Situated in the eclectic waterfront community of Tofino, Main Street became the focus of the community’s effort to improve pedestrian safety and comfort. Main Street is a waterfront street with breathtaking views of Clayoquot Sound, rich with both settler and Indigenous heritage. For outlying island communities where members of the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations live, Main Street is also an important point of arrival and departure. Members of both Nations arrive by boat to access everything from groceries to school. Many parked their cars on Main Street. At the same time, Main Street was lacking in pedestrian infrastructure, forcing people to walk in the street where there was large truck traffic from nearby industry. 

The consulting team designed a community engagement process that included the creation of a film, which gathered stories about Main Street from residents and small business owners. These stories included histories, as well as aspirations for the future. This film was used as a tool to engage the broader community, so that the voices of the community – rather than those of the outside consultants – became the context and centre of the conversation.

The outcome was a design concept that improved pedestrian spaces, without removing the parking spaces that were important to Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation members living in the outlying Island communities. The design concept identified a number of pragmatic, inexpensive “quick wins” that allowed the community to begin implementation immediately. Most of the public realm strategies have been implemented since the plan was unanimously adopted.  

Client | District of Tofino

Agency | DIALOG

Consulting Project Leads | Jennifer Fix and Matthew Thomson while at DIALOG

Renderings | Matthew Thomson while at DIALOG