Community Voices and Research Insights on Revitalizing Brunswick Square

In a CBC News story, a CEO invites the community to help reimagine a mall in Saint John, New Brunswick, and turns to research voices like Pierre Filion, Master of Future Cities instructor and Waterloo emeritus professor, to unpack the urban questions behind this challenge. 

Pierre’s insights draw from his research on the decline of urban malls and their attempts to reinvent themselves. His perspective reminds us that thriving city centres depend not just on buildings, but on the people who fill them, residents, students, workers, and visitors shaping vibrant urban ecosystems. 

With Brunswick Square facing vacancy rates as high as 75 per cent on its first floor, proposals under discussion range from attracting a grocery store to converting empty office space into housing. For Filion and other experts, the future of the site will hinge on whether more people can be drawn to live, work, and gather downtown, turning empty corridors into lively community spaces once again. 

Read the full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-uptown-mall-9.6935082