Population of Central Ottawa.
Central: 12,026
Inner Area: 89,605
Ottawa West: 44,598
In what is considered Downtown, that's 146,229 people. One and a half times the population of our big three suburbs, and on a much smaller land mass.
Add Merivale, where the current Civic is situated, we're up to 223,760.
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/get-know-y...seholds-occupied-dwellings-estimates-sub
And Jobs.
Central: 106,741
Inner: 47,925
Ottawa West:32,373
Downtown total - 187,039
Merivale: 65,739
With current Civic Sub-Area: 242,778
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/get-know-y...economic-profile/urban-sub-area-profiles
With close to a quarter of the population and nearly half the jobs, all crammed onto 3% of the City's land mass, Downtown requires its own hospital.