Three Point Recovery Plan for the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area

Abstract

Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (DYBIA) worked with a team of students at the Ryerson University Local Economic Development Certificate Program in the summer of 2020 to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on DYBIA’s key commercial corridor and to recommend practical interventions. To evaluate the impact, the authors undertook a comprehensive literature review, conducted walkthroughs of the study area,[i] undertook business and consumer sentiment surveys, and reviewed pedestrian counts, commercial vacancies, transit usage, and residential real estate trends. The authors proposed three recommendations for DYBIA: (1) advocate city council for a repurposed street that is COVID-19 compliant; (2) improve the perception of public safety by participating in outreach work for the homeless population; and (3) develop a DYBIA dashboard to track key performance indicators. These solutions aim to bring back pedestrian foot traffic to the area to ensure longevity and vibrancy for DYBIA in a COVID-19 world. The authors hope these recommendations can be applicable and adopted by other Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) across Canada.