Many historic cores of downtown urban areas were abandoned for the spacious suburbs, but recently there has been a movement to revitalize these areas.
James Street North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada is a great example of successful downtown revitalization. Hamilton is an industrial city, home of steel production factories. While it a medium sized city, it is located about an hour away from Toronto, and thus is often overlooked. However, it has been receiving lots of attention because the community of James Street North is drawing people to the downtown core.
James Street North is now an active arts community with restaurants, galleries, cafes and small shops. This article will examine three keys to the success of the area.
Growth was Organic
The growth of James Street North was not planned, or pursued. It started organically in the early 2000s with a few shops and galleries opening in the area due to low rent. These shops and galleries in turn attracted other artists and business owners and the area has grown. For the most part the movement to the area was funded privately with no government assistance or direction.
Events Create Life
The success of James Street North has been helped by the monthly art crawl. All the galleries coordinate their show opening for the second Friday of every month. On these nights the galleries, stores and restaurants stay open and hundreds of people walk the street exploring them. This monthly event not only draws local people into the area but it has also become a signature event bringing people in from other cities. Once a year this art crawl turns into a daylong event – SuperCrawl – where the street is shut down and there are outdoor performances and activities all day long. In 2010 it is estimated that 20,000 people visited the street during SuperCrawl. The are also smaller events that bring life to the area – The Brain has knitting nights every Wednesday and the Mulberry Café has live music on Saturday nights.
Creating a Destination
James Street North does not just have artist galleries, it also has great restaurants – including those that are part of the Italian, Portuguese and Vietnamese communities that surround the area. There are also shops – such as the Vintage Shop White Elephant – and food and craft markets. The variety of businesses helps create a destination were you can spend a day exploring, shopping and stopping for a bite to eat.
These three factors have combined to create a sense of community and a unique identify for the area. The James Street North community is one with open arms that invites people come to visit and has helped revitalize Hamilton’s downtown.
