As part of its ongoing downtown revitalization effort, the City of Stoughton, MA, has launched a storefront and sign improvement program. The work will be funded by an almost $600,000 grant from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Massachusetts CDBG Program. The grant will provide funding for four full sign and façade…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
A pilot program providing free bus passes to select downtown employees has been successful enough to inspire a broader, four-year program offering free public transit to all city center workers in Columbus, OH. In 2015, the Capital Crossroads & Discovery Special Improvement Districts won a grant from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to provide four…Continue reading
A new parking program has debuted in downtown Salisbury, NC (est. pop. 33,961), one that lets downtown residents and workers lease spaces for $35 a month or $420 a year. The city’s Downtown Development Department set aside 30 downtown spaces for motorists who want to pay for parking. “We wanted to start with something manageable…To read more — login/subscribe
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
In the summer months, downtowns everywhere expanded outdoor dining. But an obvious question loomed: What would replace outdoor dining when the mercury dropped? One downtown in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula answered that question by creating an outdoor ice-skating facility. The inspiration for the skate “ribbon” came by chance. Just before Christmas, the Portage Canal flowing between…To read more — login/subscribe
San Francisco is one of the world’s most iconic cities, but downtown leaders freely acknowledge that the urban core is not rebounding from the Covid pandemic as quickly as hoped. The city’s office vacancy rate was 25 percent at the end of 2022, not a great number for an international hub of tech, finance, and…To read more — login/subscribe
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
In Wichita, KS (est. pop. 396,205), city officials are making big changes to the downtown parking system increasing hourly rates and fines, reducing the amount of free parking, upgrading parking meters, and tightening up enforcement. Wichita’s city council in early January approved ordinance updates that will allow the parking overhaul to proceed this year. Jeff…To read more — login/subscribe
