August 2, 2018 — As a wave of marijuana legalization sweeps North America, some downtowns are taking advantage of the trend by welcoming — or at least cautiously allowing — pot shops in long-vacant spaces. While voters in many U.S. states have overwhelmingly approved marijuana decriminalization, downtowns wrestle with a regulatory wrinkle: Even as pot…To read more — login/sign up
July 19, 2018 — Two blocks in downtown Iowa City, IA, were under construction this spring and summer as the city worked to upgrade underground utilities; increase the width of sidewalks; distribute parking on both sides of the street; enhance accessibility; create healthier planting areas; and modernize lighting, seating, and other amenities. To reassure shoppers…To read more — login/sign up
July 5, 2018 — A trip to city hall in Boston, MA, might also include beer, ice cream, and mini golf at The Patios, a placemaking initiative launched this May at City Hall Plaza. The city has entered into a three-year contract with an event organizer to revitalize the drab and underused plaza with seasonal…To read more — login/sign up
June 21, 2018 — What began as a grassroots initiative pairing vacant storefronts with public art in one Minneapolis, MN, neighborhood has grown into an "urban walking gallery" enlivening key commercial corridors in the city center and beyond, and incorporating live performances, artists markets, and pop-up galleries. The Made Here program aims to highlight local…To read more — login/sign up
June 7, 2018 — The Live it Up Wausau program in Wausau, WI, seeks to attract employees to the area and give them reasons to stay. "This fits under a broad heading of employee-assisted housing or economic development homesteading," says Christian Schock, the city’s director of planning, community, and economic development. "These are programs that…To read more — login/sign up
May 10, 2018 — Since 2011, the town of Flower Mound, TX, has conducted a Retail & Restaurant Survey every other year. The results are used to ensure that residents have input into the type of downtown they want, recruit new businesses, explore consumer leakage, and educate the public about why certain retail and restaurant…To read more — login/sign up
