The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership hit on an intriguing way to promote downtown residential properties, market local microbrewers, and generate a little revenue and publicity to boot. The downtown organization hosted Views & Brews: Downtown Living Tour in October. The Thursday evening event included tours of 10 downtown apartment buildings and in-home samples from four local…To read more — login/subscribe
The coronavirus pandemic forced downtown activity to grind to a halt. What now? Take advantage of the pause to address some long-neglected tasks. Downtown leaders say they’re tackling these chores: • Upgrading physical spaces. Do your offices need a fresh coat of paint? Are downtown benches and bathrooms in need of repairs? The slowdown presents…To read more — login/subscribe
In Chandler, AZ (est. pop. 261,149), city officials are combatting the coronavirus downturn by marketing local businesses to consumers. An “I Choose Chandler” video ad reminds viewers that the city’s restaurants, gyms, clothing boutiques, and barbershops are open for business. The spot takes a subtle dig at online retailers, and the campaign urges local residents…To read more — login/subscribe
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
Large-scale light installations that blend contemporary art and technology are making their mark, lighting up the night from New Orleans and Baltimore to Sydney and London. Many of these free light festivals include interactive elements that turn spectators into participants who are able to change colors or patterns by moving or playing a game. The…Continue reading
Shared kitchens sprout nationally, fill vacant space and foster startups — In Tucson, AZ, and Boston, shared kitchens have attracted dozens of entrepreneurs who run catering businesses and food trucks. Read The Food Corridor’s guide to community kitchens.
...Holiday drawing drives traffic to downtown shopping district — The Glebe Spree, hosted by the Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA) of Ottawa, ON, Canada, is a program that runs from November 15 through December 31. Shoppers receive blank passports, and participating merchants stamp the passports each time a shopper makes a $15 purchase. Watch the Glebe Spree promotional video below. https://youtu.be/zEpuiFlEKYY ...
Downtown opens doors to private restrooms — Starting with 29 publicly accessible restrooms Minneapolis aims to reach 100 by encouraging private business and property owners to open their facilities during normal business hours and by adding portable facilities in locations where gaps exist.  For more ideas, read the archive article, “To make downtowns more attractive, embrace the power of public restrooms.” ...
In addition to a full schedule of daily, weekly, and seasonal marketing efforts, special situations often arise that call for a major overhaul or a minor tweak. A major overhaul was needed recently in High Point, NC, where the city spent months updating its dusty and out-of-date branding. Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, IN, a quick response…To read more — login/subscribe
With the new year, comes an increased focus on business retention in many city centers. This trend, noted in Downtown Idea Exchange’s annual outlook article, reflects both the challenges of recruitment and the greying of business owners in many areas.Baby Boomers are retiring says Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center.…Continue reading
When workers return downtown in a number of cities, they will be greeted by a range of new parking technologies. These include touchless transactions, license plate enforcement, and new approaches to managing ride-hailing services. The City of West Palm Beach, FL (est. pop. 109,767), is among a growing number of cities implementing parking management technology…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
