Downtown Digest News • Web Extras
When it comes to the relationship between downtown streetscapes and a city’s economic vitality, state officials in Michigan are using the same playbook as urban placemakers. In October, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity announced it would direct $1.37 million in grants to Lansing, MI, for the Talent Investment Pilot Project. At first…Continue reading
Downtowns have experienced a dramatic renaissance in recent years. But many still struggle with unused and underused spaces, ranging from abandoned manufacturing facilities to obsolete warehouses to vacant lots. Filling in the gaps isn’t easy. In fact, downtown leaders often need to figure out ways to encourage developers to invest in infill projects. The November…Continue reading
During the pandemic, Seattle’s downtown leaders fretted that media coverage about the district often focused on closed businesses, empty streets, and other reflections of a lagging recovery. The Downtown Seattle Association decided to push back by taking matters into its own hands with a downtown podcast. The twice-monthly Seattle City Makers Podcast presents a conversational…Continue reading
In Macon, GA, the Hype Team is promoting the downtown and welcoming visitors. The team is made up of 60 volunteers who sport orange T-shirts and serve as downtown ambassadors. They provide information to visitors, build relationships with merchants, and promote downtown Macon on their personal social media accounts. An article in the November issue…Continue reading
Community-directed funding is making a difference for small businesses in downtown Wheeling, WV. The premise is simple: Community members are presented with projects that would positively impact the city and vote for the project they want to support. Over the past 10 years Show of Hands has contributed over $100,000 to small businesses including $10,000…Continue reading
The little city of Monroeville, AL, has a big reputation. After all, it’s the hometown of two famous authors — Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who set To Kill a Mockingbird in Monroeville. Alas, literary bona fides take a struggling town only so far. A textile mill that was an economic driver closed down, leading to an…Continue reading
The ribbon cutting and bridge-lighting ceremony in downtown Waterloo, IA, marked a new beginning for the city’s Fourth Street bridge. The Waterloo River Lights Experience brings a series of 30-minute light shows to the bridge and river below. The city says that the display serves as an economic development engine, a source of community advancement…Continue reading
In Gastonia, NC, and Wilson, NC, city officials grew frustrated by the lack of passengers on their public bus networks. In response, both cities opted to end their bus services and replace them with Uber-like on-demand services. Wilson did so first, in 2022. The city replaced public buses with a rideshare service that lets riders…Continue reading
In Columbus, GA, the city’s greatest natural asset had been turned into an eyesore. In the 1800s, textile mills dammed the Chattahoochee River as a power source. A century and a half later, the textile industry was long gone — and the river languished as an industrial wasteland. But downtown leaders, including the Uptown Columbus…Continue reading
In Champaign, IL, reducing minimum parking requirements (MPRs) has spurred development and boosted the density of both downtown Champaign and the urban district anchored by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That’s according to University of Illinois researchers Bumsoo Lee and Srirang Sohoni. The city provides an early case study of the impact of removing…Continue reading
It’s a familiar problem in downtowns throughout the U.S. — Large delivery trucks block traffic as the driver stops at the curb to drop off a single small package. In an attempt to address the congestion caused by package deliveries, some cities are experimenting with bicycles to get packages to their final destination. One high-profile…Continue reading
In addition to filling empty storefronts, a new free-rent program in San Francisco is attracting a fresh crop of local retailers. Under the program, city and business leaders offer up to six months of free rent, along with funding for start-up expenses. During the first round, landlords were hoping the economy was going to improve…Continue reading
