As we reflect on 2024, it’s clear that Downtown Van has kept busy with an incredible array of initiatives, events, and successes that have shaped our district.
From enhancing safety in downtown to promoting local businesses, let’s take a closer look at some of the key highlights that defined this past year:
BETTER SAFE / THAN SORRY CAMPAIGN
In October, Downtown Van launched the “Better Safe / Than Sorry” campaign alongside a legislative agenda that urged candidates to make safety a priority in the provincial election. This initiative emerged from the Downtown Safety Taskforce, urging political parties to address the pressing public safety challenges faced by our business community.
LAUNCH OF OUR PODCAST
In February, we proudly launched our podcast, “Hey, Downtown Van,” now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. With 16 engaging episodes featuring guests like Riley Wiwchar, Jeff Martin, and Councillor Peter Meiszner, the podcast has become a vital platform for discussing the latest insights and trends shaping downtown Vancouver. Stay tuned for Season 2, coming soon!
TAYLOR SWIFT’S THE ERAS TOUR
In December, Taylor Swift wrapped up her Eras Tour in Vancouver, and to help our local businesses make the most of this exciting event, we launched ShopDTVan2Win, our first-ever district-wide contest. By making a purchase of $13 or more at participating downtown Vancouver businesses, shoppers had the chance to win $250 each week and be entered into the grand prize draw for a pair of tickets to Swift’s highly anticipated concert. Participants could also enter by leaving an online review, which helped boost community engagement. The campaign generated 933 positive reviews and had an impressive economic impact of over $130,000.
In collaboration with Montreal-based Le Monde Studio, we also brought larger-than-life, Taylor-inspired installations to various locations around downtown Vancouver. Each interactive piece played a Taylor Swift song, adding a fun, immersive element for fans visiting the city.
FEDERAL ADVOCACY IN WASHINGTON DC
In April, Downtown Van President & CEO Jane Talbot was one of four individuals representing Canada and BC on an advocacy trip to Washington, DC, alongside over 130 business leaders from the region. Co-hosted by the Portland Metro Chamber and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the trip brought together leaders to engage with elected officials and federal administrators on key issues impacting the West Coast.
Downtown Van was honoured to be one of the only Canadian West Coast representatives, as the discussions addressed challenges shared across our communities. This advocacy trip provided an important platform to amplify Downtown Van’s voice on the federal stage as we work together to tackle these pressing challenges.
LAUNCH OF THE ECONOMIC DASHBOARD
In February, we launched our Economic Dashboard, curated by our economic development team to bring you the latest economic metrics, trends and insights from our district. By November, we expanded this resource to include additional categories, such as “Downtown Tourism” and “Storefront Vacancy Rate.”
SHARED LEARNINGS WITH PORTLAND
In February, several members of the Downtown Van team visited Portland to meet with Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez and the teams from Downtown Portland Clean & Safe. This exchange provided valuable insights into Portland’s experience with decriminalization and highlighted shared challenges.
At the 2024 Community Safety Forum in October, our members had the privilege of hearing from these experts directly. Hank Smith from the Office of Mayor Ted Wheeler, Steve Wytcherley from Portland Clean & Safe, Skyler Brocker-Knapp from the City of Portland, and Sergeant Daniel DiMatteo from the Portland Police Bureau shared their perspectives on decriminalization, crime, and social issues. The panel was expertly moderated by Justin P. Goodrich, LL.M.
SUMMER MOVIE NIGHTS AND GRANVILLE BLOCK PARTY
Our team kept busy this summer with the return of our 7-week Summer Movie Nights and Granville Block Party.
Summer Movie Nights kicked off in July, opening with the critically acclaimed Barbie, along with favourites like Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This popular event series saw record attendance and generated an impressive economic impact of over $1.4M. A big thank you to our sponsors, American Express Canada, M&M’s Canada, Bentall Centre, and Daily Hive Vancouver, for making it possible!
Granville Block Party took over the Granville Entertainment District for its second year on August 24th and 25th for a weekend of art, live music and fun for the whole family. We had an incredible lineup of talented artists across three main stages curated in partnership with EventLAB and exciting stage takeovers by Public Disco, Van Vogue Jam and Locals Lounge. Over the two days, we welcomed more than 40,000 attendees, resulting in an economic impact of over $897,000.This vibrant event was made possible thanks to our sponsor, Red Truck Beer Company, as well as our Official Media Partner, Daily Hive Vancouver, and our Media Sponsor, Global News BC. The Granville Block Party was presented with support from the City of Vancouver and was partially funded by the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
STATE OF DOWNTOWN REPORT AND LAUNCH EVENT
In April, we released our sixth State of Downtown report at our State of Downtown launch event. The 2024 edition provided insights into the performance of key sectors driving the downtown economy, covering topics such as retail, tourism, office space, transportation and hospitality. Explore key takeaways from the launch event here.
WORK WITH THE CANADIAN URBAN INSTITUTE (CUI)
In July, the team from the Canadian Urban Institute visited the Downtown Van office for an engaging exchange of ideas, where they discussed innovative projects and solutions aimed at enhancing urban living and development. This marked the beginning of a partnership focused on sharing knowledge and collaborating to shape the future of our cities. Then in December, members of Downtown Van’s senior management team attended CUI’s 2nd Annual State of Canada’s Cities Summit in Ottawa, where two days of insightful discussions explored ways to build sustainable and inclusive cities for the future.
THE GRANVILLE PLAN
VANCOUVER’S AWESOME ALLEYS
In July, we launched “Vancouver’s Awesome Alleys,” a five-year strategy to transform laneways into vibrant public spaces developed in collaboration with hcma. Our aim is to activate several alleys along Granville and Hornby Streets, enhancing pedestrian experiences and community engagement.
PALADIN PILOT PROGRAM
In August, we began trialling contract security coverage through Paladin Security Services with two full-time security guards patrolling the downtown core 7 days a week from 2 PM to 10 PM. This program was aimed to enhance safety in the downtown core and to provide a dedicated security presence to support our Downtown Safety Ambassadors.
PEOPLE OF DOWNTOWN MURAL
In October, we unveiled our “People of Downtown” mural commissioned by Downtown Van and created by local artist Chairman Ting. This piece was inspired by our online blog series, “People of Downtown” and serves as a tribute to iconic figures who have left their mark on downtown Vancouver.
As we close the chapter on 2024, we’re excited for what’s to come. The initiatives and events of this year have not only strengthened our community but have also set the stage for an even more vibrant and engaged Downtown Vancouver in the years ahead.
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