Downtown Reimagined: Help Shape the Heart of London

Downtown Reimagined: Help Shape the Heart of London
A summer series from the London Chamber of Commerce

Let’s be honest—every city has a heart, and ours? It beats in the core. Whether you’re downtown for a board meeting, a beer on the patio, a Knights game, or a festival that shuts down Dundas Place, Downtown London is where business, culture, and community come together. But like any heart, it needs care, attention, and a long-term vision. That’s where the City of London’s Downtown Plan comes in.

And no, we’re not talking about a dusty binder that sits on a shelf somewhere.

The new Downtown Plan is an ambitious, city-led initiative that will set the direction for revitalizing our core in the years to come. It’s designed to guide how we plan, invest, and evolve Downtown London—and it will do so with clear goals, deep community engagement, and an eye toward action.

Here’s the deal:
The City is launching a formal process to hire a multidisciplinary team of consultants to develop the plan over two phases. It will align with the London Plan and the City’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, digging into everything from building use and urban design to transportation, safety, public spaces, economic growth, and more. The end result will include an implementation strategy and financial plan that feeds directly into the next Multi-Year Budget (2028–2031). In other words—it’s a big deal.

That’s why the London Chamber of Commerce is stepping in with a summer series of bite-sized articles that will explore the Downtown Master Plan through a business lens. Over the coming weeks, we’ll dive into the key policy areas that impact our members—from vacant storefronts to green space, culture to connectivity, and everything in between.

Why are we doing this?

1. To advocate for the business community.
Our members—from retailers and restaurateurs to accountants and app developers—are a vital part of downtown’s future. Your needs, ideas, and experiences should help shape this plan.

2. To spark action.
This is your chance to speak up. The plan is still in development, and the City wants to hear from you. Visit Get Involved London and share your thoughts. Whether you’ve got a fully formed policy proposal or a one-line idea scribbled on a napkin, your input matters. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity!

What will we cover?

Glad you asked. In this series, we’ll take a closer look at topics like:

• How to build a downtown that’s safe, inclusive, and easy to navigate
• Creative ways to fill vacant spaces and revitalize key blocks
• The power of arts, culture, and entertainment in creating community pride (and economic spin-offs)
• How to attract and retain talent through smart, people-first planning
• New ideas for environmental sustainability, green spaces, and climate resilience
• And most importantly—how we can shift the narrative and remind people why Downtown London is worth investing in

So grab a cold drink, pull up a chair, and join us for this summer series. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and reimagine what our downtown can be—with your voice front and centre.

Let’s build a core we can all be proud of.

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Next up: “Downtown Dollars and Sense – Why Business Needs to Be Part of the Plan”