The once-bustling downtown in Ottumwa, IA (est. pop. 24,676), hopes to lure visitors and residents back to the city center. The small city has embarked on an ambitious program that includes new housing units, an overhaul of its streetscapes, and new attractions. Planning for the $6 million project kicked off in October 2017, when Main…To read more — login/subscribe
With diversity and racial equity hot topics in many communities, downtown leaders have struggled with a notable challenge: How do you get the public to give input at public hearings? And if you’re a transit agency running public bus routes, how do you make sure to hear from a constituency not known for vocal civic…To read more — login/subscribe
Northampton, MA (est. pop. 28,516), is working through an overhaul of zoning rules that would implement a form-based code in downtown and an adjacent neighborhood. It’s a step that’s gaining popularity nationwide as proponents of “missing middle” housing call for more flexibility in the types of property uses cities allow in and near downtowns —…To read more — login/subscribe
In Fort Myers, FL (est. pop. 87,111), the city council recently voted to grant $11 million in tax-increment financing (TIF) to the developer of a downtown project with 274 apartment units and 467 parking spaces. In Kalispell, MT (est. pop. 23,241), the city is considering TIF money for a proposed downtown hotel with 79 rooms…To read more — login/subscribe
Many downtowns have experimented with gift card programs. But the initiative in Middletown, CT (est. pop. 47,164), is going strong after 18 years. The Middletown Downtown Business District launched its gift card program in 2005. After some fits and starts, downtown leaders overhauled it in 2010 with a new technology provider, says Sandra Russo-Driska, the…To read more — login/subscribe
For decades, packed trains and buses have served as a sign of economic vitality. Workers cramming onto public transit at rush hour reflected robust labor markets and viable levels of urban density. The coronavirus pandemic is changing all that. As the country reopens, transit officials are being forced to rethink how many people they can…To read more — login/subscribe
As the coronavirus pandemic spurred new migration trends, downtown leaders in Miami, FL (est. pop. 467,968), decided to sweeten the pot for employers. The Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) launched a Follow the Sun initiative that pays incentives to businesses that move to the central business district. To qualify, an employer must create at least…To read more — login/subscribe
Since 2011, the town of Flower Mound, TX, has conducted a Retail & Restaurant Survey every other year. The results are used to ensure that residents have input into the type of downtown they want, recruit new businesses, explore consumer leakage, and educate the public about why certain retail and restaurant wishes are not realistic.…Continue reading
Parking requirements designed for suburban shopping areas are sapping the life from downtown business districts, argues Charles L. Marohn Jr. “We don’t need the miles and miles of asphalt dictated by local governments’ minimum parking mandates,” says Marohn, president of the nonprofit organization Strong Towns and author of the 2019 book Strong Towns. “Communities have…To read more — login/subscribe
For a time, the Anchorage Downtown Partnership took an unusually active role in dealing with public safety issues in downtown Anchorage, AK (est. pop. 287,145). In 2016, the Anchorage Downtown Partnership launched a program known as Safety First. In collaboration with the Anchorage Community Development Authority, the Downtown Partnership operated a hotline that took calls…To read more — login/subscribe
