Reviving Downtown Hamilton - The Case For A Civic Square

A lively conversation (some would call it debate!) has developed among the people of Hamilton over the past number of months since Mayor Eisenberger brought forward the idea to pedestrianize Gore Park.  Creating a civic square at the heart of The Hammer should stir up debate because it is a visionary, bold proposal, whose time has come.  While other cities have closed off entire streets to traffic and created "pedestrian malls", the Gore Park proposal would be different in that it is focused on creating a civic square at the physical and symbolic centre of Hamilton's downtown.

The world's most successful squares are comprised of a mixture of environment, location, and activity.  A public square has to be attractive in and of itself and should be surrounded by fine examples of architecture.  Gore Park already has a great base on which to build with the greenery, monuments, historic fountain, and many fine examples of surrounding architecture.  A successful square must also be centrally located where there is a high level of pedestrian activity.  One only needs to go to the corner of King and James Streets at noon hour during the week to see the vibrant activity and the great variety of people going about their day.  For the times of the day when activity is not naturally high, other activities will be planned for Gore Park including festivals, shows, and seasonal celebrations.  Mayor Eisenberger's vision for a Gore Park Plaza would directly challenge current negative perceptions of downtown by creating a safe, clean, inviting, and vibrant space in the core.  When people think of Hamilton in the future, they will think of Gore Park as a place to visit among our other great attractions.         

This idea comes at a time when there is a rediscovery of our central city.  This urban renaissance is in its formative stages, but its success is going to be part of our future, part of the ‘Next Hamilton' envisioned by the Mayor.  In many areas, including the waterfront and downtown, there must be an exciting new dialogue about what we can aspire to as a community, rather than dwelling on what is holding us back.  A Gore Park Square is another step towards becoming the interesting and vibrant city we know we can be.

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