Like most downtowns, the city center in Martinsburg, WV (est. pop. 17,475), has been eerily quiet since the coronavirus pandemic began. “For a year now, folks have been making decisions that don’t include walking around downtown,” says Shane Farthing, Martinsburg’s economic and community development director. “Folks have been hunkering down.” Farthing hopes to rekindle downtown…To read more — login/subscribe
Wheeling, WV (est. pop. 27,062), was recently recognized by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia for its façade grant program. Here’s a rundown of how the program works. First, applicants must submit the following information to the city: • Completed application See the complete façade improvement program guidelines. • Photographs of existing façade • Plans…To read more — login/subscribe
Chronic homelessness is a problem that vexes many downtowns, and there’s no easy solution. Long-term homeless people often are afflicted with serious mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, or physical disabilities. In a sign of hope, a new approach to homelessness is paying dividends in some mid-sized cities. Rockford, IL (est. pop. 147,070), and Abilene, TX…To read more — login/subscribe
When the city of Somerville, MA (est. pop. 81,358), proposed transforming a small public parking lot into a public plaza, a handful of skeptical residents nixed the idea. So the city decided to take a different approach to pitching the placemaking initiative: Somerville officials transformed the 10-spot lot into a pop-up park. For three days,…To read more — login/subscribe
Seeking some activity downtown, the Centralia Downtown Association a decade ago kicked off a quirky event. In a twist on a holiday parade, Centralia, WA (est. pop. 17,216), hosted a Lighted Tractor Parade. The inaugural event drew “seven entries and a lot of doubters,” according to the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. Undaunted by that…To read more — login/subscribe
In Portland, ME, a local couple envisioned a three-story, mixed-use building in the city’s Deering Center neighborhood. However, they faced a number of challenges. Such a building hadn’t gone up for years. And the developers — architects Kiya and Denis Lachman — were rookies. But they pursued the plan anyway, ultimately completing a structure that’s…To read more — login/subscribe
When Evan Kaufman became executive director of the Hopewell Downtown Partnership a decade ago, the small city’s core was struggling. The neglected downtown of Hopewell, VA (est. pop. 22,456), was filled with rundown buildings. Food options were sparse, and locals didn’t think downtown was safe. “In Hopewell, it was beyond downhill,” Kaufman recalls. “It had…To read more — login/subscribe
In January, Philadelphia’s Center City District passed the halfway point in its efforts to plant 200 new street trees. The overall goal of Plant Center City is to bring the total number of street trees in the district to 2,500. In making the announcement, the District notes the benefits of urban street trees: “Research on…To read more — login/subscribe
While many restaurants nationwide rely on third party services like Grubhub and Uber Eats to get meals delivered quickly, they bemoan the high commission rates. To help restaurants in downtown Jackson, MS, Visit Jackson and Downtown Jackson Partners teamed up with a local delivery service. The goal was to expand delivery options for local restaurants…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown Beaverton, OR, is working to create a distinct district identity with one of a kind business signs. The Beaverton Downtown Association partnered with CoSign, a program of the American Sign Museum, as well as local artists, business owners, and sign fabricators to develop unique blade signs that project from the sides of building exteriors. …To read more — login/subscribe
