A new business recruitment campaign in Providence, RI, is reaching out not only to business owners and top executives, but to their employees. The Bring Your Company to Life campaign encourages employees to “start a movement” or “bribe your boss” in order to move a job they love to a place they can love equally.…Continue reading
Just as downtown businesses are realizing that advertising the downtown as a whole benefits individual businesses, whole communities are reaping the benefits of a more regional approach to marketing. "We know that people travel from place to place and town to town and don’t necessarily travel by county or state lines,” says Lisa Challenger, director…Continue reading
The Downtown Memphis Commission has been taking advantage of a state law aimed at fighting blight. The downtown organization makes occasional but aggressive use of the law, using it as a way to force owners of properties that are dangerous eye-sores to take action. In one success story, the Downtown Memphis Commission used the Neighborhood…Continue reading
Early in the history of Open on Main, a storefront activation initiative in Memphis, TN (est. pop. 628,127), Brett Roler, senior vice president of the Downtown Memphis Commission was careful to make pop-ups look and feel like permanent businesses. Roler required retailers to operate full business hours, and the signage gave no hint that the…To read more — login/subscribe
A new program in Indianapolis, IN, highlights downtown as a safe area while also educating the public about safety and who to contact with questions and concerns.Downtown Indy collaborated with the city’s police department to create safety cards that highlight the joint actions of the two organizations, as well as providing phone numbers for non-emergencies…Continue reading
For decades after it opened in 1930, the Soo Theatre was the place to see a movie in Sault Ste. Marie, MI (est. pop. 13,591). But when a multiplex came to town, the one-screen cinema struggled and finally closed its doors in 1998. A local nonprofit formed to buy the building in 2003. And while…To read more — login/subscribe
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
Outdoor ads show downtown is unique The Alliance for Downtown New York launched the Only Downtown campaign in late 2023. The goal was to renew interest in the neighborhood for commercial real estate decision makers. A series of ads ran throughout New York City and on public transit, which highlighted the diverse offerings downtown through…To read more — login/subscribe
Many people who previously commuted to work are staying home. It’s a trend that will likely continue. Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, predicts that 30 percent of people will continue this trend for the foreseeable future. “Once they’ve done it, they’re going to want to continue,” Lister says. “Lockdowns will end, but this…To read more — login/subscribe
