Downtown Idea Exchange

• A downtown plans its post-pandemic recovery
• Should you allow cannabis businesses downtown? Some factors to consider
• Nightlife economy director aims to breathe new life into city’s after-hours scene
• Removing parking restrictions brings in new development
• To boost safety, city cuts speed limits
• “Bike libraries” encourage cycling downtown
• City aims to boost pedestrian safety with asphalt art
• Business accelerator spurs new activity downtown
• Latest round of grants funds variety of projects
• Idea Exchange: Quick Tips and News from Around the Country

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For years, downtown leaders in Tybee Island, GA (est. pop. 3,124), mostly guessed at visitor information. The bridge coming into town from Savannah was outfitted with vehicle-counting sensors, so Tybee’s leaders had a general idea of how many people were coming to the beachfront town. But the era of big data has allowed Tybee Island…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Many downtowns have experimented with gift card programs. But the initiative in Middletown, CT (est. pop. 47,164), is going strong after 18 years. The Middletown Downtown Business District launched its gift card program in 2005. After some fits and starts, downtown leaders overhauled it in 2010 with a new technology provider, says Sandra Russo-Driska, the…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtowns everywhere are trying to tap into the magic of creative placemaking. The goal is to foster a community where arts, culture, and entertainment (ACE) attract a cross-section of visitors. When the concept works, visitors have a great experience. Maybe it’s the downtown museum that keeps them coming back, or the live music scene, or…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The retail industry has been roiled by e-commerce and the pandemic, but retail remains a critical function in many downtowns. To fill vacant storefronts, you should follow a methodical process, says Jenn Gregory of Retail Strategies, a firm specializing in business recruitment and community development. She offers this eight-step recipe for recruiting retailers:  Form a…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Cities across the U.S. have been investing in streetcars. But in Omaha, NE (est. pop. 487,299), the city’s most famous resident says the city’s downtown streetcar project is a boondoggle. “Residents can be far better served by extended or more intensive service by the bus system,” billionaire Warren Buffett wrote in a letter to the editor…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Two years after the publication of her book Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing, author Ilana Preuss says she continues to hear from downtown leaders interested in cultivating their own cadre of makers and artisans. Downtown Idea Exchange spoke to Preuss in 2021 for the article Wooing small-scale manufacturers. Since…To read more — login/subscribe

 

For over twenty years, American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) has worked to develop strong local economies by nurturing entrepreneurs and increasing local spending. The nonprofit may be best known for its series of shop local campaigns including Shop Black Owned Indie Local (February), Move Your Money/Bank Local (April), Independents Month (July), Eat Indie Local (August-September),…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Amid a wave of mass shootings nationally, downtowns have been the locations of a number of unfortunate incidents. On New Year’s Eve 2022, one person was killed and nine were injured during a mass shooting during a concert in downtown Mobile, AL. Earlier in the year, seven people were injured in a shooting in downtown…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Art carts showcase artists’ work, enliven downtown Art on the Town was created to help artists in Lexington, KY, show and sell their work. The program features eight mobile carts that are available seven days a week at no cost to artists. “The carts are mobile and can move around within several block areas of…To read more — login/subscribe