Downtown Idea Exchange — Web Extras
January 1, 2022
Facing years of construction, residents, leaders join forces — In Middlebury, VT, an infrastructure project was set to tear up roads and disrupt the downtown for six years. Read a full overview of Middlebury’s efforts to promote downtown during the disruption.
...New downtown group works to broaden office district’s appeal — In San Fransisco, with white-collar workers staying home rather than going to their offices, pedestrian traffic plummeted in the Financial District during the pandemic. And fewer people meant less business for the restaurants and bars in the district. Watch the promotional video below for San Francisco’s public art show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dimqa7wDWUA ...
Every other week we share a summary article from Downtown Idea Exchange. Over the course of the year we’ve covered everything from business recruitment, to streetscape improvements, to placemaking, and more. To wrap up the year, we're highlighting five of our favorite posts. Creative, informative, and adaptable, they showcase some of the best work in…
In downtown Anchorage, AK, Town Square Park was once a hub of antisocial activities. Through sustained efforts, the Anchorage Downtown Partnership turned the public space into a hub for community gatherings. The success story shows downtown leaders can make a difference without a big budget. Town Square Park was transformed with attention rather than a…
A series of public art projects — including innovative lighting installations in formerly dreary underpasses — has helped Lynn, MA, shake off its malaise. In 2014, as part of a project to turn things around, the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency named the city as part of its Transformative Development Initiative. The state agency hosted a…
The Colorado Springs Gateways Initiative was a clear win for the city’s downtown. The new signs at the entrances to downtown are eye-catching, and the project was honored with an award from the International Downtown Association. The Gateways Initiative aimed to enhance nine entry points into the heart of Colorado Springs and to stimulate new…
Ben Shardlow, director of urban design at the Mpls Downtown Improvement District, acknowledges that he’s a bit jealous of other downtowns, at least when it comes to their lush tree canopies. "You go to some cities, and it seems like the trees just leap out of the ground," Shardlow says. That’s not the case in…
In the heart of Sonoma wine country, the City of Healdsburg boasts a charming town plaza lined with shops, restaurants, tasting rooms, galleries, and bars. With all of that on offer, it’s hard for business owners and their employees to direct visitors to a cozy spot for lunch or the local post office. The solution…
Paducah, KY, is offering incentives to lure remote workers to town. Paducah, a folk arts hub and a UNESCO Creative City, joins other small and mid-sized cities in wooing white-collar workers by offering cash stipends and other incentives. Paducah’s program includes cash reimbursements of up to $2,500 for relocation costs, up to $70 a month…
Downtown event planners took a number of steps to ensure that summer and fall events were appropriately sized and not overly crowded. Among the strategies: Events were scaled back and spread out across city streets and over multiple days. • The annual A Taste of Colorado food festival marks the end of summer in downtown…
In Madison, WI, a new program will provide a financial safety net for food cart operators doing business downtown. The program is among the winners in the latest round of pandemic-recovery grants from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). The awards provide short-term funding and technical assistance to cities seeking to adapt streets…