In Columbus, OH (est. pop. 909,074), a program known as Ground Floor Growth seeks to activate downtown. The goal is to “fill in the gaps on first-floor retail corridors,” City Councilman Nick Bankston says. Launched in 2023, the program is a partnership between the City of Columbus, Downtown Columbus Inc., and Columbus Empowerment Corporation. Two…To read more — login/subscribe
The ADA accessible restroom is accessed via QR code. After years of complaints from transit riders about a lack of public restrooms, the Los Angeles’ Metro system is adding restrooms at transit stations. These are bathrooms with a twist — they are portable trailers that require no connections to the electrical grid or to the…To read more — login/subscribe
Kristina Hansen recalls the telltale signs of burnout. Stressed out at work, she found herself tired, jaded, and not doing a particularly good job. While Hansen doesn’t work as a downtown leader, she has built enough expertise in the topic that the International Downtown Association brought her to a recent conference in San Francisco to…To read more — login/subscribe
Holiday crowds are part of the winter season’s excitement with visitors flocking downtown for shopping, dining, and festivities from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. When the festivities continue into the night, extra safety planning may be needed. Alicia Lakomski, formerly a project manager for the Responsible Hospitality Institute, cautions that, “if not managed properly, unwanted…To read more — login/subscribe
The Harrisonburg Innovation Hub, a shared workspace in downtown Harrisonburg, WV, has become the first project in the city to utilize the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. In Leesburg, VA, the county’s first development to use C-PACE funding will support sustainable elements for a downtown hotel, which incorporates new and historic buildings. C-PACE…To read more — login/subscribe
Festival blooms with events and ‘associated events’ The April Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC, has been a staple of the downtown event calendar for 78 years. The festival draws an estimated 250,000 visitors over the course of five days. The regional economic impact of the event is over $50 million. The festival aims to showcase…To read more — login/subscribe
In San Francisco’s Yerba Buena district, the organization once budgeted a significant sum to host splashy events. But like many downtown organizations, the Yerba Buena Partnership learned that when it comes to attracting visitors, bigger events aren’t necessarily better. “We were spending half a million dollars and not necessarily seeing a return,” says Jill Linwood,…To read more — login/subscribe
Early in the pandemic, San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza had devolved into one of the least welcoming public spaces in the city. Drug use, drug dealing, and overdoses were commonplace. Illegal vendors set up stands to sell stolen goods. When city inspectors showed up to cite the vendors, some of the public employees were attacked.…To read more — login/subscribe
Many downtown leaders have developed a love-hate relationship with dogs and their owners. On the downside, pet waste can pose a smelly nuisance and a source of constant complaints. But on the upside, dog owners help activate public spaces. After all, dogs need to be walked multiple times per day, so dog owners are out…To read more — login/subscribe
