In Wichita, KS (est. pop. 396,205), city officials are making big changes to the downtown parking system increasing hourly rates and fines, reducing the amount of free parking, upgrading parking meters, and tightening up enforcement. Wichita’s city council in early January approved ordinance updates that will allow the parking overhaul to proceed this year. Jeff…To read more — login/subscribe
In addition to a full schedule of daily, weekly, and seasonal marketing efforts, special situations often arise that call for a major overhaul or a minor tweak. A major overhaul was needed recently in High Point, NC, where the city spent months updating its dusty and out-of-date branding. Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, IN, a quick response…To read more — login/subscribe
Michigan City, IN (est. pop. 31,983), used a simple solution to address challenges with its homeless population: The city removed downtown park benches from sidewalks and moved them into storage. Problem solved? Not exactly. While the tactic does encourage problem residents to move on, taking away public seating doesn’t address the underlying causes of homelessness.…To read more — login/subscribe
It’s a challenge for cities of all sizes: What to do with the outdated warehouses and abandoned factories on the fringes of the core commercial district? In Houston, a group of entrepreneurs has an intriguing solution. Developers hope to transform the city’s East End into a walkable, mixed-use district. While the area has welcomed new…To read more — login/subscribe
The Chicago suburb of Evanston, IL (est. pop. 75,538), has managed to slow traffic, add bike lanes, and generally make its streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Thanks to a yearslong initiative aimed at forcing motorists to drive more slowly, traffic-related injuries plunged by half over the past decade. In one sign of success, Evanston…To read more — login/subscribe
The pandemic created new challenges, opened fresh opportunities, and shifted the role of downtowns. In many ways, downtowns are as important as ever, according to The Value of U.S. Downtowns and Center Cities, a new report by the International Downtown Association (IDA). “While geographically small — on average 3 percent of all citywide land —…To read more — login/subscribe
Since its launch in 2006, the Big Bright Light Show in Rochester, MI (est. pop. 12,978), has become an annual extravaganza. During the event, store windows are decorated and downtown buildings are covered in more than one million colored lights. “The lights are not an event. They are economic development at its core,” KristiTrevarrow, executive…To read more — login/subscribe
Soliciting funding for downtown projects is part art, and part science. To help grant seekers refine requests, the authors of Winning Grants Step by Step advise answering a series of queries. Those questions, according to authors Tori O’Neal McElrath, Lynn Kanter, and Lynn English are: What community need does the program or service that the…To read more — login/subscribe
Digital signs approved for downtown Large-format digital billboards were on display in downtown Baltimore, MD, in December. The signs showcase local businesses, organizations, artwork, and events. The Downtown Partnership says thatanother nine billboards will be added in 2024. The billboards are in the newly created North Harbor Area of Special Sign Control, which is located…To read more — login/subscribe
