Brightening up Windsor's downtown one home at a time

Frederick Schroeder sits in front of his brightly painted purple home on Aylmer Avenue, describing the work of a group of residents who found a way to make the neighbourhood a little colourful with a lot of paint.

Several homes on the block have had similar makeovers, including one covered in bright blue and another in orange.

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"They're supposedly going around to different places around the city to ... try to make it look more presentable," Schroeder said. "They started last year on it."

Other improvements, such as providing proper spaces for pedestrians, can also help add to a neighbourhood, according toDorian Moore, instructor at school of creative arts at the University of Windsor.

He is working with students to analyze different areas of the city in order to come up with ways to identify what needs to be done. Helpingneighbourhoodsdetermine an identity, like in Walkerville and Sandwich, goes a long way, Moore explained.

"I think the key is to uncover the spirit and the culture and really the vibe of the area," he said. "Uncovering it and really building off of that identity is the key."

Coun. Rino Bortolinhas long been calling for a myriad of improvements to downtown neighbourhoods. The Ward 3 representative says there is plenty of room to improve city transit and property standard regulations.

"These are things that actually make a difference for people looking to invest in those neighbourhoods," he said.