Stop talking about Sparks Street and do something about it

The revitalization of Sparks Street has been an exercise in futility for half a century. It remains one of the greatest failures of urban vision in Ottawa, and one hopes Mayor Jim Watson’s vow to transform the pedestrian mall is not just more talk.
As part of the mall’s 50th anniversary, the city is teaming up with the federal government to seek proposals on how to revive what has become a dead zone. Watson is promising a “hands-on” role in this new effort, and it remains