Santa Cruz, CA (est. pop. 64,729), has a thriving downtown. Some 4,000 workers have jobs in the district, and downtown’s mix of early-morning cafés and late-night bars create what Claire Gollogly, the city’s transportation planner, calls a “23-hour” city. There is a catch, though. Downtown Santa Cruz is home to just 2,000 parking spaces. “We…To read more — login/subscribe
…a vibrant startup community The attributes of leadership in a startup community that can help it thrive along with the classic problems any community will face during development The importance of a university in a startup community How large companies can engage effectively with entrepreneurs. The importance of continuous improvement… Continue reading
Crime is on the upswing in downtowns. Meanwhile, crime-fighting technology is growing more powerful and more widely accepted. Those two trends are intersecting in a growing use of license plate readers, or LPRs. The devices can be mounted on utility poles, streetlights, and public vehicles. In Indianapolis, city police are expanding their use of LPRs.…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtowns nationwide are bedeviled by a glut of one type of real estate and a dearth of another. They have too much vacant retail space, and too little residential space. Larisa Ortiz, managing director of public non-profit solutions at design consultancy Streetsense, offers a contrarian perspective on how to resolve the imbalance. “There is an…To read more — login/subscribe
During the Great Recession, Danville, VA (est. pop. 42,556), had fallen on such hard times that it was unclear if downtown could ever bounce back. “Our downtown completely died,” says Diana Schwartz, executive director of Danville’s River District Association. “Our entire community died.” No one was living downtown. The inventory of vacant commercial space stretched…To read more — login/subscribe
The coronavirus recession has devastated independent restaurateurs, but it hasn’t stopped the spread of commercial kitchens, those facilities that serve as co-working spaces for food truck operators, caterers, and other food producers. Commercial kitchens are coming to downtown Orangeburg, SC, Oak Creek, WI, and other locations. In Oak Creek, a restaurant that didn’t survive the…Continue reading
Facing years of construction, residents, leaders join forces — In Middlebury, VT, an infrastructure project was set to tear up roads and disrupt the downtown for six years. Read a full overview of Middlebury’s efforts to promote downtown during the disruption.
...New downtown group works to broaden office district’s appeal — In San Fransisco, with white-collar workers staying home rather than going to their offices, pedestrian traffic plummeted in the Financial District during the pandemic. And fewer people meant less business for the restaurants and bars in the district. Watch the promotional video below for San Francisco’s public art show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dimqa7wDWUA ...
Money-matching game supports downtown, boosts social connections — Downtown leaders in Macon, GA, had an idea that seemed far-fetched. They hoped to spur interest in local merchants by printing their own currency, and then setting up a unique scavenger hunt based on the custom scrip. Raising its game, city creates “pedestrian seductive” street — Hopkins,…To read more — login/sign up
Capitol Beer Fest, Concerts in the Park, Dress Up Wine Down, Farm to Fork Festival. Those are just some of the many annual festivals and special events held in downtown Sacramento, CA. This busy schedule is made possible in part by the city’s special event grant program. The program was designed to support start-up events…To read more — login/subscribe
Billions are heading to states and cities; make sure downtown gets its share — The federal government is directing hundreds of billions of dollars to states and cities, a windfall that has downtown leaders nationwide positioning themselves to get a piece of the pie. Watch presentations from the Pennsylvania Downtown Association and the National Main Street Center below.
https://vimeo.com/555865910
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmcDKb6sHcc
...Six reasons to consider a form-based code — The little town of North Bend, WA, enacted a form-based code for its downtown in June, making it the latest municipality to embrace this type of zoning. See the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s guide to enacting a form-based code. ...
Parking garage converted to apartments — The pandemic has accelerated two trends which significantly cut demand for parking. Both the increased use of app-based, ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, and a rise in the number of people living within walking distance of their jobs have reduced demand. Learn more about the Broadway Autopark conversion. ...
