Downtown Idea Exchange

• Busker program breathes new life into downtown streets
• Four strategies help long-struggling
  downtown set the stage for a comeback
• After years of lobbying, downtown group wins conversion to two-way streets
• Reducing parking costs for hourly workers
• Grants, loans to Black entrepreneurs boost downtown
• EV chargers are coming — is your zoning code ready?
• Creative placemaking grants strengthen communities
• Imagining the future of downtown with community visioning
• Idea Exchange: Quick Tips and News from Around the Country

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In Wilkes-Barre, PA (est. pop. 40,805), federal stimulus money paid for a program to market downtown businesses to new customers. The money also allowed the city to add a downtown ice-skating rink. In downtown Albuquerque, NM (est. pop. 560,447), stimulus funds brought more than a dozen small businesses into a district that had been hollowed…To read more — login/subscribe

 

When Jason Mathis moved to St. Petersburg, FL (est. pop. 258,308), to take over the city’s downtown organization, he immediately noticed two things. The first was that St. Petersburg boasts a surprisingly thriving arts scene anchored by the Salvador Dali Museum. That venue alone, devoted to works of the Spanish surrealist famous for his images…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In response to an increasing number of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians and cyclists, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) is pumping billions of dollars into street design. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2022 established the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, including $1 billion a year for five years to fund local enhancements…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The coronavirus pandemic proved devastating for many downtowns. But now that the world has resumed traveling, dining out, and — to a lesser extent — working from offices, downtowns are experiencing a revival. This latest shift in consumer behavior presents both a challenge and an opportunity, says Steve Chandler, a brand strategist and owner of…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Since 2017 AARP has been distributing millions of dollars through its AARP Community Challenge grant program. The money goes to a variety of projects nationwide. Recent recipients have included a project to turn a closed motel into a homeless shelter in Pueblo, CO, a downtown game station in Opelika, AL, and efforts to refurbish downtown…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Lincoln Road Mall, the pedestrian mall in Miami Beach, FL (est. pop. 89,439), has bucked a nationwide trend that has seen car-free shopping zones reopen to vehicular traffic. The strip’s success is partly a result of creative promotion by the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District. In one example, the pedestrian mall hosted an outdoor exhibit…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtown leaders everywhere look for quick wins and swift results. But sometimes redevelopment efforts are measured not in months or years but in decades. That’s the case in Chattanooga, TN (est. pop. 181,370), where the City Council this summer voted unanimously in favor of a new $87 million stadium for the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Many downtown leaders fight a constant battle against litter and graffiti. The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District has a novel approach. Last year the BID launched an app that lets residents and visitors take photos of eyesores. The app, known as Downtown Denver Clean and Safe, then pinpoints the coordinates of the problem area and…To read more — login/subscribe