London's Argyle neighbourhood is ready to be more pedestrian-friendly

Joyce Larsh doesn't feel safe walking down Dundas Street in the Argyle neighbourhood at night because of the poor street lighting — and thinks an upgrade is long overdue. 

"It's dull. It's dingy, and I think we need to brighten it up to invite people in," said the chair of the Argyle Community Association, who's lived in the neighbourhood for 46 years. 

"I think once the lighting is much better, I don't think people will be as anxious to come out in the evening as they are now."

Improvements are coming to the neighbourhood through the city's Argyle Core Area Community Improvement Plan — including benches, trees, improved lighting, better sidewalks and new garbage cans to make the area more pedestrian-friendly.

To speed up the work, the Argyle BIA is looking to the city for a $150,000 budget advance that would fund a scoping study needed to set the plan in action. The funds are expected to be approved at city council on Feb. 14.

The funding will offer a "launch point" for a study and master plan to start improvements, which will take place in increments over the next four years, said Bethany Mejia, executive director of the Argyle BIA.

Mejia updated the Argyle Community Association about the improvement plan Wednesday night at the East Lions Community Centre. The plan also includes a facade improvement grant program for businesses and increased safety resources. 

"There's lots of exciting things that are happening in the future that's just going to create a great public space outside, but also give businesses lots of different opportunities to thrive," she said.

"Because [the plan] is resident-informed, it's been informed by the businesses. Now when we're fulfilling the objectives, we're literally just fulfilling a community wish list of what they want to see their neighborhood turn into."

The commercial area is now typically a throughway for cars, but they're looking to change that to have a "fuller, more complete" street to add to what the area already has to offer, she said. 

"I hope it brings about the continued potential of Argyle being unfolded."

Restore a community feel 

Right now, the area on Dundas Street is a bit of a concrete jungle, said Ward 2 Councillor Shawn Lewis. The five-lane road, including the turning lane, can be challenging for a pedestrians, he said.

Lewis said the advanced funding will allow improvements to be coordinated with upcoming construction projects — and go a long way to help the area regenerate and renew itself.

"I think the big improvement that these will bring to the neighborhood is restoring that feel of community to that Dundas commercial corridor, that feeling that it's a welcoming place for everybody regardless of age, ability and mobility to get around," he said. 

"A thriving neighborhood is a place where people can live, work, shop and play. And you know, as we think about moving forward, as we think about climate change and walkable neighborhoods... it's really important that people are able to access those quality of life needs in their own neighbourhood."

The resident population in the Argyle is approximately 22,500 people, according to a city report from 2021. The neighbourhood borders Oxford Street to the north, Highbury Road to the west, the Thames River to the south and city boundaries to the east, Larsh said. 

Larsh believes the improvements will help put the community "back on the map."

"I think once we get the lighting up and going and brighter and all the stores filled, I think everybody will feel better," she said.

"Beautification is so important."