Earlier this year, the Issaquah, WA, council approved the city’s Downtown Streetscape Plan. The plan seeks to increase pedestrian friendliness, support local businesses, create a consistent downtown character, and make Olde Town a place where people enjoy spending time. The plan includes creation of a festival street — a street designated for recurring temporary closure…Continue reading
Downtown leaders in West Palm Beach, FL (est. pop. 117,253), have launched an effort to ease the daily traffic crunch by giving drivers more alternatives. The West Palm Beach Mobility Coalition, or WPBgo, is a nonprofit that seeks to reduce traffic and improve mobility in and around downtown. The group’s director, Jonathan Hopkins, previously ran…To read more — login/subscribe
Springfield, MO (est. pop. 167,376), is working to attract millennials to live and work in the city center. Its secret weapon? A Millennial SWAT team. Read the Millennial SWAT team’s full report. The city organized millennial residents into small teams and sent them into a variety of downtowns that boast features that Springfield might want…To read more — login/subscribe
For a time, the Anchorage Downtown Partnership took an unusually active role in dealing with public safety issues in downtown Anchorage, AK (est. pop. 287,145). In 2016, the Anchorage Downtown Partnership launched a program known as Safety First. In collaboration with the Anchorage Community Development Authority, the Downtown Partnership operated a hotline that took calls…To read more — login/subscribe
Tasting rooms and events featuring local wineries and craft breweries have proved popular downtown. Now cities are finding distilleries are equally suited to the city center. The February issue of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter highlights three distilleries that are contributing to historic preservation and attracting visitors and locals alike. In one example, the St. Augustine (FL) Distillery…Continue reading
As record temperatures gripped the globe this summer, downtown leaders increasingly looked to tree canopies as a way to lower the mercury. From Seattle to Palm Beach, FL, there is agreement that urban areas need more trees to alleviate the impacts of climate change. While urban landscaping was once valued primarily for its aesthetic appeal,…To read more — login/subscribe
After a tough winter, with weather that prevented many downtown merchants from opening their doors, businesses were hoping to bounce back with the Downtown Cedar Rapids Summer Passport program. Jesse Thoeming, Cedar Rapids Downtown District executive director, said in a news release that he hopes people look at this program as a sort of scavenger…To read more — login/subscribe
After a contentious election season, the planning commission in Petoskey, MI, will review its political sign regulations. Those standards currently include a 15-day period to remove signs after an election, and size limits depending on the area of the city. But, city officials say a wave of complaints this year has prompted a second look…To read more — login/subscribe
Art carts showcase artists’ work, enliven downtown Art on the Town was created to help artists in Lexington, KY, show and sell their work. The program features eight mobile carts that are available seven days a week at no cost to artists. “The carts are mobile and can move around within several block areas of…To read more — login/subscribe
In Millburn-Short Hills, NJ (est. pop. 21,699), Restaurant Week has turned into a springtime traffic driver. The event debuted in March 2023, then returned in March 2024. Restaurant Week is organized by Explore Millburn-Short Hills, a special improvement district, and involves some 40 restaurants and boutiques offering 60 specials. The offerings ranged from appetizers to…To read more — login/subscribe
