Downtown Idea Exchange

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

 

Round three of the Downtown BC Placemakers Challenge is underway in Battle Creek, MI. The competition seeks to develop new leadership by funding downtown events and infrastructure projects.  The events category seeks to fund “awesome projects that get people back together, engage them in their community, bring them downtown. These projects may be singular one-time…To read more — login/subscribe

 

A newly planted flower bed, a downtown dining brochure, sparkling lights illuminating the tops of downtown buildings, these are all ideas developed as part of the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership idea sharing project. The project received the 2020 Oregon Main Street award for best organizational tool.  The project was born out of necessity. People came to…To read more — login/subscribe