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
Does downtown Memphis, TN, have too much parking, or too little? The complicated answer: Yes to both queries. “It really depends on when, where, and how far away you want to park,” says Brett Roler, vice president of planning and development at the Downtown Memphis Commission. Visitors can struggle to find spots at peak hours.…To read more — login/subscribe
In May, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms responded to the coronavirus pandemic with a number of emergency initiatives, including an end to parking enforcement in the city. The move, while well-intentioned, came with a downside, says David Wardell, vice president of operations and public safety at Central Atlanta Progress. “All the residents have tied up…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders in Grand Forks, ND (est. pop. 56,556), had a question: Could serving a free hot meal to hundreds of people, and encouraging them to talk to their neighbors, improve community pride and engagement? That is the premise behind Grand Forks’ Longest Table events. The experiment kicked off in 2018, when organizers assembled a…To read more — login/subscribe
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the retail landscape was changing dramatically. The COVID-19 recession has accelerated merchants’ move back to Main Street, says Robert Gibbs, director of Gibbs Planning Group Inc. Some 75 percent of suburban shopping malls and 60 percent of large outdoor shopping malls, or power centers, will close by 2025, Gibbs predicts.…To read more — login/subscribe
As your downtown grows more sophisticated, and as retailers increasingly look to invest in main street locations, developing credible and comprehensive recruitment data is ever more important. Emily Brett, senior manager of economic development at the Downtown Denver Partnership, offers these tips for developing recruitment data, and producing meaningful reports, without breaking your budget: •…To read more — login/subscribe
