Market Square

[KevinL]

Indoor pedestrian network seem to work where there is sufficient pedestrian traffic that they are necessary. The volume of pedestrian traffic is enough that two parallel pedestrian realms are viable.

People avoid a vacant space just as much as they avoid an over-crowded space for various reasons. This does mean, though, that in downtown areas where pedestrian traffic is limited, there is concern that further eroding the density of foot traffic will lead to a decline in ground-floor businesses and the overall health of the downtown area. I think it is often a chicken and egg situation, though. The history of sky-bridges has often been tied in with separating downtown business people from the street level so they don't have to interact with the "less-desirable elements" found there. They walk to their office from the carpark, eat in a food court, and then return to their car - all in private space - never once interacting with the neighbourhood. The desire for this separation is often a reflection of an already declining and struggling downtown area, though, and not necessarily the cause of it.

Kitchener is taking big steps, but is still struggling to revive its downtown streetscape and I think its a legitimate concern that having a parallel private and secure pedestrian network would hobble the progress it has made.

This is what lets the downtowns of Toronto and Montreal have 'underground cities' of interconnected retail space, as well as the regular surface offerings - they have enough occupation density to support both.

I don't think Kitchener is anywhere near that yet.