that the community engagement phase of the Downtown Revitalization Strategy is complete, staff are working on the draft strategy, including the city’s vision, guiding principles, and priority actions.
The strategy will specifically identify priority actions that the city should undertake to support downtown revitalization over the short-term (2026-2028), medium-term (2029-2031), and long-term (2032-2035).
The draft strategy will reportedly be presented to Council at the Dec. 3 General Issues Committee.
Council is expected to review and approve the final strategy and recommendations in quarter one of 2026.
Despite the survey results, concerns have been raised about the low number of submissions.
Only 276 people responded to the survey, even though Hamilton’s 2025 population is estimated to be almost 600,000.
Additionally, the city mailed out postcards to over 55,000 residents, property owners, tenants, and businesses in Wards 1 (Chedoke-Cootes-Westdale), 2 (Downtown Hamilton), and 3 (East Hamilton Centre).
The city also says that a “coordinated media campaign” ran across local newspapers, websites, and social media platforms to encourage engagement.
Staff also organized 13 pop-up events and placed posters in the lobbies of several buildings.
It should be noted, however, that in addition to the survey, staff have also held a series of “focused roundtables” with approximately 200 stakeholders and had individual meetings with multiple groups, such as the Business Improvement Area Subcommittee and Hamilton Police Service.
City staff also met with Oak View Group and the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group, which are behind the $280 million refurbishment of Hamilton’s arena (now called TD Coliseum), which is expected to bring a significant boost to downtown.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
