THE FUTURE OF OTTAWA: REIMAGINING DOWNTOWN CORE
Role: UX Researcher
Category: Service Design
Tools: Miro, Figma, Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Aftereffects), Google Document
Collaboration: City of Ottawa
PROJECT OVERVIEW
I contributed as a UX researcher in a team of five from Algonquin College's Human-Centered Design Lab, collaborating with the City of Ottawa to further its long-term goals. One of the City of Ottawa’s primary goals is to Reimagine the downtown and Byward Market with increased economic activity, safety, and Tourism. The demographic we chose was Young Adults. Our task was to investigate how downtown areas can attract diverse demographics and sustain youth participation.
PROJECT GOAL AND BACKGROUND
Our study aims to provide the City of Ottawa with helpful information about improving events and activities in downtown Ottawa, focusing on drawing in young adults. To increase income and tourism and enhance the city's reputation, the City of Ottawa is now prioritizing reviving the downtown area with the involvement of young adults.
This research question was developed to ascertain the cause of non-participation.
What are young adults' motivations and barriers to participating in downtown Ottawa events and activities?
Downtown Ottawa's post-pandemic economic recovery has been sluggish; among Canadian and American cities, it has recovered less quickly, and downtown visitor numbers have significantly decreased (Chapple et al., 2023; Pringle, 2022). Adopting hybrid employment patterns and the city's unremarkable reputation are two factors causing young individuals to seek amusement in other locations (CBC News, 2023; Egan, 2022).
References:
CBC News. (2023, November 23). Canada’s ‘most boring city’ is hiring a nightlife boss. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2286757443716
Chapple, K., Moore, H., Leong, M., Huang, D., Forouhar, A., Schmahmann, L., Wang, J., and Allen, J. The Death of Downtown? Pandemic Recovery Trajectories across 62 North American Cities. School of Cities, University of Toronto. https://downtownrecovery.com/death_of_downtown_policy_brief.pdf
City of Ottawa. (2020). ByWard Market Public Realm Plan Recommendations Report. https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/byward_publicrealm_en_0.pdf
City of Ottawa. (2021). Ottawa Nightlife Action Plan. https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=123595
City of Ottawa. (2023). City of Ottawa Strategic Plan 2023-2026. https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/StrategicPlan_2023-2026_EN.pdf
Council, committees, and City Hall. (2023). Committee hears plans for ByWard Market revitalization. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-news/newsroom/committee-hears-plans-byward-market-revitalization
Egan, G. (2022). Ottawa doesn't have to be boring, residents say. Capital Current. https://capitalcurrent.ca/ottawa-doesnt-have-to-be-boring-residents-say/
Pringle, J. (2022, August 2). Visits by residents and tourists to downtown Ottawa are less than half of pre-pandemic levels, a study finds. CTV News. https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/visits-by-residents-tourists-to-downtown-ottawa-less-than-half-of-pre-pandemic-levels-study-finds-1.6009344
DEMOGRAPHIC
The target audience for this research is young individuals (those between the ages of 18 and 30) who will be essential in boosting the downtown Ottawa economy's development and recovery over the next ten years. In line with the strategic objectives of the City of Ottawa, the research aims to comprehend these young adults' viewpoints about events and activities in the downtown area. The goal is to find knowledge that will inform downtown Ottawa's future development choices. The research aims to provide solutions to improve this group's downtown experience by analyzing their requirements and expectations. This will help to revive and increase the downtown area's economy.
INCLUSION CRITERIA
The Inclusion criteria include young adults between 18 and 30 who have participated in downtown Ottawa activities and events at least once within the last five years.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
The exclusion criteria exclude adults over 30 because our industry partner, the City of Ottawa, primarily targets the youth who will use this service over the next ten years. Additionally, it excludes individuals under eighteen to minimize risks associated with their capacity to provide consent, ensuring the research is low risk. We are eliminating those who have not engaged in activities and events in downtown Ottawa within the last five years since we require up-to-date data that precisely reflects the experiences of this cohort both before and during the pandemic.
USER PERSONA
A persona that embodies the majority of possible participants—young adults who reside in Ottawa and have participated in events and/or activities in downtown Ottawa—has been conceptualized.
