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.

 


Downtown Idea Exchange, February 2020

February 1, 2020
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If your downtown struggles with a bad reputation, don’t fight it — embrace it

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Pop-up retail fills vacancies, enlivens streetscape

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Closing downtown street brings new life — and spurs downtown events

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Diversity, demographics will be driving forces for downtown development, study says

January 1, 2020
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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 Zone investment lags optimistic predictions

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Use this three-step plan to promote your events on social media

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Struggling trolley service raises questions about streetcar future

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Cutting down on cigarette butt litter

January 1, 2020
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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

 

Thanksgiving: Shop early or sleep in

January 1, 2020
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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