This week, the Downtown Rideau BIA is hosting urban planners, for the 60th annual International Downtown Association (IDA) Conference and Tradeshow. This means that for three days, hundreds of delegates from around the world will learn how downtown leaders are rising to the challenge of downtown intensification. 

As more businesses, people, and visitors seek out the “downtown” experience, it’s experts like those visiting Ottawa this week who will ensure that those encounters are enjoyable. How can transit hubs be stimulating arenas rather than crowded corners? What can cities do to keep cyclists safe? And what’s the future of parking downtown? As city centres intensify, these are important questions that call for considered debate.

“Successful revitalization and continued urbanization have transformed city centres across the globe,” says Peggy DuCharme, Executive Director of Downtown Rideau BIA, and local organizer of the IDA’s 60th Annual Conference and Trade Show in Ottawa.

Here, some images from the opening night.
Click on the thumbnails to open the slideshow.