The City of New Westminster's downtown plan has been earned a merit award in an international competition.

The International Downtown Association has recognized the City of New Westminster with a 2010 Downtown Merit Award for the New Westminster downtown community plan. The plan is a comprehensive strategy that outlines sustainable, high density growth in the city's downtown core while respecting heritage assets, and provides for new amenities such as parks, cultural and recreational services, improved access to the Fraser River and promotes transit oriented employment.

"The Downtown Community Plan is a visionary document that reflects the participation of over 1,000 individuals including local businesses, community organizations, residents, and other key stakeholders," said Lisa Spitale, the city's director of development services. "We are very proud of this plan and are excited by the transformation that is taking place in the downtown."

According to a city press release, 73 projects and initiatives were submitted in this category from organizations that are working to further their city centres by one or more of the following: creating successful programs and strategies to recruit new businesses or to improve retention efforts in their downtown cores; recruiting new sectors to the downtown economy; creating successful bricks and mortar projects that have created or enhanced economic development efforts through creative financing, unique operating strategies, or public-private partnerships.

"Congratulations to all involved directly and all departments who were working alongside this winning project," said Mayor Wayne Wright. "Once more we are proud of our hard-working staff, and this award brings recognition they richly deserve."

The International Downtown Association, based in Washington, D.C., is a champion for vital and livable urban centres and strives to inform, influence, and inspire downtown leaders and advocates.

In December 2007, the City of New Westminster launched a process for creating a new downtown community plan. The plan is intended to guide development by establishing policies and guidelines and designating land for specific uses.

The principles of the downtown plan are that it is a complete and livable community that is inclusive and safe, is connected to the waterfront, is accessible, has a high-quality urban environment, is unique, is economically sustainable and viable and is part of a region.

Forecasts done by Coriolis Consulting Corp. as part of the planning process showed the downtown's population growing from 9,265 people in 2006 to 15,441 in 2021 and 21,409 in 2031. The number of housing units in the downtown is forecast to grow from 4,770 in 2006 to 12,187 in 2030.