CentrePlan 2050

Our Downtown

Winnipeg’s Downtown is the economic and cultural heart of our city. Downtown has the highest concentration of employment and is our central hub for innovation and creativity. When Downtown Winnipeg thrives, all of Winnipeg thrives. 

Over the last decade, our Downtown has made significant strides to create a lively and dynamic place for people to live and visit. We want to ensure the pandemic doesn’t threaten the significant progress that we’ve made. 

What areas are part of Downtown?

The boundaries of Downtown Winnipeg are defined in the Downtown Winnipeg Zoning By-law. Downtown is a vast area that covers 3.23 square kilometers and slightly less than one percent (.7%) of the land area of Winnipeg. The interactive Downtown map displays the Downtown cycling network, trees, recreation and leisure facilities, parks, and more. The Downtown area map provides to get an overview of the areas within Downtown. 

View Downtown area map (PDF) 

What is CentrePlan 2050?

CentrePlan 2050 will provide the roadmap for the future of our Downtown. It will help set our priorities and actions. It will also ensure we collaborate with our community partners. 

The goal of CentrePlan 2050 is to get more people living and visiting Downtown. To do this, we need to make it easy to get to, and easy to get around Downtown. We need to design buildings, streets, parks, and public spaces that people want to be and feel safe. We also need to foster diverse arts, culture, and entertainment opportunities. 

More people living Downtown

By 2050, we want to double the population of Downtown. To reach our goal, we need more housing throughout Downtown. The interactive map below shows some possible locations for future Downtown housing. Use the slider on the map to compare Downtown today with what Downtown could look like in 2050. 

Five strategic moves

The draft CentrePlan 2050 includes five strategic moves designed to help Downtown grow and thrive. Each strategic move has a set of goals, policies, and actions. 

• Create great urban neighbourhoods 
• Re-envision streets to foster urban life 
• Grow a greener Downtown 
• Create a lively Downtown 
• Improve Downtown governance and implementation

As part of CentrePlan 2050, we are also creating: 

• Downtown Urban Design Guidelines 
• A Streetscape Design Standards Manual 
• A design of key Downtown Bike Routes  
• A redesign of Graham Avenue

Ongoing Downtown projects

CentrePlan 2050 will build on the progress and plans already taking place in our Downtown. 

Downtown stakeholders are currently investing in exciting projects that will help move us toward the goal of having more people visiting and living in Downtown Winnipeg.

Development and revitalization projects currently underway are helping green our Downtown and creating safe and accessible public spaces. CentrePlan 2050 can help in the coordination of future investment and development, so they complement these projects and build on the key themes highlighted in the plan.

Examples of key Downtown projects include the Market Lands development, revitalization of Air Canada Window Park, Central Park enhancements, and redevelopment of Odeon Park by Burton Cummings Theatre.