Skip to main content
Start of main content

A fast-growing city refocuses on its downtown and creates an outdoor living room

Location
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Offices
Client
  • City of Saskatoon
Architect
HOK, LMN Architects

Saskatoon Downtown Event and Entertainment District

One of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, Saskatoon, is thinking big. With an aging 1980s arena situated on the city’s edge, a convention center struggling to meet existing demands within its footprint, and a hole in the northwest corner of downtown—left by surface parking lots and a post-pandemic shift of activity—the City of Saskatoon set out to create an ambitious new district. They reached out to our team to help.

We led the preparation of the overall master plan and public realm concepts for a variety of festival and community oriented public spaces. We also developed a comprehensive parking and mobility strategy for the district including integration with planned bus rapid transit investments. Additionally, we provided a range of supporting technical analyses and policy, zoning and urban design advisory services.

To bring these design concepts to life, we utilized our virtual reality (VR) studio to create an immersive experience of the central plaza. The VR experience provided the public and decision-makers with a better understanding of how vital pieces of infrastructure can form a unique public open space experience in the heart of downtown Saskatoon.

The City is moving this vision forward, approving the concepts and a C$1.2 billion funding plan to bring the Downtown Event and Entertainment District to life. The new and expanded facilities, knitted together by a public space, will entice community members and visitors to explore and take up residence in a revived urban center.

Location
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Offices
Client
  • City of Saskatoon
Architect
HOK, LMN Architects

Meet Our Team

Tom Young, Senior Principal, Urban Places Geographic Sector Leader (Ontario & Atlantic)

Making cities more resilient must allow people to live better lives with a lighter footprint. The future of urbanism is people-centred.
Tom Young Senior Principal, Urban Places Geographic Sector Leader (Ontario & Atlantic) Read More

Craig Sklenar, Project Lead, Urban Design

From concept to construction, planning requires an eye on the big picture and how each phase or building tells the stories of the people who live, work, and play in our built communities.

Katherine Godwin, Principal, Practice Leader, Community Development

Finding success is about connecting teams, ideas, people and communities, and fostering an environment of innovation.
Katherine Godwin Principal, Practice Leader, Community Development Read More

Tom Young

Senior Principal, Urban Places Geographic Sector Leader (Ontario & Atlantic)

Craig Sklenar

Project Lead, Urban Design

Katherine Godwin

Principal, Practice Leader, Community Development

We’re better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

End of main content
To top