The Niagara Community Observatory (NCO) at Brock University hosted a presentation and panel discussion on the research paper, 'Downtown revitalization in St. Catharines: Building the public space,' and welcomed over 50 engaged community members. Guest panelists included St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik, geography Professor and lead researcher, Michael Ripmeester and political science Professor and interim Dean of the Faculty of Education, David Siegel. Ripmeester surveyed 300 St. Catharines residents for the research paper as part of a larger project that relates to the manufacturing, de-industrialization and economic shift in the Niagara Region. “Good public spaces, those that attract people, lead to improved physical and emotional health, have economic benefits and raise overall quality of life in communities,” says Ripmeester. The study recommends that downtown St. Catharines should include more spaces for causal interaction among a diverse population, more room for activity and more free family-friendly programming. Sendzik adds that we are in year five of the ‘rebirth’ of downtown and need to continue to keep pushing towards our goals. “We need to rethink downtown and continue to tell its story. Our downtown is not lines on a map; it's more expansive,” says Sendzik. Vibrant public space initiatives are already in place and are growing. In order to have a successful downtown core, there must be vibrancy as both economic development and social value.