Comprehensive, realistic, and easy-to-use, The Community Economic Development Handbook is just what you need to turn a neighborhood or business district around. Author Mihailo Temali has distilled over twenty years of experience in community-based economic development into this practical, jargon-free handbook which describes a proven way to make… Continue reading
Since 2017 AARP has been distributing millions of dollars through its AARP Community Challenge grant program. The money goes to a variety of projects nationwide. Recent recipients have included a project to turn a closed motel into a homeless shelter in Pueblo, CO, a downtown game station in Opelika, AL, and efforts to refurbish downtown…To read more — login/subscribe
In early March, Daniel McGinn was gearing up for public hearings on an area development plan for the city of Corpus Christi, TX. Then the coronavirus pandemic erupted, and in-person gatherings of large groups were off the table. “Our first instincts were just to cancel the meetings,” says McGinn, planning director at the city of…To read more — login/subscribe
To gain public input for its downtown strategic plan, the Village of Cary, IL, hosted an outdoor community open house. The strategic plan focuses on future land uses, connections, and infrastructure improvements that will encourage private investment near the village’s Metra station. To solicit public input, the city is hosting public open houses, pop-up events,…To read more — login/subscribe
As of December, Panama City, FL (est. pop. 34,521), allows visitors to consume alcohol two days a week while strolling through the Downtown Panama City Social District. In November, Panama City commissioners approved the district, which lets people openly carry and consume adult beverages. In a win for day drinking, the rules apply from 10…To read more — login/subscribe
In Miami, FL (est. pop. 449,484), downtown has transformed in recent decades. Through the 1990s, the city center was mostly a 9-to-5 district — workers commuted in from the suburbs, then left. But that has changed in a big way. Downtown Miami now has 150,000 residents, along with supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and even a bowling…To read more — login/subscribe
Battle Creek, MI (est. pop. 51,505), is using generous incentives to attract tenants to its downtown district. Battle Creek Unlimited Inc. offers subsidies of as much as $200,000 to breweries and restaurants. New Holland Brewing Co. landed the first incentive; it used the money toward a $1 million renovation of an 18,000-square-foot building. The total…To read more — login/subscribe
The coronavirus recession devastated downtown retailers. But some intrepid merchants survived — and their success stories offer hints at how small businesses can bounce back and thrive in the future. Retail expert Jon Schallert says creative merchants figured out a number of ways to stand out from the crowd. He offered these suggestions — which…To read more — login/subscribe
Money-matching game supports downtown, boosts social connections — Downtown leaders in Macon, GA, had an idea that seemed far-fetched. They hoped to spur interest in local merchants by printing their own currency, and then setting up a unique scavenger hunt based on the custom scrip. Raising its game, city creates “pedestrian seductive” street — Hopkins,…To read more — login/sign up
