Programming gives life to public places and is an essential component of making them great. Fortunately many spaces can be activated with small, inexpensive programs. Errin Welty, senior downtown development director at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is a proponent of these modest initiatives. "Creative, small-scale placemaking strategies can have an outsized impact," she says,…To read more — login/subscribe
City investigates potential for downtown housing Heart of Ellsworth, in Ellsworth, Maine, has launched a downtown housing project aimed at increasing housing availability by activating underutilized spaces in the city center. The project is a partnership between Heart of Ellsworth, the City of Ellsworth, and the Ellsworth Public Library. The Mid-Coast Board of Realtors is…To read more — login/subscribe
Visit Main Street in Littleton, NH (est. pop. 4,114), and you're likely to hear people playing pianos set up along Main Street sidewalks. Head a block from Main Street and you'll find public xylophones installed at Harmony Park along the Ammonoosuc Riverwalk. Littleton's experiment with outdoor instruments as a placemaking tool has endured. While many…To read more — login/subscribe
In Chattanooga, TN (est. pop. 191,495), a program to incentivize merchants to update downtown storefronts has seen strong early results. Oui Oui Boulangerie used a grant to add a festive awning. Sully's Crepe Co. added outdoor seating with an umbrella and planters. Scoop Around Ice Cream Bar installed a fresh sign. The nonprofit River City…To read more — login/subscribe
The Lowell Folk Festival in Lowell, MA (est. pop. 120,418), hosted its 39th annual event this summer. Tens of thousands of visitors filled the streets to hear blues, country, rock, and rap music. Organizers have kept going despite setbacks such as the National Endowment for the Arts' decision in 2025 not to continue to provide…To read more — login/subscribe
The area known as Lock 3 in downtown Akron, OH (est. pop. 189,669), has gone through many evolutions. It was once a working canal lock on the Ohio and Erie Canal. The site later became a lumber yard, then a toy factory that burned down in 1904, and eventually a parking lot for O'Neil's Department…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown Reno, NV, is tackling a messy problem that many downtowns face. With more and more people calling downtown home, there's been an increase in pet waste. A new campaign from the Downtown Reno Partnership is providing education and resources to keep city streets clean. The campaign includes humorous signs, social media messages, and other…To read more — login/subscribe
Road diet for Main Street According to crash statistics from the Oregon Department of Transportation, the accident rate on Main Street in downtown Baker City is higher than average for streets with comparable traffic volumes. From 2015 to 2025, the city saw 47 crashes, including 14 rear-end collisions. In response, the city will re-stripe Main…To read more — login/subscribe
