What's your city doing to encourage shoppers to head downtown, rather than the malls, for their Christmas shopping.

Winnipeg merchants are trying hard to revive shopping in their downtown, but City Hall seems to be playing the role of Grinch. What would you do, or like to see done, to encourage shoppers to return to downtown for Christmas shopping?

the tiny sears desk in the back of our general store gave out FREE wishbooks! I know some lucky kids in Rosetown Sask that are gonna get hockey pads for Christmas!

Cities should do everything possible to ensure that people actually live in or near downtown. Some cities don't have much of an urban population and suburbanites generally aren't too eager to fight traffic and then engage in a time and/or cash-consuming quest for a parking spot.

downtown is generally the most expensive real estate, not to mention suseptable to high crime rates... generally wards off a large populous

Very true. It's a vicious circle for those cities that have seen their downtown core fall into decay: the middle class types move out to the 'burbs which accelerates the decline.

Winnipeg has tried to revitalize it's downtown with a couple of initiatives. The first, Portage Place which is a downtown mall that opened in 1987, failed for the most part. It is hoped with the opening, last fall, of the new MTS Centre(built on the old Eatons' site) and the construction of Manitoba Hydro's new megaplex office, that people will return to downtown.

However, the core area needs added security before people will return in the numbers that downtown merchants desire. The perceptions that suburbanites have of the downtown are not all wrong. My office was in the TD building on the corner of Portage and Main. I was constantly harassed by individuals, often reeking of BO and booze, for money and cigarettes. "Eh, youse god denny spare change?" was the greeting at the door frequently. Often they were quite aggressive, when you refused. People don't want that when they are shopping with their kids. Before the people return, the panhandlers, the street kids, and bums have to be removed. Buskers however, I would like to see more of(and not just the couple they allow at The Forks). Pikes Market in Seattle was usually good for buskers as they were a factor that drew in tourists and shoppers.

By now some people must be proposing a Giuliani approach to the problem.

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I heard that the proposed new stadium for the Bombers was going to be built somewhere out on the Perimeter Highway. It should be located somewhere downtown instead of the boonies...

I love shopping downtown T.O. Favourite destinations include World's Biggest Book Store off Yonge St. and the Silver Snail on Queen West. For those annoying relatives on my gift list there's always Honest Ed's on Bathurst.

One of my most favourite memories is actually shopping in downtown London ON (and no they shouldn't change their name despite the crazy thread). Evening, dark, all the Christmas lights on the trees and a light snowfall. That is just about the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit. I think that it is truly unfortunate the degree to which downtown areas have lost their appeal for so many. Even by decorating, providing free parking, and extending the hours many seem unable to compete with the convenience of the shopping mall.