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Filling Vacant Storefronts

July 27, 2023
Empty store windows can sabotage a downtown’s best efforts to create a bustling, vibrant scene that encourages visitors to stay and spend. While vacant storefronts have long been the bane of small cities, the problem spread to larger cities during the pandemic. Downtown leaders can only do so much to combat the broad trends of…Continue reading

 

Downtown Expands Outdoor Refreshment Area

July 7, 2023
Most of downtown Dayton, OH, has become an outdoor drinking district, a move city leaders say creates cultural vibrancy and economic vitality. Business owners asked to expand the original Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) with a new downtown drinking district that is more than nine times as large and includes dozens of restaurants and bars.…Continue reading

 

Making The Most Of Downtown’s Murals

June 22, 2023
A2AC Murals brings large, vibrant works of art to the public in Ann Arbor and South East Michigan. The program is run by the Ann Arbor Art Center and funded through Patronicity and a matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The center encourages people to get out and get involved with the public…Continue reading

 

“Daylighting” Downtown Streams Boosts Ambience and Flood Control

June 15, 2023
In the 20th century, many cities tried to contain creeks, streams, and small rivers with concrete culverts and other engineering projects. In the 21st century, growing numbers of waterways are being set free. Restoring waterways to something like their natural order is a process known as "daylighting." The restoration projects are gaining attention globally and…Continue reading

 

Downtown Celebrates Poetry Month

May 25, 2023
Every downtown worth its salt has commissioned a public mural. Those with ambitious arts programming might have asphalt art, sculpture walks, or even hire buskers to perform downtown. But poetry rarely takes center stage. However, Storrs, CT, builds a month of activities around the often over-looked discipline. The Mansfield Downtown Partnership recently wrapped up its…Continue reading

 

Downtown Grows Its Own Businesses

May 18, 2023
When the tobacco industry left Danville, VA, decades ago, it left the downtown with massive inventory of vacant space. There was no easy solution, Danville lacked the population and wealth to attract national retailers. The city also lacked a core of local merchants. "There was a lot of infrastructure, but really not a robust business…Continue reading