CanalPark2

 

As part of the Imagine Duluth 2035 process, the City has been collaborating with interested
residents, the Canal Park Business Association, as well as many others, to consider the
future of Canal Park – what we’re calling Imagine Canal Park. 
After more than a year of collaboration, the project came to a close in November 2018.
Click here to read the final report, including findings and recommendations! 

An executive summary is also available here.

Utility Cabinet Artwork

Utility cabinet artwork has been installed in Canal Park! Click the image below for a large printable version of the flyer, which includes a map of art locations and information about the three selected artists: Sarah Agaton Howes, Angel Sarkela-Saur, and Adam Swanson.

 

Make Canal Park Pop!

Imagine Canal Park included more than a year of collecting community feedback, collaborating with partners, developing creative ideas, implementing pilot projects, and defining recommendations for the future.

  

  

Fall 2018 Pilot Projects

September 2018 

Canal Park once again hosted uniquely crafted community-oriented spaces.

  • The Lighthouse Lot at 504 Canal Park Drive was active from September 4-17 and included games, inviting seating, a sports area, sand box, wayfinding, and other activities.
  • Buchanan Street, in front of the DeWitt Seitz Building, hosted a temporary pedestrian plaza for the month of September, with additional seating options, weekly farmer’s market vendors, and other events.
  • Traffic on Lake Avenue South headed towards the Aerial Lift Bridge was able to turn left at Morse Street and reconnect to Canal Park Drive for access to hotels, retail, the Lakewalk, and additional parking.
  • The Maritime Visitor Center ran history walking tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
  • The DTA Trolley provided FREE service through Canal Park, the DECC, and downtown.

Over 800 online survey responses and 368 in-person suggestions were received! The City will be analyzing all of the comments and collected data, and will share the results later this year.

See the final press release for the event here. 

 


Buchanan Street Plaza

Lighthouse Lot

 

Cold Front

February 2018

Duluth hosted a month-long celebration of all things winter, with a sledding hill, curling, ice track, fire pits, music, vendors and food!
This free, all-ages pop-up event animated a parking lot in Canal Park.

 

 

Background 

In June 2017, it was announced that Duluth had been selected as a 2017 Knight Cities Challenge winner. The focus of this grant opportunity is on Canal Park – with a project known as “Imagine Canal Park."  The intent: to increase Duluth's vibrancy by re-purposing space in Canal Park with mega pop-up installations that attract and connect diverse residents from different backgrounds.

We have been:

  • Hosting extensive community engagement processes that canvas residents and neighbors about how they get to Canal Park and what they want to see/do in Canal Park.
  • Launching a series of pop-up installments in Canal Park. Different programming will be tested in different seasons. Results and data will be gathered.
  • Collecting quantitative measures and qualitative feedback to inform Imagine Duluth’s comprehensive plan update.

We want to:

  • Increase use of Canal Park year-round.
  • Determine the best activities and programming that help to connect citizens of different backgrounds.
  • Create common pedestrian oriented gathering spaces that build social capital and connections between people.

The interim report and the executive summary version of the report are now available. These documents contain an analysis of the data collected during the launch engagement events in September 2017, as well as suggestions for pilot projects. Click here for the interim report or click here for the executive summary. 

If you’re interested in learning more, please feel free to contact the City at compplan@duluthmn.gov or 218-730-5580.