With the US economy increasingly driven by the tech sector, a growing number of downtown leaders in mid-sized cities are looking for ways to spur innovation in their cities. One example is in Fort Wayne, IN (est. pop. 263,814), where a rusting manufacturing hub has been transformed into an innovation district. Another case study is…To read more — login/subscribe
In Coon Rapids, IA (est. pop. 1,244), the Main Street organization has transformed two grain bins into 360-degree murals that mark the entrance to downtown. “After many years of work, the new mural is a wonderful success, bringing a sense of place to a longstanding feature of the community,” says Katie Mason, executive director of…To read more — login/subscribe
T-Mobile continues to parcel out grants to small and midsized cities as part of its Hometown Grants program. The mobile carrier recently released details about its latest round of 25 grant winners. The awards of up to $50,000 went to recipients around the country with a wide variety of ideas. One theme: All the winners…To read more — login/subscribe
During the highway-building spree that began in the 1950s, many downtowns were disrupted in ways that were convenient for car commuters but damaging to public life and the urban fabric. Now comes a federal investment in undoing the infrastructure projects from the 20th century. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot provides $1 billion…To read more — login/subscribe
18 year old festival is re-branded The South Carolina Pecan Festival went on a brief hiatus as the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered much of downtown Florence, NC. Event planners and staff took advantage of the break to assess the event’s purpose, strengths, and weaknesses. This led to re-branding the event, developing a new name, logo, website,…To read more — login/subscribe
Like many downtowns, Cleveland has struggled to adapt to post-pandemic patterns of commuting and visitation. As of September 2022, the city was getting 80 percent of the overall visits it experienced in 2019. And visits to office buildings had plummeted to just 61 percent of prepandemic levels. Given that harsh reality, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance…To read more — login/subscribe
Sandusky, OH (est. pop. 24,651), is coping with challenges familiar to downtown leaders in many Rust Belt cities. For half a century, the city has lost factory jobs, and its population has steadily declined. But Sandusky isn’t giving up. The small city is leveraging its easy access to Lake Erie, its historic architecture, and a…To read more — login/subscribe
Following decades of study and debate, Davenport, IA (est. pop. 101,010), will spend $1.7 million to convert two one-way streets to two-way streets. The Downtown Davenport Partnership advocated for the return of two-way traffic on Third and Fourth streets to help calm and quiet traffic, to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly, and to improve visibility and…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders face a parking conundrum. On the one hand, urbanists have long preached that cities underprice parking at the expense of pedestrianism. Yet visitors and merchants often hate any hint of rising parking prices and more expensive parking tickets. Add to the mix, hourly downtown workers, grappling with inflation, and it’s more difficult than…To read more — login/subscribe
