For years, Miami Beach, FL (est. pop. 88,885), routinely approved sidewalk dining permits for any Lincoln Road restaurant that asked for one. No longer. Even as the coronavirus pandemic has compelled many downtowns to ease rules around outdoor dining, Miami Beach has begun to crack down on sidewalk permits issued along the beachfront city’s popular…To read more — login/subscribe
In Redding, CA (est. pop. 92,958), a new venture has brought together 18 small shops in one location. Called Gather Downtown, it’s not quite a business incubator, not quite an antiques mart or a food hall. Instead, it’s a middle ground, an initiative that both fills vacant space and nurtures entrepreneurs. “We wanted to put…To read more — login/subscribe
At the height of racial justice demonstrations in the summer of 2020, Washington, DC, officials expressed fears of vandalism and looting after protesters damaged storefronts and frightened off less boisterous visitors. However, as the pandemic has dragged on, DC officials have taken a dramatically different view of demonstrations. In 2021, protests have shifted from headache…To read more — login/subscribe
In Denver’s Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood, downtown leaders have activated streets and alleyways over the past five years, an initiative that has contributed to the neighborhood’s revitalization and strong sense of place. The effort links Dairy Block, Market Station, and McGregor Square, creating what LaDonna Baertlein, director of business development at design firm DigStudio, calls…To read more — login/subscribe
Pittsburgh’s newly elected mayor says his top priority for downtown will be cleaning up the city center. During a recent meeting with downtown stakeholders, the mayor-elect said he had been walking down Smithfield Street with a state representative when the pair encountered “feces right on the street.” “Downtown is not as clean or as healthy…To read more — login/subscribe
In an effort to bring new technology to historic downtowns, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul launched DRIve EV Downtown. The program brings fast-charging stations for electric vehicles to downtowns in New York that are revitalizing and developing. The first stations will be installed in Amsterdam, NY (est. pop. 17,836). Next up are downtowns in Utica,…To read more — login/subscribe
Holiday deal and scavenger hunts The Downtown Holiday Deal Hunt got shoppers in Reno, NV, to explore new businesses and shop locally. The key to the program is that anyone who shops, eats, or plays at participating businesses has a chance to win prizes ranging from a 10 percent discount to $100 gift cards to…To read more — login/subscribe
The Colorado Springs Gateways Initiative was a clear win for the city’s downtown. The new landmark signs at the entrance to downtown are eye-catching, and the project was honored with an award from the International Downtown Association. Downtown leaders in Colorado Springs, CO (est. pop. 478,215), began planning the project in 2016, and physical installations…To read more — login/subscribe
The 37-story office building at 100 N. Main St. in Memphis, TN (est. pop. 651,088), is a reminder of both downtown’s promise and its challenges. The tower is the tallest structure in the downtown skyline. Yet it has sat empty since 2014. Thieves have harvested the copper wiring. And vandals have knocked books from the…To read more — login/subscribe
