There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?
Recent Articles
- Justice for Indigenous Peoples is Long Overdueby Ryan McGreal, published June 30, 2021 in Commentary
(0 comments)
- Third-Party Election Advertising Ban About Silencing Workersby Chantal Mancini, published June 29, 2021 in Politics
(0 comments)
- Did Doug Ford Test the 'Great Barrington Declaration' on Ontarians?by Ryan McGreal, published June 29, 2021 in Special Report: COVID-19
(1 comment)
- An Update on Raise the Hammerby Ryan McGreal, published June 28, 2021 in Site Notes
(0 comments)
- Nestlé Selling North American Water Bottling to an Private Equity Firmby Doreen Nicoll, published February 23, 2021 in Healing Gaia
(0 comments)
- Jolley Old Sam Lawrenceby Sean Burak, published February 19, 2021 in Special Report: Cycling
(0 comments)
- Right-Wing Extremism is a Driving Force in Modern Conservatismby Ryan McGreal, published February 18, 2021 in Special Report: Extremism
(0 comments)
- Municipalities Need to Unite against Ford's Firehose of Land Use Changesby Michelle Silverton, published February 16, 2021 in Special Report
(0 comments)
- Challenging Doug Ford's Pandemic Narrativeby Ryan McGreal, published January 25, 2021 in Special Report: COVID-19
(1 comment)
- The Year 2020 Has Been a Wakeup Callby Michael Nabert, published December 31, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- The COVID-19 Marshmallow Experimentby Ryan McGreal, published December 22, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- All I Want for Christmas, 2020by Kevin Somers, published December 21, 2020 in Entertainment and Sports
(1 comment)
- Hamilton Shelters Remarkably COVID-19 Free Thanks to Innovative Testing Programby Jason Allen, published December 21, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- Province Rams Through Glass Factory in Stratfordby Doreen Nicoll, published December 21, 2020 in Healing Gaia
(0 comments)
- We Can Prevent Traffic Deaths if We Make Safety a Real Priorityby Ryan McGreal, published December 08, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(5 comments)
- These Aren't 'Accidents', These Are Resultsby Tom Flood, published December 04, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(1 comment)
- Conservation Conundrumby Paul Weinberg, published December 04, 2020 in Special Report
(0 comments)
- Defund Police Protest Threatens Fragile Ruling Classby Cameron Kroetsch, published December 03, 2020 in Special Report: Anti-Racism
(2 comments)
- Measuring the Potential of Biogas to Reduce GHG Emissionsby John Loukidelis and Thomas Cassidy, published November 23, 2020 in Special Report: Climate Change
(0 comments)
- Ontario Squanders Early Pandemic Sacrificeby Ryan McGreal, published November 18, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
Article Archives
Blog Archives
Site Tools
Feeds
By Fred Street (anonymous) | Posted May 29, 2010 at 11:52:26
jason: "Hamilton's successful shopping districts are also more proof - Locke, Ottawa, Westdale, Concession etc..... why is Locke booming while King and Main at their intersections with Locke seem desolate?"
Just as you point to the complexity of Barton Street's plight, I wouldn't presume to pin the business fortunes of those areas exclusively on two way streets.
Relative proximity to high-income earners helps considerably in the case of Westdale and Locke South; niche marketing, well-rounded community assets and geographical isolation/captive population helps considerably in the case of Ottawa and Concession, but both see that prosperity clustered. Almost all have undergone peaks and valleys in prosperity.
Locke South of Main has ben two-way for ages and the renaissance is finite -- when people refer to Locke they're typically using shorthand for the five blocks from Herkimer to Hunter. Ottawa North has also been two-way for ages but was largely dormant until Locke rents inspired an exodus and Centre Mall underwent reconstruction. There are often a multitude of factors contributing to the success or failure of a given area. Proof? Kenilworth North doesn't seem to benefit in the same ways as Ottawa North, for example, despite being relatively similar in many superficial ways. Ditto for Dundurn vs. Locke.
One snag that King and Main and Barton face is that they're longer than four or five blocks, so the successes and investments are spread out over a longer distance. Two way streets are helpful and old-timey streetscaping is nice and all, but those are only two components in a complex socioeconomic puzzle.
Permalink | Context