The economic viability and social value of downtowns is under threat.

Worsening mental health, addiction and homelessness challenges, the lingering effects of the pandemic from which small businesses have not fully recovered, and now the latest economic uncertainties presented by the imposition of tariffs and counter tariffs have placed local main street economies and downtowns into a downward spiral.

The Downtown Action Lab (DAL) is a multi-city initiative focused on addressing these inter-connected challenges.

Led by the Big City Executive Partnership (BiCEP) and the Canadian Urban Institute, DAL is working in select cities to collect data on the prevalence and economic impacts of these issues, identify obstacles to successful interventions, and compile best practices from local and international contexts.