Toccoa, GA, boasts a thriving downtown and a bustling historic theater. It has even carved out a niche as a setting for filmmakers looking for an iconic courtroom and Main Street. Toccoa positions itself as "camera ready" and "film friendly," says Christian Hamilton, Toccoa’s main street manager. To make good on those promises, Toccoa doesn’t…Continue reading
In downtown Napa, CA, wayfinding signs are fading and more than two decades old. “They have patched-over fonts, different colors, and incorrect information,” says Economic Development Manager Neal Harrison. “A good example of that is the visitor center moved from Main Street to First Street and the signage hasn’t moved with it.” Napa’s experience with…Continue reading
Many downtowns offer gift certificates or custom currency that can be redeemed with local eateries and merchants. The offerings are typically limited to a handful of locally owned cafés, restaurants, and gift shops. But in Thomasville, GA, Downtown Dollars are so widely used that a consumer might be able to survive on local currency alone.…Continue reading
As the severity of COVID-19 fades, American life has begun to return to normal. Americans are going to restaurants, movies, concerts, and sporting events. They’re shopping and vacationing. But they aren’t going back to offices. To better understand downtown workers’ attitudes toward work and the city center, the Greater Des Moines Partnership commissioned a survey…Continue reading
Four downtowns in Alabama are using repurposed shipping containers to spur new business start ups. The idea is to provide free rent to local entrepreneurs so they can test their concepts before committing to costlier permanent space. "It’s big enough to get started, but small enough to get uncomfortable quickly," says Main Street Alabama President…Continue reading
Northampton, MA. Northampton, MA, is working through an overhaul of zoning rules that would bring a form-based code to downtown and an adjacent neighborhood. It’s a step that’s gaining popularity nationwide as proponents of "missing middle" housing call for more flexibility in the types of property uses cities allow in and near downtowns — and…Continue reading
Memorial Square in Prince Albert, Sask., Canada, is drawing visitors downtown on even the coldest days. They are there to play crokicurl and maybe to linger for a warm drink and a little shopping. The Prince Albert BID describes crokicurl as a combination of two iconic Canadian pastimes: the board game crokinole and the Olympic…Continue reading
As downtowns tried to survive the pandemic, many cities rushed to allow restaurants to set up temporary outdoor dining areas in parking spaces, sidewalks, and parking lots. Outdoor dining proved popular with patrons, restaurant operators, and urban planners, but not everyone was happy with the new parklets. As Salem, OR, allowed restaurants to take over…Continue reading
When Jason Duff was growing up in Bellefontaine, OH (est. pop. 13,574), his family owned a Hallmark card store downtown. The city center was thriving, and Duff recalls fond memories of working in his parents’ shop and learning to tie a necktie at the men’s clothing store downtown. But in the 1990s and the first…Continue reading
Greensboro, NC, will launch a downtown social district in March. Within its boundaries, visitors will be able to stroll while carrying alcoholic beverages in specially labeled plastic cups. Greensboro is one of a number of North Carolina cities that have enacted, or are considering, downtown social districts after Gov. Roy Cooper signed a law in…Continue reading
