The coronavirus pandemic has foisted an unprecedented crisis on downtown organizations. Many organizations were blindsided by the suddenness and severity of the downturn. To help coach downtown leaders through the turmoil, the International Downtown Association (IDA) and Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) collaborated on a game plan that spells out steps to take in the…To read more — login/subscribe
The Downtown Main Street Business Improvement District in Hendersonville, NC, faces a tight budget next year. Sales tax revenues for the 2019-2020 fiscal year are likely to be off about 20 percent, falling from $250,000 to $200,000 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, says Downtown Economic Development Director Lew Holloway. That means the Business…To read more — login/subscribe
Major transformation of Eugene, OR’s, downtown riverfront is underway, it will turn an inaccessible riverfront lot into a vibrant, active, and accessible riverfront district and community destination. Currently, the area is surrounded by several hundred feet of chain link fencing which is expected to be in place for at least a couple of years, says…To read more — login/subscribe
America’s densest city is also a terrifying place to be a cyclist. New York City experienced 28 cycling fatalities in 2019, the highest number in recent years. A regional planning group has a proposal for making New York City a more welcoming place for bikes. In its Five Boroughs Bikeway proposal, Regional Plan Association lays…To read more — login/subscribe
Curbside commerce, vacant-lot dining: Coronavirus inspires creative concepts — The city of Baltimore’s Design for Distancing contest is a program created to elicit ideas for innovative responses to the COVID-19 recession. The competition brought more than 160 entries, many from architects and urban design firms. Read the Design for Distancing Ideas Guidebook.
...“Environmental design” can contain crime, to an extent — Billings, MT has turned to the concept of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) to discourage loitering, public drunkenness, and vandalism. See the...
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International CPTED Association’s clear-eyed look at homelessness and environmental design . ...
Downtown takes cleaning, distancing seriously — but not too seriously — In Rosslyn, VA, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the form of purple stickers, signs, and banners placed throughout the 17-block Business Improvement District. Check out some photos of the ...
Rosslyn Ready signage . ...
Portable pop-up retail — Pop-up retail is part of the downtown development initiative in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. The city envisions businesses popping up in refurbished shipping containers. Read an archive article about creative retail space using shipping containers. ...
Iconic spaces reimagined — Nine bold concepts for Washington, DC spaces were developed by regional architects and designers for Washingtonian magazine. ...
Downtown Billings, MT (est. pop. 109,544), has long struggled with vandalism and other property crimes committed, in part, by the homeless. Like many downtowns, Billings has turned to the concept of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) to discourage loitering, public drunkenness, and vandalism. Cities from Portland, ME, to Redding, CA, have adopted some of…To read more — login/subscribe
In Rosslyn, VA, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the form of purple stickers, signs, and banners placed throughout the 17-block Business Improvement District. The eye-catching additions include slogans such as "Rosslyn Ready" and "Clean Safe Connected." Dispensing stations for sanitizing wipes carry the phrase, "Clean it like you mean it." The steps…Continue reading
In downtown Little Rock, AR (est. pop. 197,868), the Interstate 30 bridge across the Arkansas River grows congested at every rush hour. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department responded with a predictable solution: It has embarked on a massive widening of the roadway from six lanes to 12 lanes. The bridge connects downtown Little Rock…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders have long debated the pros and cons of parallel parking vs. diagonal parking. Hollister, CA (est. pop. 37,835), is trying a different approach: It’s one of a handful of cities using back-in angled parking. In 2018, the city introduced back-in parking at San Benito High School. Now, it’s adding the angled spots downtown.…To read more — login/subscribe
Skeptics think of downtown Bridgeport as a treacherous place. The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District (DSSD) has a different perspective. It sees downtown Bridgeport, CT (est. pop. 144,365), as “friendly,” “flourishing,” and “eclectic.” To underscore that image, downtown boosters launched Colorful Bridgeport, a branding and marketing program that pitches the district as a vibrant place…To read more — login/subscribe
