Two blocks in downtown Iowa City, IA, were under construction this spring and summer as the city worked to upgrade underground utilities; increase the width of sidewalks; distribute parking on both sides of the street; enhance accessibility; create healthier planting areas; and modernize lighting, seating, and other amenities. To reassure shoppers that the area is…Continue reading
A Michigan city is combining three hot trends — recycled shipping containers, pop-up shops, and business incubators — to create an unusual destination designed to entice visitors to its downtown. Battle Creek created BC Cargo, a mini-mall made up of seven shipping containers on a city-owned parking lot downtown. The blue-and-yellow containers are just 160…Continue reading
A few years ago, the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz decided to eliminate big events that attracted large numbers of visitors but also blocked traffic and disrupted business. Downtown leaders in the California city still wanted to bring visitors to the business district, however, so they shifted their focus to smaller gatherings centered around wine…Continue reading
Downtown Lexington, VA, is home to an ambitious business incubator and makerspace that’s drawing interest from entrepreneurs in surrounding areas. Lexington Collaboratory & Makerspace is a 1,300-square-foot lab that lets startups tinker with their products. The Collaboratory also provides a team of mentors to dispense advice about legal matters, marketing, real estate, finance, and professional…Continue reading
The expression of public art and its purpose is evolving as artists and downtown leaders expand the definition to encompass new formats. Underfoot or overhead, a treat for the eyes, ears, or all of the senses, public art is an integral part of many successful downtowns. Barbara Goldstein, a placemaking and public art planning consultant…Continue reading
In the annals of cultural assets, a quilting museum and a public mural project might sound like an unremarkable pair of attractions. But Paducah, KY, has combined those two resources with local pride and a relentless place-building campaign to turn itself into a widely recognized arts hub. "The city really sees the value of creativity…Continue reading
Downtown offers incentives to breweries, restaurants — Battle Creek, MI, is using generous incentives to attract tenants to its downtown district. See their most recent request for proposals.
...Help businesses thrive during road work — Wiscasset, ME, undertook a sweeping redesign of Main Street that includes widening sidewalks, adding lighting, installing bollards, renovating sidewalks, improving drainage, and redesigning parking. To help local leaders around the state minimize the impact of such projects, MaineDOT developed Digging Maine, a guide to surviving road construction. ...
Chicago mayor proposes ban on downtown marijuana dispensaries — In Chicago, landlords and cannabis entrepreneurs are gearing up for a new business opportunity presented by Illinois’ legalization of recreational marijuana. Read Downtown Idea Exchange’s coverage of cannabis stores downtown. ...
In Battle Creek, MI, generous incentives are attracting tenants to the downtown district. Battle Creek Unlimited Inc. offers subsidies of as much as $200,000 to breweries and restaurants. New Holland Brewing Co. landed the first incentive; it used the money toward a $1 million renovation of an 18,000-square-foot building. The total project is worth $5…Continue reading
In tiny towns, entrepreneurs find new uses for empty spaces — Struggling downtowns are opening businesses and community spaces to cater to their underserved markets. Read William Ryan’s study on repurposing neglected downtown spaces.
...After disaster, ad campaign helps bring back visitors — Davenport, IA, suffered devastating flooding in the spring of 2019. To bring visitors back after the cleanup, they began an ad campaign that showed downtown as a vibrant place that had mostly recovered from the spring flood. See video ads featuring Downtown Davenport below. https://youtu.be/4MPugZbPchs https://youtu.be/00flxMmNYz0 ...
Downtown Owner’s Manual, mentorship program, help new businesses succeed — In one simple but powerful tool, Janesville, WI, created a Downtown Owner’s Manual that answers a common question: Who’s in charge of that? ...
Increasing outdoor seating — Outdoor seating has been an indicator of vibrancy in the Philadelphia Center City District since sidewalk cafes were first authorized in 1995. Read the report, Outdoor Seating 2019. ...
As the coronavirus pandemic closed downtowns across North America, downtown Detroit’s biggest landlord tried something different. Bedrock, a major property owner in the struggling city’s commercial core, told tenants it wouldn’t collect their rent. The most generous rent forgiveness terms go to small businesses, while bigger companies can get smaller breaks. “It is going to…To read more — login/subscribe
