Downtown Digest News • Web Extras
January 16, 2020 — Pratt Street is a brick thoroughfare in the heart of downtown Hartford, CT. For all its promise, Pratt Street long has been bereft of pedestrian traffic. When the mayor proposed closing the street to cars, downtown leaders countered that further reducing activity on the street was the wrong approach. Instead, the…To read more — login/sign up
December 26, 2019 — Every other week you receive the summary of an article from Downtown Idea Exchange. Over the course of the year we’ve covered everything from business recruitment, to streetscape improvements, to placemaking. To wrap up the year, we’re highlighting five of our favorite posts. Creative, informative, and adaptable, they showcase some of the…To read more — login/sign up
December 19, 2019 — In an effort to bring shoppers downtown and compete with nearby areas, a Canadian improvement district dusted off a classic downtown retail promotion and added some aggressive marketing techniques. The Glebe Spree, hosted by the Glebe Business Improvement Area in Ottawa, ON, Canada, runs from November 15 through December 31. Shoppers…To read more — login/sign up
Diversity, demographics will be driving forces for downtown development, study says — Demographic trends create both tailwinds and new challenges for downtown development, according to the 2020 Global Trends Report by Progressive Urban Management Associates and the International Downtown Association. ...
Pop-up retail fills vacancies, enlivens streetscape — By providing small spaces to startup retailers for free, Downtown Memphis has helped incubate such businesses as a reseller of collectible sneakers and a purveyor of custom soaps. View the Open on Main guidelines. ...
Volunteer management best practices — Read the Michigan Main Street Association volunteer tool kit....
December 5, 2019 — Shared kitchens are gaining popularity in big cities and small towns. They often fill long-vacant space, act as specialized business incubators, and draw visitors. "Think of it like co-working space for small food businesses," says Corinne Tso, head of Cook Tucson. Food-prep rules in most places require food products for sale…To read more — login/sign up
November 21, 2019 — Frank LaTorre remembers when the price tag for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge was just $3 million. It was back in the 1990s, and the idea was to turn the Route 195 span over the Providence River into a walkway connecting the urban core. By the time the project was finally…To read more — login/sign up
Holiday drawing drives traffic to downtown shopping district — The Glebe Spree, hosted by the Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA) of Ottawa, ON, Canada, is a program that runs from November 15 through December 31. Shoppers receive blank passports, and participating merchants stamp the passports each time a shopper makes a $15 purchase. Watch the Glebe Spree promotional video below. ...
Downtown opens doors to private restrooms — Starting with 29 publicly accessible restrooms Minneapolis aims to reach 100 by encouraging private business and property owners to open their facilities during normal business hours and by adding portable facilities in locations where gaps exist. For more ideas, read the archive article, “To make downtowns more attractive, embrace the power of public restrooms.” ...
November 7, 2019 — In Battle Creek, MI, generous incentives are attracting tenants to the downtown district. Battle Creek Unlimited Inc. offers subsidies of as much as $200,000 to breweries and restaurants. New Holland Brewing Co. landed the first incentive; it used the money toward a $1 million renovation of an 18,000-square-foot building. The total…To read more — login/sign up
Valerie Marmone once ran a clothing boutique in Sacramento, so she knows firsthand how hard it is to operate a retail business in an era of tight margins and online shopping. In her post-entrepreneurial career, Marmone works as vice president of business development at the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. In that role, she runs the annual…To read more — login/sign up
Help businesses thrive during road work — Wiscasset, ME, undertook a sweeping redesign of Main Street that includes widening sidewalks, adding lighting, installing bollards, renovating sidewalks, improving drainage, and redesigning parking. To help local leaders around the state minimize the impact of such projects, MaineDOT developed Digging Maine, a guide to surviving road construction. ...
Chicago mayor proposes ban on downtown marijuana dispensaries — In Chicago, landlords and cannabis entrepreneurs are gearing up for a new business opportunity presented by Illinois’ legalization of recreational marijuana. Read Downtown Idea Exchange’s coverage of cannabis stores downtown....
October 10, 2019 — With many smaller cities struggling to lure skilled workers, a few downtowns are trying something new: They’re offering to help people pay down their college loans if they move to town. Last year, Hamilton, OH, launched a Talent Attraction Program that offers up to $10,000 to workers who earned college degrees…To read more — login/sign up
September 19, 2019 — In the annals of cultural assets, a quilting museum and a public mural project might sound like an unremarkable pair of attractions. But Paducah, KY, has combined those two resources with local pride and a relentless place-building campaign to turn itself into a widely recognized arts hub. "The city really sees…To read more — login/sign up
