Lead Firm: HTFC Planning & Design in collaboration with WSP Engineering, the City of Winnipeg & CentreVenture Development Corporation
Completion: September 2018
Winnipeg’s North East Exchange District is home to a forward-looking public realm underpinned by the rich warehouse commerce story of the city. The people-first woonerfs, green lanes, plazas, and parklets of the district, buzz with activity in all seasons. Together, these richly textured and accessible public places, form the soulful connective tissue that is the lifeblood of Winnipeg’s hottest and fastest-growing neighbourhood. Completed in 2018, this 6-year-long collaborative urban renewal project has been the catalyst for a private development that houses 2000 new residents—and welcomes more than a million visitors a year to its urban delights.
"Exemplifies the systematic implementation of an urban design plan over many years to create significant community benefits. The design team’s people-first vision, and multi-party collaboration, have resulted in a high-quality public realm. This public sector investment has leveraged further private interest and revitalization in an underutilized area."
"A well-executed design with thoughtful strategic interventions that have a transformative impact on the quality and cohesiveness of Winnipeg’s North East Exchange District."
"The degree of integration of public art as a structural —rather than purely aesthetic—component is notable. Incorporated materials, details, lighting, and overall degree of sophistication is well-calibrated and appropriate to the industrial ethos of the area. Using alternative stormwater management strategies is innovative in the context of Winnipeg—and most mid-sized Canadian cities."
Jury members