After a one year hiatus, the annual Riverhead Cardboard Boat Race is returning this summer to the Peconic River in downtown Riverhead, NY. The race is one of several popular events that was canceled due to COVID-19. The annual event draws hundreds to the city center to participate and watch as some 30 boats, made…To read more — login/subscribe
Following the lead of similar successful projects, Kuna, ID, will launch its own retail market village in June. The village will consist of 12 small shops in re-purposed garden sheds. The sheds will surround a central green space with room for food trucks and small gatherings. Lisa Holland the city’s economic development director tells the…To read more — login/subscribe
Shamrockin’, a St. Patrick’s Day celebration sponsored by Main Street El Dorado, AR, was the first large event held downtown in over a year. According to MSE executive director Beth Brumley, the group submitted event plans to the Arkansas Department of Health and was approved to host a maximum of 400 people at any given…To read more — login/subscribe
In Kansas City, MO, an asphalt art project transformed a tricky intersection making it less hazardous for pedestrians. In Saginaw, MI, a public art initiative sought to bridge a long-simmering racial divide. Both projects were funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative. The grant program gives up to $25,000 per locale for visual art…To read more — login/subscribe
In 2016, the City of St. Louis, MO, grabbed headlines when it decided to prohibit new crosswalk art projects, and to allow existing installations to fade away. St. Louis officials pointed to 2011 guidance from the Federal Highway Administration. It said that “crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most…To read more — login/subscribe
As the coronavirus pandemic spurred new migration trends, downtown leaders in Miami, FL (est. pop. 467,968), decided to sweeten the pot for employers. The Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) launched a Follow the Sun initiative that pays incentives to businesses that move to the central business district. To qualify, an employer must create at least…To read more — login/subscribe
In Monticello, IL (est. pop. 5,695), the city is encouraging downtown property owners to improve their historic buildings through a more generous grant program aimed at beautifying the small city’s historic district. Monticello Main Street and the city operated a Façade Improvement Grant program that distributed more than $1 million over 19 years. But in…To read more — login/subscribe
Cities large and small are looking for strategies to address homelessness. Austin, TX, might have the most aggressive approach: The city is investing tens of millions of dollars to purchase hotels to serve as housing for the homeless. Austin Mayor Steve Adler has proposed buying 10 motels, one in each of the city’s 10 city…To read more — login/subscribe
It’s been over a decade since Philip Walker published his piece the “Top 10 Myths of Downtown Planning,” but his analysis remains timely. Walker, head of The Walker Collaborative, says residents, city officials, and business owners often fall victim to commonly held “misinformed notions,” which can hinder downtown development. They are: • Our downtown needs…To read more — login/subscribe
