Uptown Plaza and Sixth Street Public Realm Improvements
Consultation has concluded
Project Update, December 2023: The full What We Heard engagement summary report is now available! Click here to read about the engagement activities and all the input we heard from community members through pop-ups, business visits, workshops, and an online survey. The project team is now working to apply the feedback to the final designs for Uptown Plaza and Sixth Street, and construction is planned for 2024.
Project Update, October 10, 2023: The final round of community engagement for Sixth Street and Uptown Plaza has concluded. Many thanks to all who took time to talk with the project team at our pop-ups, business visits, and workshops, and to all who completed the survey.
See below for a sneak preview of the survey results! A comprehensive report about the engagement process and full engagement results will be shared here in the coming weeks. The project team will also work to refine and finalize the designs for the Sixth Street public realm improvements and permanent Uptown Plaza based on your input. Construction is currently planned for 2024.
Project Update, September 18, 2023: The project team has developed designs for the public realm improvements on Sixth Street and the permanent Uptown Plaza.
We need your feedback to help the project team finalize the designs!
A graphic showing the proposed future of Sixth Street in Uptown New West, with various features such as wider sidewalks, seating areas, trees, lighting and more. 
A graphic showing the proposed design for the permanent Uptown Plaza on Belmont Street.Since 2021, community engagement has been an important part of the project to ensure that design elements reflect the community’s needs and priorities so that Sixth Street and the Uptown Plaza are welcoming to all.
Key themes from previous community engagement have been incorporated into:
- the proposed Sixth Street public realm improvements design, including new and expanded sidewalks, new lighting, improved crosswalks, more street trees and greenery, accessible parking spaces, and more
- the proposed permanent Uptown Plaza design, including seating options, new lighting, open programmable spaces, street trees, and more.
Share your feedback on the designs!
- Take our online survey, open now until October 9, 2023
- Stop by our pop-up events:
- Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 1:00-3:00 pm at Uptown Plaza (located on Belmont Street) Note: due to wind, this pop-up was relocated to inside Westminster Centre. We are sorry if we missed you.
- Wednesday, September 27, 2023 from 4:00-6:00 pm outside of Westminster Centre, 555 Sixth Street
- Join a workshop:
- In-person: Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 5:30-7:00 pm at New Westminster Public Library (716 Sixth Avenue)
- Virtual: Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 6:00-7:30 pm
We look forward to hearing from you.
Project Overview
Changes are coming on Sixth Street and in Belmont Plaza in Uptown! This project will reimagine Sixth Street between Sixth Avenue and Belmont Street, and Belmont Plaza, to orient this area more clearly towards the public realm and walking, with more flexible uses and improved accessibility.
Proposed features include an expanded, permanent Belmont Plaza, widened sidewalks, improved lighting, more seating, temporary road closures for special events, and prioritization for pedestrians at the intersection of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue.
While this project previously focused on this block of Sixth Street, based on feedback from the community we have now combined the project to include both public realm improvements on Sixth Street and an expanded Belmont Plaza. We want to be sure these public spaces work well together.
We’re taking feedback from earlier (2021) engagement on Sixth Street and more recent (summer 2022) engagement on Belmont Plaza to develop two concepts for the plaza space and refine the designs for Sixth Street. The options and designs will be presented to the public for feedback later in 2023.
This project takes direction from the vision set in the City of New Westminster’s Council-approved Uptown Streetscape Vision to create “a vibrant commercial district with a distinct identity, accessible and sustainable transportation, as well as inviting and engaging public spaces that are welcoming to all people." While initial plans for in-person consultation on the Uptown Streetscape Vision were postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, engagement with key stakeholders took place in June 2020. Click here to read the Uptown Streetscape Vision Key Stakeholder Engagement Summary Report.
This project aligns with the City’s Master Transportation Plan goals and Seven Bold Steps for Climate Action - specifically, Car-light Community, Quality People-Centred Public Realm, and Robust Urban Forest.
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Consultation has concluded
The City of New Westminster is working to improve the public spaces on Sixth Street, from Sixth Avenue to Belmont Street, and on Belmont Street in the Uptown Plaza.
There have been multiple stages of engagement so far, which have informed proposed designs for the street and the plaza. The project team is now seeking feedback on:
- A design for the Sixth Street Public Realm Improvements
- A design for the permanent Uptown Plaza
The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey will be open until October 9, 2023.
Your feedback is appreciated, and will be used to finalize the designs for these public spaces. Thank you for your time in completing this survey.
Prefer to complete the survey in a different language? Click the Select Language button at the top right of the page, and choose your language. The survey, page content, and all other feedback tools will be translated. We are also happy to offer additional support to complete the survey. Please contact us at engage@newwestcity.ca with requests
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Consultation has concluded
This project will reimagine Sixth Street between Sixth Avenue and Belmont Street. Proposed features include widened sidewalks, improved lighting, more seating, temporary road closures for events, and a “pedestrian scramble” where all vehicle traffic would be stopped at 6th Street and 6th Avenue to allow pedestrians to cross all-ways at once.
Your input will help us to refine and finalize the council-approved design concept in the Uptown Streetscape Vision. The purpose of this survey is to collect your feedback about:
- Your level of support for each of the key features, and which features are most important to you.
- How well you think the design will achieve important outcomes, such as inclusivity, vibrancy and animation, provision of public spaces and amenities, flexibility of non-vehicle uses, and a positive look and feel.
- Your overall level of support for the design concept.
The survey is estimated to take 10 minutes to complete and will be open until November 28, 2021.
Prefer to complete the survey in a different language? Click the Select Language button at the top right of the page, and choose your language. The survey, page content and all other feedback tools will be translated. We are also happy to offer additional support to complete the survey. Please contact us at engage@newwestcity.ca with requests.
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