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Cleaning Up Visual Clutter Downtown

February 6, 2023
When it comes to business signage, many commercial areas are a free-for-all of ads of all shapes, sizes, and colors. If your downtown could be described as an "ugly, cluttered, sign-overloaded district," it’s time to clean up, says Ed McMahon, chairman emeritus of Main Street America and a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute.…Continue reading

 

Using Incubator Spaces to Create a Pipeline of Start-Up Businesses

January 23, 2023
Downtowns big and small grapple with the challenge of building a roster of successful merchants. Many have taken a proactive approach by offering pop-up spaces and kiosksfor start-ups seeking a place to do business without a prohibitive upfront investment. Norfolk, VA, has been experimenting with pop-ups for several years. 2017 saw the launch of Selden…Continue reading

 

The Year In Downtown Revitalization

January 4, 2023
Every other week we share an article summary from Downtown Idea Exchange. Over the course of the year we’ve covered everything from business recruitment, to streetscape improvements, to placemaking, and more. To wrap up the year, we're highlighting five of our most popular posts. Creative, informative, and adaptable, they showcase some of the best work in…Continue reading

 

Improving Pedestrian Safety

December 21, 2022
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. The Texas Department of Transportation took advantage of the opportunity to encourage drivers to watch out for pedestrians. TxDOT notes that in the El Paso area last year, there were 181 traffic crashes involving pedestrians, resulting in 21 fatalities and 42 serious injuries. The Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign…Continue reading

 

Downtown Association Develops Safety Plan

December 8, 2022
Burlington, VT, was long known as a small, picturesque college town. But in recent years, Burlington has become afflicted by big-city problems, including crime and homelessness. Taking matters into its own hands, the Burlington Business Association developed a six point plan to ensure that the downtown is safe for residents, employees, and visitors. One important…Continue reading

 

Reducing Parking Costs for Hourly Workers

November 18, 2022
Downtown leaders face a parking conundrum. On the one hand, urbanists have long preached that cities underprice parking at the expense of pedestrianism. Yet visitors and merchants often hate any hint of rising parking prices and more expensive parking tickets. Add to the mix, hourly downtown workers, grappling with inflation, and it’s more difficult than…Continue reading