Block Studies
Hyper-local portraits of the impact of the pandemic that combine storytelling with data.
To better understand how COVID-19 has impacted main streets and businesses, the Canadian Urban Institute in partnership with Vancouver City Savings credit union (Vancity) and Vancity Community Investment Bank conducted a series of seven Block Studies in British Columbia and Ontario.
Round 2 Block Studies
These Block Studies were developed using a variety of data sources, a business survey and conversations with BIAs and local business owners conducted in November 2020. Some of the key findings include:
Summer felt almost ‘normal’ on many main streets thanks to successful patio programs and an increase in local patrons; however, visits overall and revenues were consistently down across the 7 blocks.
Businesses are urging consumers and governments to shop local as a way to support small and independent businesses, especially during the holiday season.
The downtown blocks have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 and have seen drastic increases in vandalism, crime and street activity.
Many services and facilities serving those experiencing homelessness, mental health or addiction challenges, which are often located on main streets, have had their service delivery disrupted, limited, or closed due to COVID restrictions, and have not had the resources to keep up with growing community need.
Patio programs brought a lot of vibrancy to main streets over the summer. The colder months offer opportunities for winter placemaking and evaluating impacts of public space initiatives.
There is a growing presence of large investment companies on main streets, which tend to be less invested in the well-being of businesses and local neighbourhoods.
For more details, read the full summary and click on the individual Block Studies below. Round 1 Block Studies done in July 2020 can be found here.
Government Street, Downtown Victoria, B.C.
Pre-COVID, this block of Government Street had a healthy mix of local retail and was a busy destination for daytime workers, tourists and locals. There were almost 1 million fewer visits to this area from April to September in 2020 compared to 2019 (a 63% decrease).
Queen Street East, The Beach - Toronto, ON
The Beach is a neighbourhood centred on Queen Street East, in the east end of Toronto. Summer on this block felt almost normal. While many businesses were struggling, others had revenues the same or higher than previous years. The patios created through City of Toronto’s CaféTO program brought a lot of vibrancy and foot traffic to the street.
Tranquille Road - Kamloops North Shore, B.C.
Located north of downtown Kamloops, B.C., Tranquille Road includes an eclectic mix of businesses, some of which have been there for 40 years. There were 140,000 fewer visits to this block from April to September, compared to the same time period last year (a 28% decrease). This is the least that any of the 7 blocks.
Lawrence Avenue, Wexford Heights - Toronto, ON
Lawrence Ave East is located in the Wexford Heights neighbourhood of Toronto. It is a busy arterial road made up of a number of strip malls. Of the 87 businesses on this block, most are independently run (81%). This includes many ethnic and family run businesses that cater to Middle Eastern, Asian and African clientele (e.g., Bengali, Gujarati, Iranian, Nigerian, Somali, Filipino). Very few of the businesses had cash reserves to support themselves through the pandemic. Despite their inability to pay major bills, most decided not to access the federal financial aid programs, like the rent and wage subsidies or loan programs.
King Street & Catharine Street - Hamilton, ON
Pre-COVID, this block in Downtown Hamilton, was filled with daytime office workers, young professionals from a nearby co-working spot and international school students. There haven’t been any business closures on this block, however, 85% of the businesses are operating with reduced revenues.
East Hastings Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, B.C.
Strathcona is a residential neighbourhood and commercial district located east of Downtown Vancouver. Three businesses on this block have permanently closed. Safety and crime continue to be major issues on this block, such as increases in graffiti, break and enters and public drinking.
137th Street, Newton - Surrey, B.C.
The Newton neighborhood is located along 137th Street in Surrey. Many businesses in Newton are minority-owned or operated, representing the cultural diversity of the area. Only 39 out of 110 businesses reported having any online presence.
The block studies were supported by Vancity and VCIB.
Vancity is a values-based financial cooperative serving the needs of its more than 534,886 member-owners and their communities in the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw territories, with 59 branches in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay.
Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB) is a subsidiary of Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity). As Canada’s first and only values-driven bank, VCIB is committed to driving positive social and environmental change within the communities in which it operates.