Opportunity Zones, those tax-advantaged areas created as part of President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax package, aren’t living up to expectations. The U.S. Treasury Department expected the program to spur investment in blighted neighborhoods and transitioning urban areas totaling $100 billion. The actual amount is likely to be just a fraction of that, perhaps $10 billion…To read more — login/subscribe
Social media is a crucial tool for promoting events. But with the range of social media channels it can be overwhelming. Britt Diehl of the Downtown Denver Partnership says the marketing of any event should follow a three step plan. First comes the pre-party. Before you even begin promoting a festival or a pub crawl,…To read more — login/subscribe
Cities across the country have invested hundreds of millions of dollars on streetcar services. Despite much fanfare, the results have been mixed. In one recent example, the Loop Trolley in St. Louis, MO (est. pop. 318,000), is struggling to attract riders. The Loop Trolley launched in late 2018 with support from the federal government and…To read more — login/subscribe
Most places banned indoor smoking decades ago. Smokers moved outside, and so did their butts. The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program from Keep America Beautiful, now in its 18th year, is working to reduce cigarette litter. The key, says the organization, includes four field tested strategies: Encourage enforcement of litter laws, including cigarette litterRaise awareness about…To read more — login/subscribe
Just hours after celebrating Thanksgiving Day, shoppers line up at big-box stores to grab oneof-a-kind deals. The chamber of commerce in Glen Arbor, MI, thinks things should be a little different, so the group hosts an annual Better than Black Friday event. Participating retailers offer early morning specials from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Participants are…To read more — login/subscribe
Volunteers provide a powerful economic benefit to communities across the nation. For downtown organizations, developing a professional team of volunteers for everything from serving on the board of directors, to updating the organization’s databases, to blowing up balloons can multiply the impact of paid staff. To run a successful volunteer program, the Michigan Main Street…To read more — login/subscribe
A unique public art project is raising funds and drawing visitors to West Point, MS. Four separate murals have been painted based on the work of Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, whose paintings of dogs in human situations, were popular in the early 1900s. The first of the four murals re-imagines the iconic Dogs Playing Poker. It…To read more — login/subscribe
On the Friday before Halloween, Downtown Campbell, CA, is taken over by the undead as the annual Zombie Crawl/Thriller Dance Mob hits the streets. The Zombie Crawl runs from roughly 7 to 10 p.m. The group wanders through downtown and performs the Thriller dance at 10 designated spots, typically in front of restaurants and bars.…To read more — login/subscribe
Toronto’s Open Streets program has drawn hundreds of thousands of people in recent years. In the final Open Streets event of 2019, the city closed two main thoroughfares to vehicles. In place of cars, drag queens offered face painting and organizers set up a skate park and a scooter park. Toronto isn’t alone in occasionally…To read more — login/subscribe
The Downtown Lincoln Association started the holiday shopping season early with the 12th Annual Shop the Blocks promotion on Thursday, November 21 from 4:30 to 9:30 a.m. Shop the Blocks is a ticketed event. Guests pay $7 in advance or $10 on the day of the event. An “all access pass” includes: In-store discounts at…To read more — login/subscribe
