In the 20th century, many cities tried to contain creeks, streams, and small rivers with concrete culverts and other engineering projects. In the 21st century, growing numbers of waterways are being set free. Restoring waterways to something like their natural order is a process known as "daylighting." The restoration projects are gaining attention globally and…Continue reading
Offering customers extended shopping hours, discounts and specials, plus the chance to contribute to local nonprofit organizations proved a winning combination in Franklin, TN. For the first Open Your Heart event, more than 20 downtown merchants remained open past their normal business hours, and donated 15 percent of sales from 4 to 9 p.m. to…Continue reading
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the retail landscape was changing dramatically. The COVID-19 recession has accelerated merchants’ move back to Main Street, says Robert Gibbs, director of Gibbs Planning Group Inc. Some 75 percent of suburban shopping malls and 60 percent of large outdoor shopping malls, or power centers, will close by 2025, Gibbs predicts.…To read more — login/subscribe
…creates new community green downtown St. Paul, MN, revives its inner-city riverfront area San Francisco, CA, transforms industrial site into open space and trails Silver Spring, MD, turns old railroad corridors into public trails West Des Moines, IA, turns floodplain into regional park and open space… Continue reading
The Hollywood Partnership is about to open the famed neighborhood’s first public restroom. The facility is going into an empty space in a building owned by the city Department of Transportation. Hollywood’s restroom project is ambitious in its size and goals. "This first-of-its-kind restroom facility in the heart of Hollywood aims to serve as a…Continue reading
Albuquerque, NM (est. pop. 560,447), aims to reduce crime downtown by stepping up police patrols. The initiative is called Downtown TEAM, for Targeted Enforcement and Active Monitoring. The city is putting more officers on the streets at night, when criminal activity peaks. Mayor Tim Keller calls TEAM the most significant part of a multi-pronged approach…To read more — login/subscribe
Stockton, CA (est. pop. 310,476), has endured its share of struggles. The city filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and its poverty rate of more than 19 percent is far above the state average. But downtown Stockton is on the mend, and its downtown is gaining momentum thanks to an unlikely…To read more — login/subscribe
To draw the community into an ongoing conversation, the city of Hagerstown, MD, launched its engageHagerstown website. The city posts questions and moderates discussions about important topics that will shape the future of the downtown. The inaugural question was: “What’s your big idea for downtown?” That first question generated “a ton of feedback,” says Sarah…Continue reading
The Downtown Memphis Commission has been taking advantage of a state law aimed at fighting blight. The downtown organization makes occasional but aggressive use of the law, using it as a way to force owners of properties that are dangerous eyesores to take action. In one success story, the Downtown Memphis Commission used the Neighborhood…To read more — login/subscribe
As staff began returning to work at their offices, the Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 launched a program aimed at garnering support for downtown restaurants. The Comeback Cuisine initiative encourages companies to purchase boxed lunches for their employees as a “welcome back” or “thank you” for their continued service. The BID’s goal is to generate the…To read more — login/subscribe
