Downtown Idea Exchange

 Skeptics think of downtown Bridgeport as a treacherous place. The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District (DSSD) has a different perspective. It sees downtown Bridgeport, CT (est. pop. 144,365), as “friendly,” “flourishing,” and “eclectic.” To underscore that image, downtown boosters launched Colorful Bridgeport, a branding and marketing program that pitches the district as a vibrant place…To read more — login/subscribe

 

 Led by a bike-friendly mayor, Pittsburgh is betting that bike transit is here to stay. But detractors have responded with a “bikelash” that includes complaints that new bike lanes take away valuable parking spots. This autumn, the city completed work on bike lanes that connect the city’s downtown to the Great Allegheny Passage trail. Earlier…To read more — login/subscribe

 

 The latest round of urban flight has spawned one of the great debates of the COVID-19 pandemic. Will Americans resume their shift toward urban living when the coronavirus is brought to heel? Or will they decide the suburbs suit them? Prominent economists disagree. Some say the luster of city centers already had begun to fade…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Every successful urban district struggles with parking — how to provide enough spaces, how to price those spaces properly, how to enforce violations. In his book Walkable City Rules, city planner and urban designer Jeff Speck offers some contrarian advice about parking. Downtown leaders need to stop serving the parking monster, and instead make parking…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Lancaster City, PA, is home to a thriving downtown arts community, centered on the city’s Gallery Row. Throughout the year, a half dozen events ensure that streets, restaurants, and galleries are filled with browsers, shoppers, and diners. Events include an en plein air painting day with artists working on the sidewalks in front of galleries.…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The Soundwalk app gives city dwellers more reasons to get outside and explore. During the height of the pandemic in New York City, composer Ellen Reid created original music to accompany a stroll through the city’s iconic Central Park.  Reid utilized the Soundwalk app. The mobile app allows artists to compose audio and map it…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The City of Grand Junction, CO, and the Downtown Development Authority are moving forward with the conversion of a section of a surface parking lot to a public plaza. The plaza will provide an informal gathering space as well as a central location for concerts and events. Importantly, it will allow main street to remain…To read more — login/subscribe

 

After a contentious election season, the planning commission in Petoskey, MI, will review its political sign regulations. Those standards currently include a 15-day period to remove signs after an election, and size limits depending on the area of the city. But, city officials say a wave of complaints this year has prompted a second look…To read more — login/subscribe

 

During the holiday season, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and VAE Raleigh, a nonprofit community arts center, joined forces to present the Illuminate Art Walk. The walk, which ran from Dec. 11 to Jan. 8, featured 18 light installations throughout downtown. Visitors were encouraged to plan their own self-guided walking tour and to stop in for…To read more — login/subscribe

 

• Money-matching game supports downtown, boosts social connections
• Lessons from Macon Money
• Raising its game, city creates “pedestrian seductive” street
• Downtown homeless shelter offers luxury, helps city address stubborn crisis
• Public art, storytelling part of award-winning branding program
• Is your bike plan bringing political fire? Four strategies for overcoming “bikelash”
• Is flight from urban cores a fad or a trend? Economists disagree
• Six ways — including several contentious suggestions — to tackle parking challenges
• Low-cost artist studios support downtown’s Gallery Row
• Site-specific music gives people a reason to explore
• Parking lot makes way for downtown amenities
• Political signage gets a second look

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