The Downtown Business Association of Edmonton was formed through the establishment of a Business Revitalization Zone for Downtown Edmonton in 1985. This zone includes the area from 111 Street to 95 Street and from 105 Avenue to 97 Avenue. Businesses within this Revitalization Zone are members of the Association through an annual business tax levy, as provided for by the Alberta Municipal Act.

The Downtown Business Association’s primary role is to maintain and increase the vitality – both real and perceived – of the downtown core of Edmonton.

Through its leadership in advocacy and promotion, the Downtown Business Association will ensure that downtown Edmonton is the preferred place to live, work, shop, play and learn.

Since 1985, the DBA has addressed its mission by producing several large events and initiatives as well as sponsoring numerous festivals and special events in our Downtown core each year.

In addition, the DBA took a lead role in the implementation of the 1997 Capital City Downtown Plan, a bylaw that contained policies, programs, and nearly 80 action items intended to see Downtown flourish as the social, cultural, and economic heart of Edmonton. In 2010 a new bylaw will update the 1997 Downtown Plan.

Through the original plan and the updated bylaw, the Downtown Business Association continues to:

• Provide strong support for economic development through the Business Recruitment Committee;
• Assist in the implementation of arts and cultural programming, including the Art & Design in Public Places Program - a community based initiative designed through placement of publicly funded works of art.
• Encourage City Council to adopt the City initiatives like the extremely successful Housing Redevelopment Grant program, the Downtown Retail and Commercial Complex Reinvestment Program, the Façade & Street Front Improvement program, and the Capital City Cleanup program;
• Be heavily involved in major Council initiatives such as Louise McKinney Riverfront Park and Sir Winston Churchill Square projects;
• Encourage an effective transportation network both into and within the Downtown, with special emphasis on the integration of public transit initiatives;
• Work with the City of Edmonton’s Planning Department on streetscape beautification projects like 104th Street Promenade, the Capital Boulevard Project, and the reclaiming of Jasper Avenue as Edmonton's main boulevard
• Address parking issues by proposing a Downtown Parking Strategy incorporating a wide range of options to mitigate the naturally increasing parking pressures associated with a vibrant downtown;
• Work with the City and key stakeholders to deal effectively with the real and perceived issues of cleanliness, safety, and security in the Downtown.