You know it when you feel it.
A great main street makes you want to slow down and wander; to stop for a coffee, browse the shops, have a conversation with someone, or simply find a place to sit and stay awhile. But what exactly creates that feeling?
That was the question behind the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association’s (OBIAA) Professional Development Day, where Burlington was selected as this year’s host city to showcase the importance of partnerships in placemaking. BIA leaders from communities across Ontario – from Exeter and Ottawa to Kerr Village and Thornbury – came together to see firsthand what happens when a community invests in its spaces.
“Local businesses are the heartbeat of a Main Street,” says Rachel Braithwaite, Executive Director at OBIAA. “BIAs give an area an identity, a look and feel that’s unmistakably its own. When that’s done well, people aren’t just walking down a street, they’re making memories and connections through enhanced experiences in their community.”
Burlington is home to two very different, but equally valuable BIAs: Burlington Downtown and Aldershot Village.
“I was excited to showcase that Burlington’s main street experience isn’t just about one traditional downtown,” says Andrea Dodd, Executive Director at Aldershot Village. “Conference delegates were able to see how we approach placemaking, beautification and community building in very different environments while still working side by side.”
Jaclyn Jones, Membership and Community Engagement Consultant at Burlington Downtown, describes their core experience as the city’s front door, or perhaps its living room, where many people discover Burlington for the first time, and residents gather to celebrate important community moments.
While downtown offers festivals, waterfront views, and cultural experiences, Aldershot feels more like an area built on generations of neighbourhood connections. Both areas recognize that great business districts are about much more than retail and restaurants. They’re about creating destinations and experiences that bring people together. During a virtual tour of Aldershot Village and a walking tour of Burlington Downtown, conference attendees learned about the beautification initiatives that help create their inviting environments.
The tours offered plenty of examples of how community partnerships can change the way people relate to a street. In Aldershot Village, Connection Corner became the first placemaking project along Plains Road, creating a welcoming spot to sit, pause and connect. The Rooted in Aldershot “fruity fence” transformed an otherwise ordinary fence outside a local business into public art that pays tribute to the area’s agricultural roots.
As delegates strolled along Brant Street and through the surrounding downtown, they saw several creative approaches to placemaking, including partnerships with private businesses to turn blank walls into murals that visually animate the area. Branded chairs in the Village Square and outside the Performing Arts Centre add inviting places to sit, while way-finding baubles bring personality to lamp posts throughout the area. Delegates also stopped for a photo opportunity at the I (HEART) BURLDT installation on the exterior wall of Scrivener’s, which is an eye-catching conversation starter.
“A great main street is built through strong relationships, local entrepreneurship, community pride, and a commitment to creating memorable experiences,” says Jones. “Our two BIAs continue to excel because we embrace all of those elements, making our business areas not just places to shop, but places where people want to gather, connect and belong.”
Burlington demonstrated that the best main streets don’t just give us somewhere to go. They give us somewhere we want to be.
Local at First Sight
Here’s what BIAs from out of town had to say about Burlington:
“I had been to Burlington several times but never to the waterfront or downtown, and I’m surprised by how beautiful and quaint it is.” – Nathalie Carrier, Vanier BIA
“Burlington Downtown has done well integrating the different streets with signage and working with their private property owners to animate where they can’t in public spaces. Their public art initiatives are something we can really learn from.” – Susan Nicholson, Collingwood Downtown BIA
“The shop owners have done a good job in making their storefronts and patios unique. I also love that they created baubles instead of using traditional banners on lamp posts. It’s the first time I’ve seen that.” – Andrea Steenbakkers, Barrhaven BIA
By Nicole Hilton
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