In Wichita, KS (est. pop. 396,205), city officials are making big changes to the downtown parking system increasing hourly rates and fines, reducing the amount of free parking, upgrading parking meters, and tightening up enforcement. Wichita’s city council in early January approved ordinance updates that will allow the parking overhaul to proceed this year. Jeff…To read more — login/subscribe
In Salt Lake City, UT (est. pop. 200,475), an economic boom and an influx of new residents has driven activity downtown. In Fresno, CA (est. pop. 544,500), the reworking of a long-struggling pedestrian mall changed the game downtown. In Bakersfield, CA (est. pop. 407,581), a margarita contest is among the many events attracting visitors. All…To read more — login/subscribe
Electric bicycle sales and shared e-bike rentals are on the rise around the country — Leaving transportation officials and policymakers struggling to keep up with the sudden popularity of a new form of transit that wasn’t envisioned when streets were designed and built. In one example of the boom, shared e-bike trips nearly doubled from…To read more — login/subscribe
The two-block retail corridor in downtown Kirkland, WA, has been redeveloped as an award winning American "woonerf," a Dutch word that translates loosely as "living street." The plaza-like lane is now a pedestrian-friendly gathering space, while remaining open to vehicles, as well. The transformation did not happen overnight. The 2008-2013 Capital Improvement Program allocated funding…Continue reading
In Greensboro, NC (est. pop. 296,725), shoppers who spent $25 downtown this summer were eligible to win $500 through a raffle. In Baltimore, downtown leaders developed a grant program to support black-owned businesses. While such efforts were born in part of pandemic desperation, the wave of downtown initiatives reinforces the resilience of downtowns, not to…To read more — login/subscribe
A pilot program providing free bus passes to select downtown employees has been successful enough to inspire a broader, four-year program offering free public transit to all city center workers in Columbus, OH. In 2015, the Capital Crossroads & Discovery Special Improvement Districts won a grant from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to provide four…Continue reading
In an effort to encourage owners of parking garages to activate their spaces during down times, the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative created a pop-up rooftop performance venue at a downtown parking garage. “We were hoping owners would see that garages could be put to really good use during the evening hours when it’s not as…Continue reading
Historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY, hosts a sold out event called Nightfall each year. The Green-Wood Historic Fund works to maintain the cemetery’s “vibrant presence in our current time by presenting open-to-the public events such as walking tours, lectures, and performances.” During the Nightfall event, thousands of candles guide visitors along the cemetery’s winding…To read more — login/subscribe
Long before anyone had heard of COVID-19, Middlebury, VT (est. pop. 6,966), faced an existential threat of a different type. An infrastructure project was set to tear up roads and disrupt the downtown for six years. Back in 2015, the Vermont Agency of Transportation embarked on the Bridge & Rail Project, a public works investment…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown rewards commuters who don’t drive — Durham, NC, has been testing two low-cost methods to discourage commuters from single-occupancy trips downtown. Watch a video about the program below.
https://youtu.be/OPNhby7JpUI
...Parking management plan frees up hundreds of unused spaces — While downtown Quincy, MA, has seen an influx of tenants and traffic in recent years, two aging parking garages became structurally unsound and were forced to close.To ease the squeeze, Quincy has implemented a variety of strategies. Read a report on Quincy's parking plan. ...
Weary of waiting for median construction, business district paints a mock-up on the street — Frustrated at the slow pace of streetscape changes in the Douglas Design District in Wichita, KS, the board decided to paint a mock-up of the median and crosswalks so business owners, residents, and shoppers could get a feel for the changes. See a video of the street painting from the Wichita Eagle. ...
Underpass upgrade beautifies entrance to business district — In St. Petersburg, FL, the downtown business district known as the Deuces has been in a long decline, in part because Interstate 275 cuts through the neighborhood. In an effort to make the area more aesthetically pleasing, the nonprofit Deuces Live pushed to spruce up the I-275 underpass with murals, lighting, and landscaping. See the project video below. https://youtu.be/lGNGKDwaQII ...
“Agrihoods” take root — Real estate developers are marketing “agrihoods,” developments that include community farms. Read ULI’s report on agrihoods. ...
