San Francisco’s Entertainment Zone is just one block long. The Downtown San Francisco Partnership has broken the ice on California’s entertainment zone policy — and after debuting outdoor public drinking, the group reports no hangover. The district in 2024 became the first place in the nation’s largest state to allow outdoor consumption of alcohol on…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown populations continue to zig while national demographic trends zag. People living downtown are younger, more racially diverse, and better-educated than the nation as a whole, according to a new study by the International Downtown Association (IDA). The report, The Value of U.S. Downtowns and Center Cities, compiled more than 100 metrics across dozens of…To read more — login/subscribe
Cities from Cleveland, OH (est. pop. 362,670), to Cedar Rapids, IA (est. pop. 135,960), are exploring the concept of the “15-minute city” — A city where residents can reach their daily destinations in no more than 15 minutes. The definition is a bit fluid, according to the National League of Cities, “A 15-minute city enables…To read more — login/subscribe
In Columbus, OH (est. pop. 909,074), a program known as Ground Floor Growth seeks to activate downtown. The goal is to “fill in the gaps on first-floor retail corridors,” City Councilman Nick Bankston says. Launched in 2023, the program is a partnership between the City of Columbus, Downtown Columbus Inc., and Columbus Empowerment Corporation. Two…To read more — login/subscribe
The ADA accessible restroom is accessed via QR code. After years of complaints from transit riders about a lack of public restrooms, the Los Angeles’ Metro system is adding restrooms at transit stations. These are bathrooms with a twist — they are portable trailers that require no connections to the electrical grid or to the…To read more — login/subscribe
Kristina Hansen recalls the telltale signs of burnout. Stressed out at work, she found herself tired, jaded, and not doing a particularly good job. While Hansen doesn’t work as a downtown leader, she has built enough expertise in the topic that the International Downtown Association brought her to a recent conference in San Francisco to…To read more — login/subscribe
Holiday crowds are part of the winter season’s excitement with visitors flocking downtown for shopping, dining, and festivities from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. When the festivities continue into the night, extra safety planning may be needed. Alicia Lakomski, formerly a project manager for the Responsible Hospitality Institute, cautions that, “if not managed properly, unwanted…To read more — login/subscribe
The Harrisonburg Innovation Hub, a shared workspace in downtown Harrisonburg, WV, has become the first project in the city to utilize the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. In Leesburg, VA, the county’s first development to use C-PACE funding will support sustainable elements for a downtown hotel, which incorporates new and historic buildings. C-PACE…To read more — login/subscribe
Festival blooms with events and ‘associated events’ The April Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC, has been a staple of the downtown event calendar for 78 years. The festival draws an estimated 250,000 visitors over the course of five days. The regional economic impact of the event is over $50 million. The festival aims to showcase…To read more — login/subscribe
