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Holiday Light Displays Attract Crowds

December 15, 2016
While a tree lighting, caroling, and holiday sales attract visitors, they happen only on certain days throughout the holiday season. However, an attractive holiday light display can be activated in mid-November and add to the festive atmosphere and drawing power of downtown every evening through January. One of the best-known examples of this type of…Continue reading

 

Multi-facade program drives private investment

December 1, 2016
The typical facade improvement program just wouldn’t do in Rawlins, WY, where 62 of 95 downtown businesses, totaling 62,000 square feet of facades, are undergoing grant-funded improvements all at once. "We decided to try it a different way," says Pam Thayer, executive director of Rawlins Downtown Development Authority (DDA)/Main Street. Participating property owners signed easement…Continue reading

 

Public Input Helps Define the Downtown Footprint

November 17, 2016
In Akron, OH, work is underway to redefine the footprint of the city’s many neighborhoods. "What we’re doing is looking atall of our city neighborhoods — Akron has 25 semi-official neighborhoods, with downtown being one of them," says Jason Segedy, the city’s director of planning and urban development. The project is essential, Segedy says, because…Continue reading

 

“Small Business Spotlights” connect business owners with the community

November 4, 2016
Downtown Boulder, Inc. has slowly amassed a collection of behind-the-scenes stories about local business owners that have become the core of a robust Shop Local campaign, and several themed breakout campaigns throughout the year."People are really interested in everyday people and fun questions, so we thought maybe that would work for our small business owners,…Continue reading

 

Turning Under-Utilized Alleys into Livable Lanes

October 20, 2016
The Laneway Project in Toronto, ON, Canada, is an innovative urban design and planning organization working to change the way people view and use city center laneways, or alleys. The project brings together diverse stakeholders and establishes community stewards to ensure the ongoing success of individual projects. Re-positioning alleys as public space has many benefits…Continue reading

 

Changing Perceptions of Parking Availability

September 22, 2016
A recent parking study in Turlock, CA, reveals that even though 50 percent of parking spaces are underutilized, 72 percent of residents believe there is a parking shortage downtown.To correct this misperception and better utilize the current parking supply, the study recommends focusing on more efficient parking management, including changing parking time limits, allocating staff…Continue reading

 

Light Festivals Draw Crowds to Downtowns

September 8, 2016
Large-scale light installations that blend contemporary art and technology are making their mark, lighting up the night from New Orleans and Baltimore to Sydney and London. Many of these free light festivals include interactive elements that turn spectators into participants who are able to change colors or patterns by moving or playing a game. The…Continue reading