Small Cities Woo Residents with Student Loan Assistance
Downtown Digest News • Web Extras
Chalking tires of parked cars? You might be violating motorists’ rights — The age-old parking practice of using chalk to mark the tires of parked cars faces legal scrutiny — and it just might be unconstitutional. See a federal appeals court’s ruling against tire chalking. ...
Business plan competition offers support, spurs growth — The Downtown Sacramento Partnership runs an annual contest that solicits business plans from would-be retailers. The contest, Calling All Dreamers, gives one promising retailer a grand prize of $10,000 in cash plus more than $100,000 in services. Watch finalist videos from the contest below and click this link to see program guidelines. https://youtu.be/CffofZHDLH4 https://youtu.be/O28tGNJZiqE https://youtu.be/e5SJY4H2onA https://youtu.be/6PfzCGoggNM https://youtu.be/PNdkrMe9kkY ...
Fire suppression incentives — To encourage property owners to install sprinklers, the City of Frederick, MD, offers a Fire Suppression Incentive Program. See the details and application. ...
Public art encourages citizen involvement — The Lafayette sign in Lafayette, LA, was erected in 2017 as an interactive public art installation. Local nonprofit groups are encouraged to paint its letters to promote community events and awareness. Read the art guidelines. ...
Parking rate structure encourages turnover — The City of Spokane Downtown Parking Study presents a comprehensive package of recommendations designed to “facilitate growth and activity downtown, while making parking more convenient and user-friendly for residents, businesses, employees, and visitors.” ...
City scrutinizes parking patterns, adjusts rates based on findings — Each spring, Seattle’s consulting firm dispatches researchers to count cars in every block, every hour from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Based on those results, Seattle adjusts hourly parking rates. See the Seattle Department of Transportation’s educational video below. https://youtu.be/BEi0G4rVGUI ...
Millennial SWAT team identifies downtown assets and needs — Springfield, MO, is working to attract millennials to live and work in the city center. Its secret weapon? A Millennial SWAT team. The city organized millennial residents into small teams and sent them into a variety of downtowns that boast features that Springfield might want to emulate. Read the Millennial SWAT team’s full report. ...
Amid shift to pedestrianism, shade takes on new importance — Phoenix has embraced the need for shade. Read the City of Phoenix Tree and Shade Master Plan. ...
New 5G equipment creates conflict in downtowns — Mirroring a national pushback against the new generation of “small-cell” wireless antennas, officials in Whitefish, MT, aren’t keen about the prospects of new devices popping up in a downtown known for its mountain vistas and buildings that date to 1919. See a National League of Cities report about 5G antennas. ...