How to Make Your City More Attractive

An attractive city offers more than appealing streets or a busy calendar of events. People also need accessible services, welcoming public spaces, ways to get around and opportunities to take part in community life.

For municipalities, improving a city’s appeal means understanding what residents, businesses and visitors need, then choosing actions that fit the community’s resources and identity. The following 25 ideas can help shape that work.

Improve public spaces and quality of life

1. Create and maintain accessible green spaces

Parks, gardens and green corridors give people places to meet, rest and spend time outdoors. Consider whether residents can easily reach these spaces from different neighbourhoods and whether paths, seating and facilities meet a range of needs.

Maintenance matters as much as construction. A smaller park that is cared for and used may serve a community better than a larger space that is difficult to access.

2. Choose practical, durable street furniture

Benches, waste bins, transit shelters and signs affect how comfortable public spaces feel. Choose materials and designs that suit local conditions, are easy to maintain and work together visually.

In a Canadian climate, accessibility, winter maintenance and durability deserve particular attention.

3. Improve lighting, cleanliness and upkeep

Well-maintained sidewalks, visible waste bins and appropriate lighting can make public spaces more comfortable to use. Lighting can also highlight important buildings and gathering places.

Review these choices with residents and local partners: a well-lit space should meet users’ needs without creating unnecessary glare or overlooking energy use.

4. Make room for people to gather

Public squares, markets, playgrounds and pedestrian areas give residents reasons to spend time in a neighbourhood. Flexible spaces can host different activities as community needs change.

The most useful gathering places are shaped by how people will reach, use and maintain them—not only by how they look in a plan.

5. Respect local character and heritage

A city’s buildings, landscapes and streets tell its story. New projects can draw on that character while making room for current needs.

Rather than requiring every building to look alike, establish design principles that encourage quality, compatibility and respect for significant heritage features.

Make it easier for everyone to get around

6. Improve walking and cycling connections

Safe sidewalks, crossings and cycling routes can make short trips more convenient. Focus on useful connections between homes, schools, businesses, parks and services.

Evaluate where gaps exist and how routes will function throughout the year, including in winter.

7. Strengthen public transit connections

Where transit is available, reliable routes and convenient stops help people reach jobs, services and activities. Depending on the municipality’s size, improvements may involve local shuttles, better connections with regional services or safer access to existing stops.

8. Bring everyday needs closer to residents

The “15-minute city” offers one way to think about access to daily needs. Its practical lesson is to consider how far residents must travel for groceries, schools, recreation and other essential services.

The goal is not a rigid 15-minute rule for every municipality. Smaller cities and rural communities need approaches suited to their geography and population.

9. Design for people of different ages and abilities

Review sidewalks, crossings, bus stops, parks and public buildings from the perspective of people with disabilities, older adults and families with young children.

Involve the people who use these spaces when identifying barriers and testing proposed improvements.

10. Manage parking and traffic with local needs in mind

Parking, deliveries, transit and pedestrian movement all compete for space. Study how streets and parking areas are actually used before changing them.

Depending on the area, clearer signage, loading zones, park-and-ride options or adjustments to traffic flow may improve access. The best solution will differ between a downtown street and a neighbourhood commercial centre.

Celebrate local identity, culture and business

11. Protect and use heritage assets

Historic buildings and sites can help residents and visitors understand a community’s past. Restoration, interpretation and thoughtful reuse can keep these places relevant.

Consider how a heritage project will be funded, maintained and integrated into the surrounding area.

12. Support cultural and community events

Festivals, exhibitions, performances and smaller neighbourhood activities create opportunities to meet and participate. Work with cultural organizations and residents to build a calendar that reflects the community throughout the year.

13. Develop local discovery routes

Walking routes can connect historic sites, public art, food businesses or natural features. Clear signs and accessible information may be more useful than building a new app for every initiative.

14. Make local businesses more visible

Markets, local campaigns and partnerships with business associations can introduce residents and visitors to merchants, producers and artisans.

Ask businesses what support they need. Easier access, construction updates and clear wayfinding may be as valuable as promotion.

15. Communicate a recognizable identity

A city’s visual identity should reflect what people can genuinely experience there. Consistent language, signs and communications can make municipal information easier to recognize.

Start with the community’s strengths and residents’ perspectives before developing a slogan or visual campaign.

Build sustainability into municipal decisions

16. Choose materials and maintenance practices with a long view

When planning public works, consider durability, repair needs and the full cost of maintaining an asset. Trees, permeable surfaces and other landscape features may also help address local environmental challenges when properly designed and maintained.

17. Assess energy and waste initiatives

Solar power, electric vehicle charging, composting and other initiatives may be relevant, but their value depends on local conditions, costs and available capacity.

Set a clear objective for each project and assess its expected benefits before investing.

18. Improve the performance of public buildings

Existing municipal buildings may offer opportunities to reduce energy use through maintenance, insulation, equipment upgrades and better controls.

An assessment of current performance can help the municipality prioritize work according to cost, expected savings and building needs.

19. Use data to manage services

Sensors and performance dashboards can help track matters such as energy use, facility occupancy or service requests.

Begin with a decision the municipality needs to make, then determine which data would help. Information must be reliable, understandable and accessible to the people responsible for acting on it.

20. Involve residents in environmental projects

Public consultations and workshops can reveal how residents experience a proposed change and what may make it easier to adopt. Explain what decisions remain open, how feedback will be used and what the municipality decides afterward.

Communicate clearly and invite participation

21. Develop a consistent place strategy

A local economic, tourism and commercial development strategy can connect municipal projects to a shared direction. It helps teams explain their priorities to residents, businesses and partners.

22. Use social media to inform and listen

Social platforms can highlight local projects, events and services. They can also show residents where to find more information or how to take part in a consultation.

Choose platforms your audiences actually use and make sure important information remains available through accessible municipal channels.

23. Highlight local achievements

Share the work of residents, community groups, businesses and municipal teams. Specific stories about what changed and who contributed are more meaningful than broad claims that a city is thriving.

24. Give residents ways to shape projects

Public meetings, advisory groups, surveys and workshops can each serve a purpose. Choose the method according to the decision at hand and include people who may not usually participate.

Follow up by explaining what you heard and how it affected the project.

25. Make municipal services easier to access online

A clear website, accessible forms and a simple way to submit service requests can improve interactions with the municipality. Before creating a new platform or app, check whether existing tools can meet residents’ needs.

Keep other ways to access services available for people who do not use digital channels.

Turn ideas into a measurable plan

A municipality cannot pursue all 25 ideas at once. Start by identifying its most pressing needs, consulting the people affected and selecting a few projects it has the capacity to deliver. Set measures that match each goal, such as use of a public space, access to services, commercial vacancies or resident feedback.

Mallette supports municipalities and regional county municipalities (RCMs) with market and feasibility studies, strategic planning and local development initiatives. Our team can help you turn a vision for your community into priorities, actions and measures suited to your territory.