The Traverse City DDA and local partners have launched the Buy Local, Give Local Fund. Individual donations are used to purchase items from downtown businesses which are then donated to partner organizations. The DDA says that, “donations will help purchase art supplies, books, puzzles, and additional items that will be provided to children housed at…To read more — login/subscribe
Several downtown projects received BUILD Grants in the latest round of funding. The grants fund projects at the state and local level that are more difficult to support through traditional DOT programs. The 2020 recipients include: Blair South Bypass, in Blair NE. The project was awarded $7,560,000 toward the total project cost of $14,444,040. The…To read more — login/subscribe
The latest round of urban flight has spawned one of the great debates of the COVID-19 pandemic. Will Americans resume their shift toward urban living when the coronavirus is brought to heel? Or will they decide the suburbs suit them? Prominent economists disagree. Some say the luster of city centers already had begun to fade…To read more — login/subscribe
In Portland, ME, a local couple envisioned a three-story, mixed-use building in the city’s Deering Center neighborhood. However, they faced a number of challenges. Such a building hadn’t gone up for years. And the developers — architects Kiya and Denis Lachman — were rookies. But they pursued the plan anyway, ultimately completing a structure that’s…To read more — login/subscribe
Skeptics think of downtown Bridgeport as a treacherous place. The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District has a different perspective. It sees downtown Bridgeport, CT, as "friendly," "flourishing," and "eclectic." To underscore that image, the district launched Colorful Bridgeport, a branding and marketing program that pitches the district as a vibrant place to live, work, and…Continue reading
Independent retailers have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic. Jef Buehler, head of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Neighborhood Preservation Program, offers a workaround: Merchants can find ways to share costs and space with other organizations. Buehler points to a store in Frenchtown, NJ (est. pop. 1,464). Frenchtown Home Hardware & Outdoors partnered with…To read more — login/subscribe
In St. Albans, VT (est. pop. 6,804), a tax-increment financing district launched in 2012 has produced some noteworthy successes. But the TIF also led to a withering report from the state auditor, which said the city hadn’t complied with rules around TIFs. On the plus side, St. Albans achieved its first success with the construction…To read more — login/subscribe
Funding public art Haikus popped up on sidewalks in the Bluebird Business Improvement District in Denver, CO. In 2019, students from a local high school selected poems, created laser-cut stencils, and painted the poems on sidewalks. The project was funded with a $5,000 grant from the P.S. You Are Here grant program. Since 2014 the…To read more — login/subscribe
The Craft Beer Festival in Hattiesburg, MS (est. pop. 46,010), is a big deal for downtown. The event attracts some 2,000 people and serves as an important annual fundraiser. When the 2021 event was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, downtown leaders got creative. They organized a “little sister event” to the larger festival. “It…To read more — login/subscribe
Bike libraries — a concept that lets people check out bicycles like books or DVDs — are popping up across the country. Some programs offer access to e-bikes, but most focus on traditional pedal-powered bikes. Some initiatives are associated with universities, others with public libraries. But all put bike share programs within reach of more…Continue reading
