Downtown Idea Exchange

Downtown festivals can provide lasting economic, social, and cultural benefits. But hosting a successful event, and avoiding common pitfalls, takes expert preparation and execution.  Writing on the Downtown New Jersey website, Jason Gleason, executive director of Montclair Center Business Improvement District, offers his eight rules for event success. 1. Establish clear goals. Before launching into…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Champaign, IL (est. pop. 89,245), reducing minimum parking requirements (MPRs) has spurred development and boosted the density of both downtown Champaign and the urban district anchored by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That’s according to a paper by University of Illinois researchers Bumsoo Lee and Srirang Sohoni. Their findings were published in the…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Miami, FL (est. pop. 449,484), downtown has transformed in recent decades. Through the 1990s, the city center was mostly a 9-to-5 district — workers commuted in from the suburbs, then left. But that has changed in a big way. Downtown Miami now has 150,000 residents, along with supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and even a bowling…To read more — login/subscribe

 

After state lawmakers last year passed guidelines for municipalities to allow outdoor consumption of alcohol, a number of cities in Indiana enacted new rules and established Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas or DORAs. The DORAs include a defined area where visitors over 21 can drink alcohol. As in other states, the drinks must be sold by…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Winnipeg, MB (est. pop. 750,000), downtown cleanups are a community effort. This year, nearly 700 people turned out for the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s Downtown Spring CleanUp.   “This annual event is more than just picking up litter, it is an opportunity to come together as a diverse and vibrant group of community members, business…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Parking garages take on new life In an effort to encourage owners of parking garages to activate their spaces during down times, the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative created a pop-up rooftop performance venue at a downtown parking garage. “We were hoping owners would see that garages could be put to really good use during the…To read more — login/subscribe

 

• Free rent program lures new tenants to downtown retail space
• Cargo bikes help cities address last-mile dilemma and congestion
• Shared bike, scooter rides reach record levels
• Eight rules for running successful festivals
• Waiving parking minimums pays dividends for college town
• Even in a boomtown, downtown work continues
• Indiana downtowns embrace outdoor drinking districts
• Combatting trash and litter 
• Idea Exchange

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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 lives. The bad news? Downtown streets are once again overwhelmed with delivery trucks, rideshare vehicles, and side hustlers dropping off meals and groceries. In one…To read more — login/subscribe

 

For Canadian 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. And they hold strong appeal for audiences — there’s no cover charge, the entertainment options are broad, and tipping performers is optional. For…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The typical American roadway was built to invite speeds well above the posted limit, says Jeff Speck, a prominent proponent for walkability. However, Speck says, it’s possible to redesign streetscapes so that pedestrianism is more inviting and less frightening. “People will choose to walk when walking is useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting,” Speck writes in…To read more — login/subscribe