Downtown Idea Exchange

• Six lessons from a DID’s demise
• City uses array of strategies to create bike-friendly vibe
• Public agency boosts public engagement by paying for it
• One downtown formalizes sudden surge of ghost kitchens
• Downtown invests in biotech hub
• Developer has large ambitions for car-free community
• Five ways to stop giving away money at the curb
• Downtown sweetens incentives to recruit mall businesses
• Florida cities add pride streetscape projects
• Idea Exchange: Quick Tips and News from Around the Country

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A new breed of business could lead a wave of downtown revitalization. Niche manufacturers — think craft jewelers, makers of small-batch lotions and cosmetics, and microbrewers — are a growing, but often overlooked, segment of the post-pandemic economy, says Ilana Preuss. Preuss is founder and chief executive officer of consulting firm Recast City. She’s also…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Main Street America is giving grants of $8,500 each to a group of cities that have developed creative strategies to bring traffic back downtown. The winning ideas run the gamut — some focus on placemaking, others on community engagement, others on supporting small businesses. Most of the recipients have populations of less than 50,000, and…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In a low-income area of Portland, OR, is a 29,000-square-foot strip shopping center filled with a mix of independent merchants and service providers. The tenant list includes a Latina-owned hair salon, several tax preparers, and the Somali American Association of Oregon. In similar neighborhoods, such a property would be owned by a well-heeled landlord who…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In an effort to reduce pedestrian fatalities, Virginia lawmakers passed a bill that would allow municipalities to drop speed limits in business districts as low as 15 mph. In most states, cities and counties can’t impose speed limits lower than 25 mph. But as pedestrian fatalities remain a stubborn problem, lower speed limits are gaining…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Pedestrian fatalities are on the rise, but designing roadways and crossings with safety in mind can reduce the toll. That’s according to Angie Schmitt, author of Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America. Schmitt is a proponent of lower speed limits, but she points to other features that…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The coronavirus recession devastated downtown retailers. But some intrepid merchants survived — and their success stories offer hints at how small businesses can bounce back and thrive in the future. Retail expert Jon Schallert says creative merchants figured out a number of ways to stand out from the crowd. He offered these suggestions — which…To read more — login/subscribe

 

As downtown merchants recover from the pandemic, they need to rethink how they lure customers. That’s according to Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, founder of Retail Minded. She says retailers and downtown leaders will need to find ways to bring customers back to physical storefronts. “Whether we like it or not, consumers have gotten way too comfortable…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Reallocating Street Space During the Pandemic Many cities have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by creating more space for people outside. Which of the following, if any, have you implemented in your community? Do you anticipate any of these changes becoming permanent? Source: Urban Parks and the Public Realm: Equity & Access in Post-COVID Cities…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Chicago’s downtown district and its North Side are thriving, but its South and West sides continue to struggle. In response, Mayor Lori Lightfoot kicked off Invest South/West, a three-year plan that seeks to invest $750 million in dormant and struggling retail areas in 10 neighborhoods, including Austin, Auburn Gresham, New City, and Bronzeville. The city’s…To read more — login/subscribe