Night markets are coming alive after dusk in cities across North America. These bustling open-air markets originated in Asia, where they became a fundamental part of urban nightlife. Today, they are expanding to North America particularly in cities with diverse immigrant populations. These new night markets showcase everything from global cuisine and local crafts to…Continue reading

 

Tactical urbanism was once an edgy concept. It called for urban guerillas to ignore the usual bureaucracy and take matters into their own hands with pop-up attractions and hastily installed public art. Turns out the idea was so good that major cities are making tactical urbanism part of their official policy. In Indianapolis, IN, a…Continue reading

 

Stephen Reeve runs New York Cafe in Ketchikan, Alaska — the state’s longest operating restaurant. It was built more than 120 years ago by adventurer Tony Ohashi. This legacy business received funds from the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program in 2024. Grant funds were used to restore the restaurant’s facade and document its 120 year history,…Continue reading

 

Traditional economic development strategies focus on wooing corporations: the larger the better. Now, a small but growing number of cities are offering incentives to encourage individuals to relocate. MakeMyMove.com currently lists 106 communities with active relocation programs. For example: Baltimore, MD, is home to the Buying into Baltimore program, which offers $5,000 in down-payment and…Continue reading

 

Since its launch in 2010, Small Business Saturday, has marked the beginning of the holiday season for many downtowns. But it takes work to make it a big draw. "Trying to get people downtown for Small Business Saturday seems to be a losing proposition," says Abel Gomez head of New Jersey’s Downtown Plainfield. "Most consumers…Continue reading

 

A century ago, urban neighborhoods were filled with corner stores within walking distance of residents. Today, planners in cities as diverse as Seattle and Spokane, WA, and Auburn, ME, are working to bring grocery stores back to downtown neighborhoods. Corner stores "support a lot of great things that we also support, like compact growth, transportation…Continue reading