Downtown Idea Exchange

• Downtowns use federal funds to recover from pandemic slowdown
• Downtown emphasizes arts as key part of destination’s appeal
• Federal streets funding targets pedestrian safety
• Four branding rules for the post-pandemic world
• Need funding? A quick guide to AARP’s highly competitive grant program
• Pedestrian mall works to stay relevant
• Long-term commitment to downtown bears fruit
• App empowers downtowners to help clean up city center
• Idea Exchange: Quick Tips and News from Around the Country

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Greenville, MS (est. pop. 29,854), and Columbus, MS (est. pop. 23,853), are small cities in the same state, but they’re not obvious candidates for a marketing partnership. The towns are 160 miles apart, and Greenville’s autumn Delta Hot Tamale Festival and Columbus’ springtime Market Street Festival have almost no overlap in attendance. In other words,…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In downtown Texarkana, TX (est. pop. 36,733), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) financed a $1.4 million redevelopment of the Hotel Grim, a 1925 building that was repurposed to include dozens of residential units. In Brockton, MA (est. pop. 95,740), HUD loaned $1.5 million for the Brockton Restaurant Infrastructure Fund. The program…To read more — login/subscribe

 

A series of late-night shootings in downtown Orlando, FL (est. pop. 284,817), has pushed downtown leaders to search for ways to make the city’s entertainment district safer. Among a flurry of incidents, a 34-year-old Army veteran was shot to death in early May while walking down a crowded downtown street. The spate of shootings, and…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In many downtowns, farmers markets provide important activity. These weekly or monthly events generate spending, create connections with local businesses, address food deserts, and increase foot traffic. A downtown need not be part of a thriving metropolis to reap the rewards of a farmers market. Towns with populations as small as 3,000 are benefiting from…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Electric scooters have become an important transit option in many downtowns. But the vehicles aren’t without their detractors, acknowledges Jenni Morejon, president and chief executive officer of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority in Fort Lauderdale, FL (est. pop. 181,818). “There’s going to be, unfortunately, scooter haters,” Morejon says. “Convening a community conversation is really…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In 2020, a catastrophic windstorm ripped through Cedar Rapids, IA (est. pop. 133,125). In addition to several deaths and billions of dollars in property damage, the storm destroyed more than half of Cedar Rapids’ tree canopy. Landscape architect Patrick Alvord says the storm destroyed 670,000 trees, a toll he calls “likely the greatest single urban…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtowns everywhere struggle with white elephants — prominent eyesores in need of refurbishment. Usually, the cost of a rehab is prohibitive. In Cape Girardeau, MO (est. pop. 40,100), the old Marquette and H&H buildings stood as constant reminders that downtown had seen better days. The Marquette Hotel was built in the 1920s. The H&H Building…To read more — login/subscribe

 

A bourbon-producing region of Kentucky recently launched a new marketing, advertising, and public relations campaign focused on attracting travelers, and downtown leaders already report an uptick in traffic as a result. The campaign, ShelbyKY — Your Bourbon Destination, is designed to encourage travelers seeking out bourbon experiences to visit distilleries in Shelby County, to tour…To read more — login/subscribe