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
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
Community-directed funding is making a difference for small businesses in downtown Wheeling, WV. The premise is simple: Community members are presented with projects that would positively impact the city and vote for the project they want to support. Over the past 10 years Show of Hands has contributed over $100,000 to small businesses including $10,000…Continue reading
New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Grant Park are just two examples of large-scale green spaces that meet the needs of a wide-range of community members. But what to do if you have limited public space downtown, or limited funds? Small-scale pocket parks are one answer. These small parks provide a welcome respite and often…To read more — login/subscribe
In big cities and medium-sized metro areas, downtown leaders take for granted that the city center will be filled with grocery stores, fitness facilities, and pet-adoption centers. It’s a different story in small downtowns, however. Consumers in rural areas might have to drive for hours for basic services. That reality caught the attention of William…To read more — login/subscribe
Long before anyone had heard of COVID-19, Middlebury, VT, faced a threat of a different type. An infrastructure project was set to tear up roads and disrupt the downtown for six years. Middlebury’s leaders decided to make the best of a tough situation. They formed a group, named it Neighbors, Together, and began searching for…Continue reading
Closed streets draw visitors The Open Streets program returned to Salt Lake City, UT, with new fall dates this year. The special fall edition ran from September 15 through October 28, every Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 a.m. During that time, a central portion of Main Street was closed to automobile traffic to…To read more — login/subscribe
