Learn about the importance of community health and its link to key success factors for small to mid-size downtowns from two experts that bring decades of collective experience. David Witty will walk through the importance of community health and Michael von Hausen will outline what makes successful downtowns. The Downtown Health Assessment Tool developed by Michael will be presented and discussed based on more than 20 Downtown Plans. This tool has been used from Whitehorse, Yukon to Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia to reveal the key strengths and weaknesses of downtowns across Western Canada. Dave Witty will conclude discussing the important link between health and downtowns as part of an insightful response strategy to COVID-19. Michael’s presentation is based on his comprehensive recent book Small Is Big: Making the Next Great Small to Mid-Size Downtowns available on Amazon.ca or the Vancouver Island University bookstore.
