Downtown Idea Exchange

• Downtown’s bold plan envisions sweeping changes
• City approves outdoor drinking zone — but only amid strong pushback
• How to tap funding for reviving blighted historic buildings
• In Zoom era, soliciting public feedback grows harder, not easier
• Downtown salvages festival lost to pandemic with a nimble new event
• Downtowns consider electric vehicle charging stations
• City boosts police patrols downtown
• Bike-friendly city shows how to set the stage for cycling
• Downtown leaders look to restrict vacation rentals — some merchants object
• Idea Exchange: Quick Tips and News from Around the Country

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With the summertime concert season returning to normal, a number of midsized cities are offering free concerts as a way to activate downtowns. For 2022, the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation is funding concert series in 18 downtowns from Woonsocket, RI (est. pop. 41,616), to Carson City, NV (est. pop. 55,244). The Los Angeles-based Levitt…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Chicago, city leaders have banned unaccompanied minors from a major downtown park after 6 p.m. In St. Louis, police shut down electric scooters downtown. In Grand Rapids, MI, city officials are wrestling with whether to station more police officers downtown. And in Pittsburgh, PA, the mayor felt compelled to announce a multi-pronged “plan for…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Montclair, NJ (est. pop. 38,634), a downtown stretch of South Park Street catered to cars rather than pedestrians. The streetscape featured wide traffic lanes, angled parking, and narrow sidewalks. Montclair decided to reshape the street in a way that was more enticing to visitors and better suited to hosting festivals and events. “The town…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Berkeley, CA (est. pop. 123,065), Telegraph Avenue has emerged as a battleground over cars and their place in a pedestrian-friendly area. A handful of university students and activists want the street turned into a pedestrian plaza, but merchants say the proposal is bad for business. Telegraph Avenue is near the campus of the University…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Tucson, AZ (est. pop. 545,340), summertime temperatures are hot — and getting hotter. In response, the city has begun requiring shade structures and other heat mitigation. For instance, in downtown Tucson, half of all sidewalks and pedestrian pathways must be in the shade as of 2 p.m. on June 21, the sunniest day of…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Urban planners have long criticized local rules requiring new residential development to include parking spaces equal to or greater than the number of units in the project. It’s a practice that makes housing expensive and reinforces car-centric development patterns, they argue. In downtown San Diego, a developer and city officials are trying a different model.…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In Albany, NY (est. pop. 96,860), an Interstate 787 off-ramp has been turned into a pedestrian park known as the Albany Skyway. The Skyway is also planned as a venue for entertainment, public art, food trucks, and pop-up shops. The Skyway, which connects the city’s downtown with a burgeoning Warehouse District, is the latest example…To read more — login/subscribe

 

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