Downtown Idea Exchange

Each month downtown leaders turn to Downtown Idea Exchange for practical news reports, how-to information, and hundreds of real-world examples of how downtowns are growing and prospering.

 


Grants, loans to Black entrepreneurs boost downtown

November 1, 2022
Memphis, TN, is a majority Black city whose developers are mostly white. The Downtown Memphis Commission has been taking strides to change that picture by making the ranks of property investors and merchants more diverse. The Downtown Memphis Commission’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work was honored this year by the International Downtown Association. The…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Creative placemaking grants strengthen communities

November 1, 2022
A wide range of downtown projects have been funded through the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grants. The creative placemaking grants support projects that “integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes.” These projects require a partnership between a local government entity…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Imagining the future of downtown with community visioning

November 1, 2022
The community visioning session is a basic building block of community planning and downtown leadership. An effective visioning session can yield insights and build consensus. But organizing and conducting a successful visioning session isn’t easy. This is an ambitious, time-consuming undertaking. To do it right, you’ll need to spend several months preparing. The visioning session…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtown Idea Exchange, November 2022

November 1, 2022
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Downtowns use federal funds to recover from pandemic slowdown

October 1, 2022
In Wilkes-Barre, PA (est. pop. 40,805), federal stimulus money paid for a program to market downtown businesses to new customers. The money also allowed the city to add a downtown ice-skating rink. In downtown Albuquerque, NM (est. pop. 560,447), stimulus funds brought more than a dozen small businesses into a district that had been hollowed…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtown emphasizes arts as key part of destination’s appeal

October 1, 2022
When Jason Mathis moved to St. Petersburg, FL (est. pop. 258,308), to take over the city’s downtown organization, he immediately noticed two things. The first was that St. Petersburg boasts a surprisingly thriving arts scene anchored by the Salvador Dali Museum. That venue alone, devoted to works of the Spanish surrealist famous for his images…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Federal streets funding targets pedestrian safety

October 1, 2022
In response to an increasing number of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians and cyclists, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) is pumping billions of dollars into street design. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2022 established the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, including $1 billion a year for five years to fund local enhancements…To read more — login/subscribe