Downtown Idea Exchange

Downtown businesses are usually very small, and they remain challenged by recent economic shifts. While a significant minority have tested artificial intelligence tools, few older entrepreneurs have worked on succession planning. Those are among the highlights of Main Street America’s 2024 Small Business Successand Support survey. The study compiled responses from 681 small business owners…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Movies and music in the park are popular events in Watsonville, CA. The city of Watsonville, CA, with a population of just over 50,000, reports a total of $8,879,604 in direct economic activity generated by local arts and culture organizations. This includes an average of $30.49 spent per person attending an event.  That data is…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Cultural district wayfinding, public art installations, pop-up galleries, outdoor concertsand film screenings, ally activations, and more have received funds from the Our Town Grant program.  The National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant program is a creative placemaking initiative designed to strengthen communities through arts, culture, and design.  Our Town grants typically range from…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Maintaining the historic streetscape For over two years, a battle has dragged on between Columbia Gas of Ohio and downtown leaders in Delaware, OH. Most of the buildings in the historic downtown have gas meters inside. The utility planned to relocate them outside and proposed putting them on the street-facing facades. Business owners and the…To read more — login/subscribe

 

• Repurposing historic cotton mill provides new centerpiece
• City explores low-car districts
• Bringing order to scooter chaos
• After smooth rollout of public drinking, more cities OK expansion
• Cities weigh alternate options for City Hall locations
• Survey offers glimpse into concerns of Main Street merchants
• The arts make an outsized contribution to local economies
• Our Town Grants 
• Idea Exchange

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Sculpture will bring “Moments of Joy” to 16th Street visitors. For downtown leaders in Denver, CO (est. pop. 716,577), a major revamp of the mile-long 16th Street Mall has been a long journey. First, city officials and downtown leaders had to convince voters to sign off on the costly improvements. Voters approved the project in…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtown Portland Clean & Safe tracks business support. Perhaps no downtown has been hit as hard by the fentanyl crisis and other social ills as Portland, OR (est. pop. 630,395). Amid a statewide decriminalization of hard drugs, downtown Portland was inundated with tent cities and overdose deaths — and visitors stayed away. However, Oregon has…To read more — login/subscribe

 

As Houston, TX (est. pop. 2.3 million), prepares to host World Cup matches in 2026, downtown leaders aim to renovate a seven-block stretch of Main Street. The area is slated to be transformed into a pedestrian-only walkway, with extended space for shops and eateries.  The Main Street Promenade project has been led by Downtown Houston+,…To read more — login/subscribe

 

As record temperatures gripped the nation this summer, downtown leaders looked to increase shade, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve air quality by expanding the tree canopy. But there are additional benefits, says Chelsea Craig chair of the Morenci, MI, Downtown Development Authority. By creating a green and vibrant environment, the DDA aims to increase foot…To read more — login/subscribe