Third Street Promenade digital display simulation. Struggling with a financial shortfall, the City Council in Santa Monica, CA (est. pop. 89,939), is taking dramatic action: It agreed to allow up to 16 digital billboards downtown. The signs could span 1,000 square feet each and remain in place for 30 years, Santa Monica Lookout reports.…To read more — login/subscribe
A safe streets project in Columbus, OH (est. pop. 909,074), shows how cities can reduce injuries and fatalities. In November 2024, the City of Columbus used Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding to install a demonstration project on a two-mile portion of East Broad Street. Broad Street is on the City’s Vision Zero…To read more — login/subscribe
Interest in staycations is on the rise in many areas of the country. A staycation is a vacation spent exploring a nearby city or region, rather than traveling farther away. Staycations can boost local economies, strengthen community ties, and foster support for unique local goods and services. The staycation trend, which first went mainstream during…To read more — login/subscribe
Drive through replaced with gathering space In the heart of Neenah, WI, an unused bank drive through is being converted into a new public space called, Alta Alley. The transformation is funded by a $33,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The project is a partnership between Alta Resources, the nonprofit Future Neenah, and…To read more — login/subscribe
For nearly a decade, Gallup, NM (est. pop. 21,333), has been building an arts district. Now those efforts are being rewarded with solid results. Gallup’s ArtsCrawl events once drew hundreds; now thousands come out. Downtown vacancy rates are down, investment is up. And Gallup’s Coal Avenue Commons project won a Placemaking Award from the New…To read more — login/subscribe
Across the U.S., a small but growing number of cities is targeting a familiar symbol of suburban sprawl: the drive-through lane. Once considered a standard amenity for fast-food restaurants, banks, and pharmacies, drive-throughs are increasingly seen as obstacles to walkable downtowns, safer streets, and climate goals. In response, some municipalities now prohibit or limit new…To read more — login/subscribe
Developers look to transform a vacant mill in downtownLewiston, ME, into an AI data center. Ever wonder what happens when you type a query into ChatGPT or another artificial intelligence platform? Turns out the cloud inevitably lands on terra firma at some point — AI is an industry that requires both massive data centers and…To read more — login/subscribe
At first glance, Downtown San Diego seems to be a thriving place. Its waterfront convention center and major hotels host a steady stream of conferences. The San Diego Padres’ ballpark is considered a model for downtown activation through professional sports. Residential construction is booming. But take a stroll through other parts of downtown, and the…To read more — login/subscribe
Rooftop mini-pitch in Queens, NY. Through its four-year-old Hometown Grants program, T-Mobile has funded more than 450 projects costing some $20 million. Its latest round of grants, announced in December, includes funding for a soccer facility in Moline, IL (est. pop. 42,235). Moline will use a $50,000 grant to install a mini-pitch soccer system at…To read more — login/subscribe
