A fast-growing city refocuses on its downtown and creates an outdoor living room

Saskatoon Downtown Event and Entertainment District

One of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, Saskatoon, is thinking big. With an aging 1980s arena situated on the city’s edge, a convention center struggling to meet existing demands within its footprint, and a hole in the northwest corner of downtown—left by surface parking lots and a post-pandemic shift of activity—the City of Saskatoon set out to create an ambitious new district. They reached out to our team to help.

We led the preparation of the overall master plan and public realm concepts for a variety of festival and community oriented public spaces. We also developed a comprehensive parking and mobility strategy for the district including integration with planned bus rapid transit investments. Additionally, we provided a range of supporting technical analyses and policy, zoning and urban design advisory services.

To bring these design concepts to life, we utilized our virtual reality (VR) studio to create an immersive experience of the central plaza. The VR experience provided the public and decision-makers with a better understanding of how vital pieces of infrastructure can form a unique public open space experience in the heart of downtown Saskatoon.

The City is moving this vision forward, approving the concepts and a C$1.2 billion funding plan to bring the Downtown Event and Entertainment District to life. The new and expanded facilities, knitted together by a public space, will entice community members and visitors to explore and take up residence in a revived urban center.