Downtown Digest News • Web Extras
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
Demonstration project educates and engages the public — The Las Olas Boulevard Six-Month Safety Improvements Demonstration Project in Fort Lauderdale, FL, is part of an overall Community Investment Plan that includes safety and traffic calming improvements that will create a safer connection between the central business district, the busy boulevard, and local beaches. Watch videos educating the public about safety improvements and new bike lanes and rideshare zones below. ...
Exploring ways to expand the holiday season downtown — It’s never too soon to begin planning for the holidays. In Chillicothe, MO, Main Street Chillicothe spent one summer polling merchants to discover what worked and what did not in the city’s holiday event calendar. See the Holiday Event survey. ...
Using a “carrot and stick” approach to address vacant buildings — A new ordinance aims to keep better track of vacant buildings in downtown Paris, TX, while also incentivizing improvements and penalizing owners that allow properties to remain empty and/or unkempt. See the Vacant Building Registry ordinance. ...
Study reveals 25 actions to boost downtown — A detailed report from the UK-based Institute of Place Management aims to identify factors which lead to sustainable high streets, or downtowns. Read the full report here....
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
Strong city investment attracts development projects — The demise of the textile industry left the city of Kannapolis, NC, with about 5,000 fewer jobs, a huge, vacant industrial campus, and a lackluster downtown. Thanks to heavy investment by both the industrial site owner and the city, the future is looking bright. See the project timelines, Master Plan, and Demonstration project renderings. ...
Under-utilized upper stories provide opportunities for downtown growth — Successful upper-story residential units can help offset the costs of operating street-level businesses. View Clinton, NC’s Mixed-Use and Second-Story Residential Development Incentive Program guidelines....
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
April 26, 2018 — Because little people usually require big people to drive them, supervise them, and pay their way, children’s events are a popular way to bring families downtown. Cities nationwide are adding an array of children’s programming to downtown calendars in an effort to attract those families. Some efforts include folding children’s activities…To read more — login/sign up
Housing program draws and retains employees — The Live it Up Wausau program in Wausau, WI, seeks to attract employees to the area and give them reasons to stay. View the program guidelines here. ...
Retail and restaurant survey provides data for targeted business attraction — 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 desires are not realistic. ...
Minimizing delivery congestion — A report, The Final 50 Feet Urban Goods Delivery System, from the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab looks at reducing city center congestion. ...
Planners ponder underground space — Read the World Urban Forum’s report, Think Deep: Planning, development and use of underground space in cities. ...
April 12, 2018 — The Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) has offered its Start-Up Grant program since 2013 to encourage first-time events in Rochester, MN. Initially, the program offered up to $1,000 to applicants hosting first-time events downtown. "Five years later, the RDA is now able to offer up to $3,000 for approved events," says Karli…To read more — login/sign up
March 29, 2018 — The city of Houghton, MI, is determined to meet two goals each winter: keeping walkways clear and comfortable, and creating as many fun, outdoor events as possible. "We try to keep things walkable for folks," says City Manager Eric Waara. And, in addition to plowing the streets, the city provides outdoor…To read more — login/sign up
March 15, 2018 — The two-block retail corridor in downtown Kirkland, WA, has been redeveloped as an award winning American "woonerf," a Dutch word that translates loosely as "living street." The plaza-like lane is now a pedestrian-friendly gathering space, while remaining open to vehicles, as well. The transformation did not happen overnight. The 2008-2013…To read more — login/sign up
