Deserved or not, many downtowns get bad raps. Crime, panhandling, a lack of parking, graffiti many city centers battle challenges to their reputations. How to respond? Savvy downtown marketers say the best approach is to swallow your pride, resist the temptation to shoot down the naysayers, and fully acknowledge your issues preferably with a bit…To read more — login/subscribe
Brett Roler still cringes when he recalls walking through a block that he considered one of the liveliest stretches of Memphis’ pedestrian mall. Roler, vice president of planning and development for the Downtown Memphis Commission, eavesdropped on the group of tourists strolling ahead of him — and he learned the visitors viewed the section of…To read more — login/subscribe
Pratt Street is a brick thoroughfare in the heart of downtown Hartford, CT (est. pop. 122,591). For all its promise, Pratt Street long has been bereft of pedestrian traffic. When the mayor proposed closing the street to cars, downtown leaders countered that further reducing activity on the street was the wrong approach. Instead, the Hartford…To read more — login/subscribe
North America’s population is growing both younger and older, and more culturally diverse. Those demographic trends create both tailwinds and new challenges for downtown development, according to the 2020 Global Trends Report by Progressive Urban Management Associates and the International Downtown Association. Millennials and members of Generation Z have embraced urban living. Employers and employees…To read more — login/subscribe
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
