Like many cities, Burlington, VT, is struggling with how to handle an increase in the number of individual rooms, apartments, and houses offered for rent by the night. While the city enjoyed a 100 percent increase in taxes from these rentals during the first half of the year, neighbors question the impact on quality of…To read more — login/subscribe
Festivals centered around local produce (Georgia Peach Festival, Kennett Square Mushroom Festival, Vermont Maple Festival) or a prepared specialty (Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, Picklefest, or the Livermush Festival) have great regional appeal. This summer saw the first sno-ball festival in Downtown Lafayette, LA. The event showcases a local Louisiana specialty made from shaved ice and…To read more — login/subscribe
Cities, business districts, and commercial corridors of all sizes are embracing place branding to attract visitors, new residents, businesses, and investors. Still, many city centers have saddled themselves with words and images that are outdated and generic. Branding expert Bill Baker travels the world’s downtowns, and he sees many downtown leaders making common branding mistakes.…To read more — login/subscribe
Now that you know which brand-building missteps to avoid, here is Bill Baker’s seven-step process for building an authentic brand that resonates: • Research the current climate. Market research is the starting point for any brand-building endeavor. Look at what competitors are doing, determine what consumers think, and interview stakeholders. It’s important to remain objective…To read more — login/subscribe
Many cities set downtown parking rates and then forget about them for years. A few of the largest cities have embarked on ambitious parking plans that rely on wireless sensors and real-time data to adjust prices throughout the day. Seattle (est. pop. 724,764) chose a middle route. The city carefully studies parking patterns and then…To read more — login/subscribe
Visitors pose for photos along the path of the floodwall murals. In the annals of cultural assets, a quilting museum and a public mural project might sound like an unremarkable pair of advantages. But Paducah, KY (est. pop. 24,879), has combined those two resources with local pride and a relentless place-building campaign to turn itself…To read more — login/subscribe
Once thriving, then struggling, High Point, NC (est. pop. 111,213), is on the rise again. Tens of millions of dollars of new investment are flowing into the city’s downtown. Among the new projects are a 4,000-seat ballpark for the Rockers, a team that plays in baseball’s independent Atlantic League. Other downtown projects include a condominium,…To read more — login/subscribe
Springfield, MO (est. pop. 167,376), is working to attract millennials to live and work in the city center. Its secret weapon? A Millennial SWAT team. Read the Millennial SWAT team’s full report. The city organized millennial residents into small teams and sent them into a variety of downtowns that boast features that Springfield might want…To read more — login/subscribe
Billions of dollars have flowed into funds focusing on opportunity zones, a new type of tax designation that waives capital gains taxes on investments in blighted areas nationwide. In April, the U.S. Treasury Department clarified some of the guidelines around opportunity zone investments, and the new regulations sparked optimism from tax experts. “These rules could…To read more — login/subscribe
