In response to an increasing number of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians and cyclists, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) is pumping billions of dollars into street design. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2022 established the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, including $1 billion a year for five years to fund local enhancements…To read more — login/subscribe
Millburn, NJ, adopted a Complete Streets program in 2014, outlining a series of goals and objectives to make the streets safer for pedestrians, improve traffic flow, address intersection congestion, and slow traffic where appropriate. A three-phase implementation plan was developed with a robust series of traffic calming and other improvements that include road-diets, curb bump-outs,…Continue reading
A new breed of business could lead a wave of downtown revitalization. Niche manufacturers — think craft jewelers, makers of small-batch lotions and cosmetics, and microbrewers — are a growing, but often overlooked, segment of the post-pandemic economy, says Ilana Preuss. Preuss is founder and chief executive officer of consulting firm Recast City. She’s also…To read more — login/subscribe
• Get started. Discuss goals, build a list of assets and partners, and establish the major outcomes that will determine the project’s success.
...• Make new connections. Every city faces a familiar challenge: A small group of people attends community meetings, while most remain invisible. Preuss says you need to search out new people — owners of small-scale producers, home-based businesses, and property owners. “We won’t find all these people easily, however, which brings us to the Connectors,” Preuss says. “Connectors are trusted leaders from different communities who are willing to make change happen.” This group can include faith leaders, cultural influencers, civic leaders, and other trusted members of the community. ...
• Get to know small-scale producers. Once you’ve identified key entrepreneurs, get to know them. Preuss suggests one-on-one interviews during which you find out about business owners’ needs. Involving entrepreneurs early allows them to feel a sense of ownership in your community’s strategy. Make sure to include a racially diverse group of people that includes Black and Brown producers. ...
• Analyze. After talking to key players, your next step is to determine what it all means. Should the community buy a vacant building downtown and use it as an incubator for small-scale producers? Do you need lending or training resources for your business owners? Do zoning and land-use rules restrict downtown production? Each community will have unique challenges, but this step will guide your next move. ...
• Act. To build momentum, Preuss says, you should act immediately — even if the initial step is a modest one. She points to Fremont, CA, which wanted to build its pipeline of small-scale manufacturing businesses. But the city realized it had no way to identify these entrepreneurs, let alone gather them for marketing efforts. So Fremont’s first small victory involved promoting small-scale manufacturers through the city’s public relations channels, and asking entrepreneurs to sign up on a city list. “This simple action attracted community attention and allowed the city to start bringing people together online and in meetups,” Preuss says. The first action was similar in South Bend, IN, where many manufacturing operations were so small that they flew under the radar. Contact: Ilana Preuss, Recast City, 240-472-2765. ...
Marketing a downtown effectively requires research, strategic thinking, community-wide soul-searching, and solid implementation. The payoff of all this work can be felt everywhere from more effective business recruitment to stronger tourism and more meaningful events. It’s a hard task, says Roger Brooks, head of Destination Development Association. He sees some common mistakes that downtown leaders…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders in West Palm Beach, FL (est. pop. 117,253), have launched an effort to ease the daily traffic crunch by giving drivers more alternatives. The West Palm Beach Mobility Coalition, or WPBgo, is a nonprofit that seeks to reduce traffic and improve mobility in and around downtown. The group’s director, Jonathan Hopkins, previously ran…To read more — login/subscribe
The city of Boston recently joined a growing roster of cities that have made nightlife management a priority. Boston recently hired its first nightlife economy director, making the position part of the mayor’s cabinet. “We are working to create more opportunities for residents and businesses to help our night scene grow and bolster our local…To read more — login/subscribe
After a contentious election season, the planning commission in Petoskey, MI, will review its political sign regulations. Those standards currently include a 15-day period to remove signs after an election, and size limits depending on the area of the city. But, city officials say a wave of complaints this year has prompted a second look…To read more — login/subscribe
Like many business districts, the village of Ridgewood, NJ, faces traffic snarls caused by trucks making deliveries. Ridgewood is considering a dramatic crackdown: The village council has entertained — but not enacted — a ban on deliveries between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. The village also considered imposing a weight limit of 18,000 pounds on…Continue reading
When you think about winter in Canada, outdoor dining and shopping may not come to mind. Yet, CBC Canada reports that several Canadian cities are extending temporary patio programs into the fall and winter and taking other measures to support physical distancing at shops, restaurants, and bars. For example, the City of Ottawa has extended…To read more — login/subscribe
