Over Nine in Ten Canadians (93%) and Americans (90%) Agree That Downtowns Need to Become More Livable Spaces

Toronto, ON - Over nine in ten Canadians (93%) and Americans (90%) want downtowns to become neighbourhoods that feature green spaces (eg. parks, public areas, trees, etc) and walkable areas, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll on behalf of Lamb Development Corp. A very slim proportion disagreed with this idea (7% Canadians, 10% Americans).

Younger Canadians and Americans appear to be more attracted to the idea of living downtown, in comparison to older Canadians and Americans. While over one half of Canadians (54%) and Americans (53%) would choose to live downtown if it meant more green space, walkable areas, and convenience, much larger proportions of young people would choose this compared to those over 55.

• Seven in ten (70%) Canadians and 64% of Americans between the ages of 18-34 would choose to live downtown, compared to only 53% of Canadians and 55% of Americans age 35-54. Even lower, only 48% of Canadians and 41% of Americans age 55 plus would choose to live downtown.

Canadians and Americans also want cities to be more creative with green spaces, with over nine in ten Canadians (93%, 44% strongly agree/48% somewhat agree) and Americans (91%, 41% strongly agree/49% somewhat agree) agreeing that downtowns need to feature green space in more creative ways. Again, only a small proportion of Canadians (7%) and Americans (9%) disagree with this statement.

The idea of growing food downtown is popular among North Americans, with nine in ten Canadians (90%, 43% strongly agree/48% somewhat agree) and Americans (88%, 42% strongly agree/46% somewhat agree) supporting the trend of growing food in cities. Only one in ten Canadians (10%) and Americans (12%) do not support this trend.

After shown a picture of a condo development with a one-acre apple orchard between two towers and asked where respondents believe the city this development might be built in, only 7% of Canadians and 4% of Americans correctly guessed it would be built in Calgary. Only slightly more Albertans (11%), compared to Canadians overall, correctly selected their own province as the site for the new development.

The table below displays the ranking of all cities where Americans and Canadians chose as the site for the condo development, called The Orchard on Twelfth:

(Click to enlarge image)

These are findings of two Ipsos Reid surveys conducted between June 27 to 30th, 2014 on behalf of Lamb Development Corp. A sample of n=1,005 Canadian, from Ipsos' Canadian online panel were interviewed, and a sample of n=1,006 Americans from Ipsos' US online panel were interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data for both countries, and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the total sample is accurate to within +/-3.5 percentage points had all Canadians or all Americans been surveyed. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

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