Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest has turned into a genuine sensation. The threedecade- old festival brings more than 100,000 music lovers to downtown Fort Collins, CO (est. pop. 165,089). One unusual feature: All concerts are free, which the Downtown Fort Collins Business Association calls "nationally unique." While many large music festivals fund themselves with ticket sales,…To read more — login/subscribe
With new federal guidelines in place as of April 1, downtown leaders should gear up for an accelerated release of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Main Street America says. ARPA, the stimulus package enacted in March 2021, includes $350 billion directed to states and local governments. The idea is to help local…To read more — login/subscribe
Advocates for pedestrian safety are pushing for a simple fix that promises to make crosswalks safer for those traversing streets on foot: Forbid motorists from turning right on red lights. The concept is gaining momentum and also generating political pushback. Right-on-red turns are already illegal in the tourist zone of Honolulu. After successfully testing no-turn-on-red…To read more — login/subscribe
By ushering in a new age of public meetings on Zoom, some predicted, the coronavirus pandemic was poised to intensify public engagement in downtown planning. Instead, researchers report, the opposite happened: If anything, public discourse grew more passive. That’s the conclusion of three academics who interviewed municipal planners about how the pandemic has affected discourse…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
Remodeled bridge reconnects downtown neighborhoods For decades, the Main Street Bridge separated the core of downtown New Britain, CT, from the Little Poland neighborhood. The overpass was poorly lit, with narrow sidewalks, and the roar of traffic from below. All that changed in 2019, when the bridge was renovated and re-named the Beehive Bridge. The…To read more — login/subscribe
Johnson City, TN (est. pop. 65,598), just launched free Wi-Fi service in its historic downtown. The Appalachian Regional Commission approved a $27,500 grant to the Johnson City Developmental Authority that paved the way for the Downtown Johnson City Free Wi-Fi Program, the News & Neighbor reports. The developmental authority will provide additional funds over two…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders in Grand Forks, ND (est. pop. 56,556), had a question: Could serving a free hot meal to hundreds of people, and encouraging them to talk to their neighbors, improve community pride and engagement? That is the premise behind Grand Forks’ Longest Table events. The experiment kicked off in 2018, when organizers assembled a…To read more — login/subscribe
Art carts showcase artists’ work, enliven downtown Art on the Town was created to help artists in Lexington, KY, show and sell their work. The program features eight mobile carts that are available seven days a week at no cost to artists. “The carts are mobile and can move around within several block areas of…To read more — login/subscribe
The Urban Bikeway Design Guide provides cities and their downtowns with state-of-the-art techniques for creating complete streets that are safe and enjoyable for bicyclists. To create this guide, the authors conducted an extensive worldwide search for design guidelines and real-life experiences. They worked closely with a panel of… Continue reading
