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…Continue reading
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…Continue reading
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…Continue reading
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…Continue reading
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…Continue reading
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…Continue reading
In California’s Stanislaus County, the Relief Across Downtown (RAD) gift card program is working to put more money in consumers’ hands and help local businesses get back on their feet. The RAD Card is a digital gift card which may be used at participating downtown businesses. And it offers a real incentive to spend money…Continue reading
As part of a redevelopment of their downtowns, two mid-sized cities are making an unusual move: They’re giving up the traditional model of a city-owned parcel housing City Hall. Instead, the cities are spurring downtown redevelopment projects by partnering with private developers. In the process, they’re moving city administrative offices into mixed-use developments. The cities…Continue reading
The federal government is directing hundreds of billions of dollars to states and cities, a windfall that has downtown leaders nationwide positioning themselves to get much needed funds. In March, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law. The initiative calls for $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus, including an infusion of $350…Continue reading
New Orleans’ French Quarter was once the rare entertainment district that allowed revelers to drink while they strolled public streets. However, many small cities not known as party towns are getting in on the act. City officials and downtown leaders see the new wave of public consumption districts as a way to draw visitors back…Continue reading
