Downtown Idea Exchange

Each month downtown leaders turn to Downtown Idea Exchange for practical news reports, how-to information, and hundreds of real-world examples of how downtowns are growing and prospering.

 


Business owners support each other online

April 1, 2020
As business owners in downtown Frisco, TX, adapted to the city’s stay-at-home order, they turned to one another for support and information.  The Frisco Downtown Merchants Association established a daily online meeting for businesses throughout The Rail District. “We’ve all kind of come together to pool our resources to figure out how we can stay…To read more — login/subscribe

 

City, local organizations join to support small businesses

April 1, 2020
The City of Round Rock, TX, the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, the Round Rock Chamber and Dell Technologies announced a new collaboration to assist local small businesses impacted by the coronavirus. Each organization has committed $25,000 to establish the Round Rock Cares fund. The fund also received over $4,000 in public support within its…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Statewide organization educates and informs

April 1, 2020
In late March, Downtown New Jersey announced plans for a series of virtual forums for business owners and those involved with the management of downtown business districts. The forums will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas about best practices related to downtown economic development in light of the coronavirus. The first of the live web…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtown supports medical community

April 1, 2020
A creative effort in St. Petersburg, FL, is supporting local healthcare workers and downtown businesses. The online Edge Guide selects one restaurant and one hospital or healthcare provider to participate each day. Meals are purchased from downtown businesses and delivered at no cost to the healthcare providers. As of late March, the program had raised…To read more — login/subscribe

 

Downtown Idea Exchange, April 2020

April 1, 2020
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New streetscape calms traffic, improves pedestrian experience

March 1, 2020
The town square of Athens, AL (est. pop. 25,176), boasts a century-old courthouse, bustling restaurants, and a church. Successful events such as a farmers market and a concert series are staged in the historic downtown. Incongruously, downtown Athens was also long home to expansive thoroughfares seemingly designed for high-speed suburban traffic, not for a quaint…To read more — login/subscribe

 

After disaster, ad campaign helps bring back visitors

March 1, 2020
Davenport, IA (est. pop. 102,080), suffered devastating flooding in the spring of 2019. After the Mississippi River rose well beyond flood level, a flood wall broke, and downtown was inundated. The result of the historic flood was disruptive, to state the obvious. Downtown streets were under water for weeks, and typical downtown activity ground to…To read more — login/subscribe

 

In tiny towns, entrepreneurs find new uses for empty spaces

March 1, 2020
In big cities and medium-sized metro areas, downtown leaders take for granted that the city center will be filled with grocery stores, fitness facilities, and pet-adoption centers. It’s a different story in small downtowns, however. Consumers in rural areas might have to drive for hours for basic services. That reality caught the attention of William…To read more — login/subscribe

 

To boost safety, New York City lowers some speed limits

March 1, 2020
After an increase in pedestrian deaths along two main drags, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in January lowered the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph along Third and Hamilton avenues in Brooklyn. According to the city’s Department of Transportation, there were six pedestrian deaths recorded on Third Avenue in 2019, up…To read more — login/subscribe

 

City’s approach to homelessness ranges from mental health services to annoying music

March 1, 2020
A public space in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, FL (est. pop. 111,389), stands as a centerpiece of the city’s redevelopment. The manicured lawn offers views of the Intracoastal Waterway and glimpses of the mansions of Palm Beach. An indoor pavilion hosts weddings and other events. The park also attracts homeless people. To…To read more — login/subscribe