Amid another sweltering summer, downtown leaders are wondering how they can create some relief for downtown visitors. One solution is to look to the past when colorful awnings shaded both storefronts and pedestrians. Among other benefits, awnings or canopies create an inviting space in front of a downtown building. They provides shade, shelter, and a…Continue reading
For many downtowns, post-pandemic summertime schedules are filling up with outdoor busker festivals. The events feature a variety of performers — musicians, magicians, jugglers, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, acrobats, and specialty cyclists among others. They hold strong appeal for audiences — there’s no cover charge, the entertainment options are broad, and tipping is optional. The August issue…Continue reading
The good news for America’s downtowns is that the U.S. economy has made a robust recovery from the pandemic. People are traveling, dining out, shopping, and otherwise going about their daily lives. The bad news? Downtown streets are once again overwhelmed with delivery trucks, rideshare vehicles, and side hustlers dropping off meals and groceries. The…Continue reading
In 2013, leaders of Main Street Marshfield, in Marshfield, WI, wanted to bring a bakery downtown. Rather than traditional business recruitment techniques, the Main Street program hosted the Baker Battles. Bakers from the surrounding area competed in a bake-off with a prize of $500 and a grant if they opened a downtown bakery in the…Continue reading
Bike corrals have recently appeared on the streets of Kalamazoo, MI. They are part of a pilot project that aims to remove bicycle hoops and racks from city streets to free up space for pedestrians, café dining, and other uses. During the pilot, corrals will be set up at seven different locations for about one…Continue reading
Just in time for the first major heat wave of the summer, the city of Phoenix, AZ, launched its Chilled Drinking Water pilot program downtown. The custom-made water stations provide taps for filling bottles with chilled water and two standard drinking taps. The initiative aims to provide fresh water and to reduce single-use plastic bottle…Continue reading
In the 1990s, downtown Macon, GA, was beset by vacancy and decay. Today, the city is in the midst of a dramatic turnaround that garnered it one of three 2024 Great American Main Street Awards. The honors went to NewTown Macon, the city’s downtown organization. Its results have been impressive — downtown Macon has renovated…Continue reading
Downtowns nationwide are bedeviled by a glut of one type of real estate and a dearth of another. They have too much vacant retail space, and too little residential space. Larisa Ortiz, managing director of public nonprofit solutions at design consultancy Streetsense, offers a contrarian perspective on how to resolve the imbalance. "There is an…Continue reading
Macomb, IL, is a little city whose leaders freely admit it’s in the middle of nowhere. These days, they’re making a big claim: The downtown is now home to the world’s largest Monopoly board. In May, downtown leaders unveiled the completed Macombopoly. The project is a nod to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie, a Macomb native who…Continue reading
