Theme 3: Hospitality and Experiences

In the third theme from our Strategic Plan, Hospitality and Experiences, we look at how we can support our existing businesses and attract new food and beverage opportunities, boutique lodging, and multi-use event venues to Ottawa. The concept of hospitality speaks to creating a welcoming environment where individuals and businesses feel well cared for, valued and respected. Hospitality involves a warmth and attentiveness to needs and comfort. Experiences are opportunities to show that hospitality. Experiences are how we can shape the intangible elements that give us our sense of place.

Before diving into the specifics of the principles and objectives driving this theme, let’s dig into this concept of ‘sense of place.’ ‘Sense of place’ … ‘sense of belonging’ … ‘sense of community’ … these phrases are used so often in downtown revitalization literature that they can sometimes feel like platitudes. What does it mean to experience a sense of place? Sense of place is largely an emotional connection with the physical assets around you. Those physical assets are symbols of collective memory and shared experiences that evoke feelings of belonging and familiarity. We see the toilet paper strung across the road. We remember the helping hand from a neighbor after the flood. We hear the marching band from the parade. (If going for all 5 senses here …. we smell and taste pizza a lot.) There is a sense of continuity with our history for those that are from here and a sense of authenticity that draws those that are not from here.

Authenticity is not something said lightly. As Ottawa looks to growing our hospitality and experiences, we need to stay true to who we are. Supporting our existing businesses is just as important as attracting new. Authenticity is about both the past and the present - the harmonious blend of the old and the new. There is a checklist from the International Downtown Association (IDA) that provides a good overview of what is needed for authenticity. Let’s take this checklist and see how it compares to the Hospitality and Experience objectives from our strategic plan.

IDA Ten-Point Authenticity Checklist

1.      Engaged and involved property ownership

The importance of engaged property owners cannot be understated. It helps foster a collaborative and proactive environment. For example, we want engaged owners in order to coordinate times businesses are open to ensure peak activity at desirable times. If we are hosting an event to increase foot traffic, we need to make sure it is at a time when businesses are open to capitalize on that foot traffic. Engaged property owners are also critical for curating a mix of engaging experiences, helping to eliminate policy and financial barriers, and focusing on the “first 16 feet” of ground-floor frontage.

2.      Commercial diversity and independent businesses

Encouraging innovative pop-up and mobile uses to test and grow demand for downtown retail options is one way we can encourage commercial diversity. We also have a goal to grow the number of daytime and weekend retail customers downtown with co-working, office uses, overnight lodging and residential units. Another component of that diversity is attracting quality operators that provide products at a variety of price points. In order for any of these to take place though, we need to also circle back to needing to eliminate policy barriers and financial hurdles.

3.      An evolving built environment

Change can be scary but so can complacency. Our goal is to curate a mix of engaging experiences, relaxed environments and kid-friendly destinations. We want to expand programming at the Rex and Endzone and, again, encourage pop-ups and other uses for increased daytime activity. This means an ever-changing downtown that continues to draw interest and patronage.

4.      Walkability and accessibility

A walkable and accessible downtown is the infrastructure towards achieving any of these. This means we are looking at the sidewalks, at the poles, at our “first 16 feet” of buildings and making sure that they are places that are clean, safe, attractive and welcoming for all. (See #5 below!) We are creating a “park once” environment to increase convenience, encourage shop hopping and promote longer downtown stays.

5.      Places that are clean, safe, attractive and welcoming

See #4 above!

6.      Diversity and attitude of culture and people

Diversity and attitude of culture and people come from curating that mix of engaging experiences and promoting those experiences in marketing Ottawa. We have something great here, we just need to tell that story in a compelling way.

7.      Public spaces as gathering places

We’ve seen the success of Thursdays at the Rex. It has become a regular community gathering spot throughout the summer. We need to build and expand on that programming, at the Rex and Endzone to be able to fully harness their power as economic development generators.

8.      Theater, arts and culture

This goes hand in hand with #7 above. Our culture, arts and so on are what give a community an identity, our sense of place. If we do not nurture those, we lose that.

9.      Historic preservation

Our history is also part of our identity and much of that history is captured in that “first 16 feet.” Remember that it is those physical assets that give us our collective memory giving us our sense of place. If we cover up, if we leave to disrepair, we fail to preserve that history.

10.  Vibrancy and energy

This is the underlying motive in all of our objectives, not just the Hospitality and Experience ones. Go Ottawa’s mission is to create vibrancy in downtown Ottawa and beyond. Everything should always come back to that.

All ten of our principles and objectives for the Hospitality and Experiences theme are attempting to help with at least one component of authenticity listed by the IDA. Go Ottawa wants to see downtown as a thriving hub of activity that then bleeds into the rest of our community. That hub of activity is achieved by maintaining authenticity and building a stronger sense of place. Downtown needs to be our “third place.” Our “first place” is our home, where we live and sleep. Our “second place” is our workplace, where most of us spend the majority of our waking time. Our “third place” is our anchor to the community, where we relax in public and enjoy the company of others. It is a place where we feel welcome and entertained. A place for hospitality and experience.   

This involves a mental shift that will take time. Instead of downtown being a quick pop-in to grab that one thing you want, downtown becomes a regular part of our lives. The assumption is downtown, not the exception. It is a place to be experienced, a place to be shared, and a place to be loved. It is a place for community. To bring it back to William Whyte and our Public Spaces blog, “What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people.” We need to create the experiences and the environment to bring the people, then the rest will unfold from there.

As always, if you have thoughts or feedback on this vision, please share with us at hello@go-ottawa.com.