May 4, 2023
The City of Edmonton has announced $2.5 million in funding towards an initiative to enhance clean-up and beautification efforts in the downtown core. The Clean City Initiative will run from May 2023 to February 2024.
“Our city’s downtown is the heart of the Edmonton region. A strong downtown is vital to our economy. Our City’s success hinges on our downtown’s success,” says Deputy Mayor Andrew Knack. “We know that for a downtown to be successful, it must be safe, clean and vibrant.”
The Initiative will dedicate resources, including additional staff, to increase services such as:
- Garbage collection and removal
- Greenspace maintenance
- Litter pick up
- Graffiti clean up
“The residents of downtown, along with those who work, study, play and visit here, deserve a community they can be proud of,” says Councillor Anne Stevenson. “These clean-up efforts won’t just make our downtown spaces look better but it will make them feel better.”
This project will also help streamline and unify services related to cleanliness and maintenance in the downtown area. This will help staff respond to requests for services with more agility and efficiency. The City will be conducting a survey to understand Edmontonians’ experiences visiting or living in the downtown area. These results will help measure the success of this initiative and to develop additional tactics aimed at increasing downtown vibrancy.
“Both the Edmonton Downtown Business Association and the Downtown Recovery Coalition have been working closely with the City of Edmonton to ensure that Edmontonians and visitors are having positive downtown experiences that enable economic recovery and a renewed confidence and vibrancy in our core,” says Puneeta McBryan, Executive Director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. “Our downtown is for everyone, and everyone deserves a clean and beautiful environment. We applaud the City for these significant investments and operational changes that are already transforming the downtown experience, and the EDBA is proud to be a partner in delivering this project for the downtown community.”
This initiative is one of many projects underway in the downtown area. The City will continue to work with partners on projects that create a renewed sense of vibrancy in downtown. Visit edmonton.ca/downtown to learn about other projects and the City’s vision for the downtown core.
