What could a future vision of historic Walkerville look like?
That was the question being asked Tuesday night at what was termed a visioning workshop, attended by a large crowd of neighbourhood residents and business owners at Walkerville Brewery. The workshop was held in conjunction with the city of Windsor and BrookMcIlroy, a Toronto consulting firm specializing in landscaping and urban design. Also in attendance were Windsor City Planner Adam Coates and Ward 3 Councillor Chris Holt, whose district includes Walkerville.
Information gathered at the workshop will be used as public input for the city's districting plan for Walkerville. Nathan Flach, a senior urban designer with Brook McIlroy, told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that ideas from those who live and work in Walkerville are vital to the districting being a success.
"This is our first chance to actually come out to the community and hear firsthand from the people who live, work and play in Walkerville," said Flach. "Things that they really love about the community, things that they wish they could see happen, and then [we'd] really start to get those ideas flowing in terms of a vision for the neighbourhood."
Looking for an interactive experience, attendees were invited to enjoy pints of Walkerville craft beers. Then, they were split into groups and asked to examine maps of the neighbourhood, marking the maps with things they enjoy seeing, as well as those they wish to see. People were also asked to look at dozens of photos of outdoor urban spaces from locations across North America and the world, and vote on the ones most appealing to them.
Presentations were due to round out the evening. After the event, Flach said they will begin to examine the feedback received.
"We know it's a really amazing place, but we know that there are little pieces that we can even fill in," said Flach. "So as we work out those details, we're going to continue having a dialogue with the community, going out to neighbourhood groups and speaking to the people who really do call Walkerville home."
The Walkerville workshop is the first scheduled out of several being planned by the city of Windsor, as there are plans to incorporate several themed "districts" throughout the city. Others include Olde Sandwich Towne, Riverside, Ford City, Asian Town and Downtown.
Complete information on the Walkerville theme districting initiative can be found on the city's official website.
This map shows the historic Walkerville neighbourhood that is part of the "districting" study, December 3, 2019. Sketch by BrookMcIlroy.