In the seaside town of Asbury Park, NJ (est. pop. 15,536), electric scooters have become a popular way for residents and visitors to get around. Scooters prove especially convenient on crowded beach days, when parking is scarce and traffic is gridlocked. Asbury Park introduced a fleet of 250 scooters citywide in the spring of 2021.…To read more — login/subscribe
The T-Mobile Hometown Grants program offers funding for community-development projects in cities of less than 50,000 people. The five-year, $25 million initiative kicked off in 2021. T-Mobile Hometown Grants are given every quarter to up to 25 small towns. In the most recent round of grants, recipients include: • Northport, AL. Its grant will connect…To read more — login/subscribe
Summertime adventure pass Eau Claire, WI’s destination marketing group is encouraging visitors and locals to discover some of the many local sites with an adventure pass. The 26 locations featured on the pass include several downtown spots such as the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market and downtown’s Sculpture Tour. Participants download the mobile pass and…To read more — login/subscribe
Toccoa, GA (est. pop. 8,328), boasts a thriving downtown and a bustling historic theater. It has even carved out a niche as a setting for filmmakers looking for an iconic courtroom and Main Street. The turnaround came only after the rural town decided to tear up a downtown pedestrian mall, and to remove the ugly…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown Denison, TX (est. pop. 24,851), hosts nearly 700 events a year, a brisk pace that generates a steady stream of activity. The hectic schedule has also forced downtown leaders to be mindful about how to pace the events so that they help rather than hinder downtown merchants. “We’ve got to consider that our businesses…To read more — login/subscribe
In San Diego, CA (est. pop. 1,414,515), a decades-long experiment to revitalize a long-neglected community has made notable progress. In one unusual turnaround strategy, the family foundation that has invested heavily in the region sold shares of a now-bustling retail center to local residents. After decades of effort, the area is showing signs of improvement.…To read more — login/subscribe
During the depths of the pandemic, outdoor dining provided a lifeline for downtowns. Office buildings went empty, concerts and festivals were canceled, and indoor dining was called off — but at least sidewalk service allowed downtown restaurants to keep the lights on. In Los Angeles, for instance, a survey of restaurant owners found that 81…To read more — login/subscribe
Perhaps no city illustrates the challenge of downtown leadership as vividly as San Jose, CA. On the one hand, the city is the center of Silicon Valley, an affluent region where the typical home sells for $1.4 million and median family income is nearly $170,000. On the other, downtown has a problem with homelessness, and…To read more — login/subscribe
In response to a spate of property crimes aimed at merchants, San Francisco city officials have launched a new grant program that aims to help small businesses recover from damage done to their storefronts by thieves and vandals. The Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant program provides $1,000 to $2,000 to businesses that must absorb the costs…To read more — login/subscribe
