May 14, 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of a bold step in urban design. On May 14, 1960 Sparks Street was closed to vehicular traffic. Ottawa was about to launch a controversial experiment, Canada's first pedestrian mall.
When the last streetcar turned off Sparks Street in May 1959 the street faced an uncertain future. Although still home to a high concentration of retail shops, services, banks and restaurants, Sparks Street was perceived to be dingy and dated, and it was losing business to the shopping centres.
Following the streetcar's demise a group of merchants formed the Sparks Street Development Association and looked for ways to rejuvenate the street. They settled on the then startling idea of closing the street to traffic and creating a pedestrian mall. Architect Watson Balharrie flew the businessmen down to Kalamazoo, Michigan to look at their mall. Balharrie produced this sketch of the future mall, and published it in the Ottawa Journal - initiating a public debate on the possibility of a Sparks Street mall.
They gradually gained enough support to win a grudging approval from the City of Ottawa - although the Fire Department remained adamantly opposed. The Fire Chief warned that fire engines would not be able to get down the street. He was ultimately overruled by the Mayor.
It was the removal of the streetcar tracks and the overhead wires that caused the merchants to see the potential of Sparks Street.
The Sparks Street mall was to be a one-year trial. The low cost solution to creating a temporary mall was to paint decorative pavement markings on the freshly paved roadbed.
The skeptics proved to be wrong. Residents took to the novelty of a carless street, and it became an event that was widely publicized across North America. It even became an after dark attraction for night time window shopping.
Sparks Street closed to traffic on May 14, 1960. It would take a week to get all of the street furniture into place - although foot traffic along the sidewalks continued during the setup. The mall was officially opened by Mayor George Nelms on May 20, 1960.
Planters and pavilions had to be moved into place, and ready to be dismantled at the end of the season.
Keenly aware of the competition offered by the new suburban malls with ample parking, the Sparks Street Development Association promoted free parking nearby.
The National Gallery of Canada loaned Louis Archambault's Iron Bird - just returned from an installation at the Brussels 1958 World's Fair. It established a tradition for art on the mall.
Outdoor cafes had been an exotic rarity in Ottawa - nonexistent in fact. The mall's patio restaurants were quickly filled by the ladies who lunched and shopped.
To confirm the mall's commercial viability the National Capital Commission brought New York retail consultant Lawrence Alexander to Ottawa. He heaped praise on the mall, and encouraged its boosters to push forward.
Sparks Street went 'back to normal' after the first temporary mall came to an end on September 3, 1960. Some merchants grumbled about loss of business, others had made the most of the mall experience, but most residents pronounced the mall a success. Based on these results the Sparks Street Development Association decided to repeat the seasonal street closing in 1961. It returned every summer thereafter. By 1965 the City of Ottawa began to plan for a year round Sparks Street Mall, which would take another two years to design and build. The permanent mall was officially opened in 1967.
When the last streetcar turned off Sparks Street in May 1959 the street faced an uncertain future. Although still home to a high concentration of retail shops, services, banks and restaurants, Sparks Street was perceived to be dingy and dated, and it was losing business to the shopping centres.
Following the streetcar's demise a group of merchants formed the Sparks Street Development Association and looked for ways to rejuvenate the street. They settled on the then startling idea of closing the street to traffic and creating a pedestrian mall. Architect Watson Balharrie flew the businessmen down to Kalamazoo, Michigan to look at their mall. Balharrie produced this sketch of the future mall, and published it in the Ottawa Journal - initiating a public debate on the possibility of a Sparks Street mall.
They gradually gained enough support to win a grudging approval from the City of Ottawa - although the Fire Department remained adamantly opposed. The Fire Chief warned that fire engines would not be able to get down the street. He was ultimately overruled by the Mayor.
It was the removal of the streetcar tracks and the overhead wires that caused the merchants to see the potential of Sparks Street.
The Sparks Street mall was to be a one-year trial. The low cost solution to creating a temporary mall was to paint decorative pavement markings on the freshly paved roadbed.
The skeptics proved to be wrong. Residents took to the novelty of a carless street, and it became an event that was widely publicized across North America. It even became an after dark attraction for night time window shopping.
Sparks Street closed to traffic on May 14, 1960. It would take a week to get all of the street furniture into place - although foot traffic along the sidewalks continued during the setup. The mall was officially opened by Mayor George Nelms on May 20, 1960.
Planters and pavilions had to be moved into place, and ready to be dismantled at the end of the season.
Keenly aware of the competition offered by the new suburban malls with ample parking, the Sparks Street Development Association promoted free parking nearby.
The National Gallery of Canada loaned Louis Archambault's Iron Bird - just returned from an installation at the Brussels 1958 World's Fair. It established a tradition for art on the mall.
Outdoor cafes had been an exotic rarity in Ottawa - nonexistent in fact. The mall's patio restaurants were quickly filled by the ladies who lunched and shopped.
To confirm the mall's commercial viability the National Capital Commission brought New York retail consultant Lawrence Alexander to Ottawa. He heaped praise on the mall, and encouraged its boosters to push forward.
Sparks Street went 'back to normal' after the first temporary mall came to an end on September 3, 1960. Some merchants grumbled about loss of business, others had made the most of the mall experience, but most residents pronounced the mall a success. Based on these results the Sparks Street Development Association decided to repeat the seasonal street closing in 1961. It returned every summer thereafter. By 1965 the City of Ottawa began to plan for a year round Sparks Street Mall, which would take another two years to design and build. The permanent mall was officially opened in 1967.
Would it be considered a success today? The restaurants are busy when employees in the business area are around, but evenings and weekends are pretty dead. The retail component seems to have devolved to be predominantly represented by shops selling touristy t-shirts.
ReplyDeleteIs it better off being a pedestrian mall? Probably. But the core problem is that there aren't any customers around on evenings and weekends. Sparks could benefit from some residential condo projects in the business area.
While it may have been in its earlier years, it can hardly be considered one now. I don't think that the blame really lies with closing it to traffic though - at least not entirely, or even mostly.
ReplyDeleteWould it work today? The Mall's retail base has shrunk to about one quarter of its 1960 size, and a good percentage of Sparks Street's store frontage is forceably vacant because of on-going federal renovations. Re-opening the street to some vehicular traffic is under active consideration and a full rehabilitation of its crumbling design is years away. The Mall's place in Ottawa's civic imagination has altered to such a degree that its 50th anniversary could pass without notice or celebration.
ReplyDeleteSparks street used to be "the place to go" according to my parents, but I don't see it. Now it has been mostly taken over by government offices. Many shops have closed or moved mostly because the taxes are just too high-people now live outside of downtown and find it easier to pull into a huge parking lot of a shopping mall-there just isn't anything there people will shop for. Last week I heard the city is thinking of charging for downtown parking...during the winter Sparks street is a ghost town... why not open it up to cars? I agree it was a great idea but there is just no reason to go to Sparks street anymore, there just isn't anything there.
ReplyDeletecan u plz cite your sources. its very interesting
ReplyDelete