As a wave of marijuana legalization sweeps North America, some downtowns are taking advantage of the trend by welcoming — or at least cautiously allowing — pot shops in long-vacant spaces. While voters in many U.S. states have overwhelmingly approved marijuana decriminalization, downtowns wrestle with a regulatory wrinkle: Even as pot shops multiply, marijuana remains…Continue reading
The streetscape project currently underway in Rosslyn, VA, aims to strengthen the city’s brand, decrease visual clutter, and improve the pedestrian experience. A formal inventory of everything on the streets revealed that the BID had "quite a mish-mash of elements, just hundreds of various pieces that didn’t match, and that adds to visual clutter," says…Continue reading
Bringing more retail downtown may require an unconventional path. In St. Louis, MO, that path saw the downtown organization develop a retail collective. When a developer purchased a significant amount of property downtown, the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis stepped up to advocate for a larger retail presence. “We were concerned we would miss an…Continue reading
It’s been over a decade since Philip Walker published his piece the “Top 10 Myths of Downtown Planning,” but his analysis remains timely. Walker, head of The Walker Collaborative, says residents, city officials, and business owners often fall victim to commonly held “misinformed notions,” which can hinder downtown development. They are: • Our downtown needs…To read more — login/subscribe
When the city of Somerville, MA (est. pop. 81,358), proposed transforming a small public parking lot into a public plaza, a handful of skeptical residents nixed the idea. So the city decided to take a different approach to pitching the placemaking initiative: Somerville officials transformed the 10-spot lot into a pop-up park. For three days,…To read more — login/subscribe
Gregory Allen has the unwieldy job title of “site-specific ranger,” but he describes his role simply. He greets every visitor to his stretch of the Memphis riverfront, offers help when it’s needed, and attempts to defuse problem situations. “Our job is to create a welcoming and friendly environment,” says Allen, a U.S. Navy veteran who…To read more — login/subscribe
In May, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms responded to the coronavirus pandemic with a number of emergency initiatives, including an end to parking enforcement in the city. The move, while well-intentioned, came with a downside, says David Wardell, vice president of operations and public safety at Central Atlanta Progress. “All the residents have tied up…To read more — login/subscribe
Marco Li Mandri, who runs San Diego’s Little Italy Association, admits he was stunned by the coronavirus pandemic. “No one knows how to deal with this,” he says. “We’ve never had a situation where we’ve been confronted with the entire economy shutting down.” After the initial shock, Li Mandri got creative. His district has survived…To read more — login/subscribe
The coronavirus pandemic has raised many questions, including this one: After the outbreak recedes, will Americans still want to live, work, and socialize in bustling downtowns? A disease that thrives on close contact could cause a shift in the preferences of office users and home buyers, and, possibly, a reappraisal of development patterns, some experts…To read more — login/subscribe
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
