Roger Brooks relishes the opportunity to visit a downtown for the first time. By casting a fresh, critical eye on the business district, Brooks, a branding and tourism expert, can find many areas for improvement. Sometimes he spots a conspicuous lack of benches along downtown pathways and in public spaces. He might recommend sprucing up…To read more — login/subscribe
In recent years, scooter-share companies went from a hipster hallmark to the bane of downtown leaders. Now, after the vehicles have become nearly ubiquitous in some downtowns, electric-scooter companies are downsizing. Electric scooter-rental startup Lime cut 14 percent of its workforce as it exited a dozen markets in the U.S. and abroad. Lime said in…To read more — login/subscribe
For many downtowns, attracting and keeping businesses is a daunting task. Downtown merchants often are independent businesses that lack sophisticated support networks and deep reserves of capital. Some downtown leaders have taken pains to make life easier for business owners. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) points out several successful examples of downtowns that are…To read more — login/subscribe
Historic rehabilitation initiatives typically target old buildings. In Greenwood, MS (est. pop. 14,280), a preservation project spruced up an abandoned rail bed. Main Street Greenwood’s Rail Spike Park is a 1.7-mile long trail that turned a symbol of blight into something much more uplifting. The park serves as the southern boundary of downtown Greenwood, and…To read more — login/subscribe
The Soup Stroll in downtown Schenectady, NY, welcomes crowds downtown to sample soups at over 30 restaurants. Held on a chilly Saturday in January, the Soup Stroll runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with restaurants offering everything from Bratwurst Cheddar Ale Soup to Chocolate S’more Soup. Soups are provided in 3 oz. sample sizes…To read more — login/subscribe
To help ensure the safety of children attending the Snowdown Light Parade in downtown Durango, CO, the Durango Business Improvement District teamed up with the Durango Police Department and Visit Durango, the city’s tourism office, to organize a Child Location/Identification Program. The program is aimed primarily at helping locate the very smallest event goers who…To read more — login/subscribe
The San Marcos Main Street Program kicked off its annual Love Letters from Downtown campaign by opening its Valentine mailbox in the city’s appropriately named, Kissing Alley. All letters posted in the mailbox are imprinted with a custom hallmark that reads, “Sent from Kissing Alley.” The decorated mailbox is open for business from late January…To read more — login/subscribe
Enhanced lighting is high on wish lists for downtowners in Schenectady, NY. Also known as Electric City, Schenectady was once the headquarters to Edison Machine Works and General Electric. At a public workshop in the upstate New York city, citizens provided input on how to spend a $10 million Downtown Reinvestment Initiative investment from the…To read more — login/subscribe
The Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District is a regional destination for employment and recreation in the heart Fort Wayne, IN. It is also the subject of a travel writing course at Homestead High School, where students were tasked with researching and writing 500 word essays about a single downtown block. The ultimate goal for the…To read more — login/subscribe
Outdoor seating has been an indicator of vibrancy in the Philadelphia Center City District since sidewalk cafes were first authorized in 1995. The district says that the benefits of outdoor seating are many, “For restaurants, cafés and retail establishments, outdoor seating is good for business, expanding capacity and serving as an invitation for passersby to…To read more — login/subscribe
