Are BIAs the key to Toronto's future?

The building blocks of a great city are vibrant communities, thriving neighbourhoods. Many pockets of engagement around the city will make the whole a beautiful place in which to live. As such, City Hall needs to find ways to encourage and support our neighbourhoods -- not simply the well-known communities (Greektown, Chinatown, Little Italy), but the no-name, no-tourist, just-regular-folk variety as well.

But how?

My modest proposal: a matching grant program.

Seattle has done it successfully – profoundly successfully, as a matter of fact. They began modestly in 1988 by putting some money aside to help neighbourhoods – but the neighbourhoods were to do the work, unleash their creativity, and take the lead in any project.

If the community got together and came up with an idea to enrich their collective life, and they came up with half the money for the project (or committed to volunteer labour, etc.), then the City matched the proposal.

The initiative and momentum of the projects were clearly in the hands of the community members, but City Hall could come alongside with some much-needed help and financial support. Brilliant! Run-down parks were beautified, murals were painted, garden patches established, sculptures commissioned, and the list goes on. Twenty-two years later, Seattle is still supporting its communities. Why not us?

When I thought about this, I realized that Toronto already has a limited version of the matching grant program in our BIA’s (Business Improvement Areas, of which Toronto has 71). If a BIA takes the initiative to put in park benches, decorative lights, banners, etc., the city will pay for half of the capital cost (and the individual BIA pays the other half). The city’s BIAs and their surrounding residents have been greatly helped by this rather limited matching program.

How much more could this city be enriched through a Seattle-like matching grant program? Imagine the possibilities! Imagine the energy and collaboration that comes when we actively engage in our own neighbourhood – and our politicians are “there” for us and help us in a practical sense. Seattle started small because they weren’t sure they could afford it; 22 years later, they know they can’t afford NOT to do it. Why not us?

About Rev. Jim Parker

Comments

[Sonny Yeung]

No, simply because Toronto is not Seattle OR NYC! There is nothing stopping the BIAs from improving their area of business. Why would they need handouts from the city if the premise is to go up scale.
There is already gentrification/condofication in some neighbourhoods. We know that big box stores kill small local business' why not have a buy local movement?

[Jose]

Yes, we need more BIAs but the attitude and movement of "BUY LOCAL" needs to be present and practiced. We need more of these BIAs and the "buy local" attitude because I'm just so sick of zones and areas with big name stores. How utterly boring!

[Steven B.]

BIA's (BIDS/USA) may be successful in other places, but the challenge is ensuring that the management and execution of such improvements within the public realm meets with quality and design excellence. Several BIAs in Toronto have benefited from improvements, but the design and quality of public realm work in some of the more high profile areas, i.e. Yonge/Dundas has much to be desired, and has little to do with the character and context of such areas.

[Phil]

Areas of the city with the run down look, only have the government for financial and city planning assistance. These areas just don't have resources. However, it doesn't have to remain that way. New business starts could be forced to be more balanced. Move office workers to the low rent areas, start with government departments from all three levels. An office worker needs an office that can be on any street. Turn things around now, before more areas get run down because of lack of care and attention. There's a shortage of ideas not money.

[Keith]

How about giving them some say in decision-making?

Look at how the city treated business owners on Sheppard and St. Clair with the transit projects there. They cast both as NIMBYs, even though businesses on Sheppard wanted more intrusive transit. They wanted subways.

[brooke Lydbrooke]

I agree that BIAs can make a difference in some neighbourhoods in Toronto. However, there seems to be no overall vision from local and provincial politicans. Certainly, it doesn't help that the current federal government thinks Canada's cities too unimportant to invest in. There are are some great neighbourhoods in Toronto and some very shabby ones that definitely need a Jane Jacobs-type vision and the money to make it a reality. This is what I'd like to see:
• Jacobs' 'eyes on the street' philosophy, where people are safe to walk on the street day and night
• vibrant architecture that compliments the heritage and style of the neighbourhood
• independent businesses encouraged to thrive, without chains and big box stores driving them out.
• input from locals as to what they want and need in an area, instead of the area being curated by large-scale plans made by outsiders, with little thought local residents and businesses
• local zoning and licensing laws that ensure a balance of bars, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, laundromats, pharmacies, medical clinics etc.
• tree-lined streets and parks wherever possible
• bike lanes and lots of places for people to lock their bikes
• access to public transit
• affordable housing for artists and people with low-income
• funding for public murals, sculptures etc.

[David Purdy]

Toronto BIA's are a mess. The BIA that looked after the transformation of the Bloor St strip at Yonge, blew it, and quite badly. Local residents were not consulted. The Entertainment District BIA managed to push out all of the clubs and the area is becoming a Ghost town now. They too do not appear to be talking with the residents. BIA's should be compelled to allow the local residents to have an equal vote, not just the absentee business owners that go home to Markham and Mississauga whentheir shop doors close.