Transition to smart-parking not always easy
October 1, 2023
As downtowns upgrade parking systems, they experience both greater efficiencies and technological growing pains Coin-operated parking meters are going the way of telegraphs, typewriters, and payphones. Downtowns nationwide have scrambled to replace old-fashioned parking meters with kiosks and apps that centralize payment collection. The new digital systems allow for more secure payment methods, and they…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders everywhere aim to create vibrant, round-the-clock communities. But success on that front comes with an unwelcome side effect — a downtown filled with housing, restaurants, office spaces, and entertainment venues creates a lot of garbage. In cities small and large, downtown leaders are wrestling with garbage issues. In Knoxville, TN (est. pop. 192,657),…
Marketing a downtown effectively requires research, strategic thinking, community-wide soul-searching, and solid implementation. The payoff of all this work can be felt everywhere from more effective business recruitment to stronger tourism and more meaningful events. It’s a hard task, says Roger Brooks, head of Destination Development Association. He sees some common mistakes that downtown leaders…
As an economically challenged city, Toledo, OH (est. pop. 266,289), struggles to make use of long-vacant buildings. To address that challenge, the city aims to expand two grant programs that incentivize property owners to bring their buildings up to code and get them back into productive use. A city proposal calls for $300,000 for the…
Downtown leaders in Philadelphia have boosted safety patrols, hosted return-to-work events, handed out free coffee at transit stations, and spruced up Center City’s sidewalk flowerbeds. “As an organization, we’ve done everything we can to reactivate,” Paul Levy, chief executive officer of Center City District, told The Wall Street Journal this summer. Even so, the city…
As downtowns large and small struggle with heat-island effects, an experiment with solar-reflective pavement coatings is showing promise. Last year, the City of Los Angeles chose the Pacoima neighborhood for a test of the concept. The city formed a partnership with GAF, a roofing manufacturer, to cover some 700,000 square feet of pavement with a…
The Rosslyn Business Improvement District in Arlington, VA (est. pop. 234,000), launched the first parklet in the Washington, DC, metro area back in 2018. Before the COVID-19 pandemic made parklets an international craze, the Rosslyn BID simply wanted to do something creative, and spur a reevaluation of how people use public space. The parklet is…
Ambassador program fights negative perceptions In an effort to improve safety, and the perception of safety, more ambassadors are patrolling downtown Louisville, KY. In September, Louisville Downtown Partnership doubled the number of ambassadors from 18 to 36. Ambassadors are involved in cleaning projects, regular check-ins with businesses and property owners, hospitality services, and escorting people…
In Salt Lake City, UT (est. pop. 200,475), an economic boom and an influx of new residents has driven activity downtown. In Fresno, CA (est. pop. 544,500), the reworking of a long-struggling pedestrian mall changed the game downtown. In Bakersfield, CA (est. pop. 407,581), a margarita contest is among the many events attracting visitors. All…