In January, Smyrna, GA (est. pop. 56,628), approved the sale of nearly an acre of downtown land to brewery owners — but only after a long fight. The city council voted 5-2 to let the Downtown Development Authority sell 0.94 acres of undeveloped property to StillFire Brewing for $600,000. StillFire, which operates a brewery in…To read more — login/subscribe
In 2017 Buffalo, NY (est. pop. 255,300), became the first U.S. city to stop requiring developers to include a minimum amount of parking in new projects. Other cities followed, including Hartford, CT, and Santa Monica, CA. As the idea gains momentum, two researchers from the University of Buffalo wanted to know what happens when a…To read more — login/subscribe
More than a decade ago, Mankato, MN (est. pop. 42,093), kicked off a series of public art projects known as CityArt. A sculpture exhibit and walking tour are the centerpiece, but there are other public art initiatives, too. In 2021, the walking tour celebrated its 10th anniversary. The tour has stayed fresh for so long…To read more — login/subscribe
Crokicurl: A new downtown activity Memorial Square in Prince Albert, Sask., Canada, is drawing visitors downtown on even the coldest days. They are there to play crokicurl and maybe to linger for a warm drink and a little shopping. The Prince Albert BID explains this odd sounding activity: “Crokicurl is the brainchild of Public City…To read more — login/subscribe
Greensboro, NC (est. pop. 296,725), will launch a downtown social district in March. Within its boundaries, visitors will be able to stroll while carrying alcoholic beverages in specially labeled plastic cups. Greensboro is one of a number of North Carolina cities that have enacted, or are considering, downtown social districts after Gov. Roy Cooper in…To read more — login/subscribe
For communities struggling to bring people downtown, events and other activities are a natural solution. But planning, organizing, and hosting those events requires staff time and resources. For downtown leaders who want the benefits of a full event schedule but don’t want to run events themselves, a downtown grant program is a useful tool. Whether…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown merchants will embrace automation and self-service technology. Office space will be replaced by downtown residential uses. And electric vehicles will provide new opportunities to attract visitors. Those are among the predictions made by Matthew Wagner, chief program officer for the National Main Street Center. His forecast for 2022 is wide-ranging and covers both long…To read more — login/subscribe
Baltimore’s Central Business District has been losing businesses to surrounding neighborhoods. But the pandemic hastened downtown’s troubles. To fight the flight, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore launched a promotional campaign aimed at retaining current employers and attracting new ones. The effort aims to “protect the core,” says Downtown Partnership President Shelonda Stokes. The Double Down…To read more — login/subscribe
