Downtown Idea Exchange

Memphis isn’t the only place where Reimagining the Civic Commons is reshaping shared spaces. This nationwide initiative aims to foster engagement, equity, environmental sustainability, and economic development by revitalizing and connecting public places such as parks, plazas, trails, and libraries. Demonstration projects in 10 cities, show a “portfolio approach” to the work. Instead of concentrating…To read more — login/subscribe

 

San Diego’s Little Italy is a bustling neighborhood that’s home to thousands of new housing units and dozens of thriving businesses. There’s a food hall and many independent businesses, along with a Shake Shack, an art supply store, and several galleries. Amid the hive of activity, Marco Li Mandri, head of the Little Italy Business…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The coronavirus recession has devastated independent restaurateurs, but it hasn’t stopped the spread of commercial kitchens, those facilities that serve as co-working spaces for food trucks, caterers, and other food producers. Commercial kitchens are coming to downtown Orangeburg, SC (est. pop. 13,120), Oak Creek, WI (est. pop. 35,843), and other locations. Orangeburg City Council recently…To read more — login/subscribe

 

American vehicles keep growing bigger and bigger, a reality that presents safety challenges for pedestrians in urban centers. David Zipper, a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government, says downtown leaders need to find ways to stem an onslaught of oversized vehicles. “It’s an urban safety crisis,” Zipper…To read more — login/subscribe

 

As temperatures dipped in Syracuse, NY, the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation announced a new round of COVID-19 grant funding. Businesses with 50 or fewer full time employees are eligible for grants between $2,500 and $10,000. The funds can be used to purchase outdoor equipment such as tents, awnings, enclosures, or heaters, as well as technology…To read more — login/subscribe

 

City government, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals worked together in Ottawa, KS, to develop a much needed downtown event space. The successful project won a 2019 Crown Communities award from American City and County. The Legacy Square project features 20,000 square feet of green space, covered canopies, public restrooms, benches, and other amenities. A large pavilion…To read more — login/subscribe

 

As cities and their downtowns look to reopen and move forward, Jay Dick of Americans for the Arts, reminds local leaders to make the arts, culture, and entertainment part of the plan for restarting the local economy. Writing in the ICMA blog, he says,  “Getting people out of their houses and spending money again will…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Watch a video produced by the county tourism department Hospitality venues in Lake George, NY, know a lot about how to entertain outdoors in frosty winter weather. When the temperatures dip, they open their ice bars. The venues team-up with master artisans who use saws and chisels to create bars made entirely of ice. Some…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Several downtown projects received BUILD Grants in the latest round of funding. The grants fund projects at the state and local level that are more difficult to support through traditional DOT programs. The 2020 recipients include: Blair South Bypass, in Blair NE. The project was awarded $7,560,000 toward the total project cost of $14,444,040. The…To read more — login/subscribe

 

The new Downtown Dollars program in Salt Lake City is giving people more reasons to shop and dine downtown. The program is sponsored by the Downtown Alliance and managed by Yiftee. Shoppers purchase eGift cards online and use the cards on their mobile devices at participating retailers. To launch the program, the Alliance offered an…To read more — login/subscribe