In an effort to highlight downtown heritage, add visual interest, educate people about the community’s history, and draw visitors downtown, Chillicothe, MO, embarked on a mural program “Work on the murals started in the mid-1990s,” says Crystal Narr, director of Main Street Chillicothe. There are currently 17 murals and two “ghost signs,” which are business…Continue reading
A week-long celebration of fashion in Philadelphia, PA, is promoted with Random Acts of Fashion, which take place on city streets and on social-media platforms. The creative promotions includes: Ambush makeovers for four individuals in the weeks leading up to fashion week. The makeover winners are “revealed” on the local morning talk show.Remote Red Carpet,…Continue reading
An effective, accurate survey can help demonstrate the economic boost brought to city centers during downtown festivals and events. Having those numbers in hand can help event producers defend budgets, attain funding, and quell objections from those who think downtown events are too disruptive. This month in Downtown Promotion Reporter newsletter, Patrick Tierney, chair of…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
Wayfinding signage is the voice of the downtown. It invites visitors in. It suggests the experience to follow. And it guides all users to the best that the city center has to offer. In one comprehensive volume, Signage and Wayfinding Design takes the reader through the entire process… Continue reading
While downtown restaurants have been severely impacted by efforts to fight coronavirus, a New Orleans supermarket chain is stepping up to offer support. Rouses Markets is testing a program to sell dishes prepared by local restaurants at its grocery stores. Popular items from two restaurants are being offered at the downtown Rouses Market. And plans…To read more — login/subscribe
Like many cities, Burlington, VT, is struggling with how to handle an increase in the number of individual rooms, apartments, and houses offered for rent by the night. While the city enjoyed a 100 percent increase in taxes from these rentals during the first half of the year, neighbors question the impact on quality of…To read more — login/subscribe
April 16, 2020 — While downtown restaurants have been severely impacted by efforts to fight the coronavirus, two cities have gotten creative. In addition to offering take-out and delivery services, special partnerships are helping. In New Orleans, a supermarket chain is stepping up to offer support to struggling downtown restaurants. Rouses Markets is testing a…Continue reading
Curbside commerce, vacant-lot dining: Coronavirus inspires creative concepts — The city of Baltimore’s Design for Distancing contest is a program created to elicit ideas for innovative responses to the COVID-19 recession. The competition brought more than 160 entries, many from architects and urban design firms. Read the Design for Distancing Ideas Guidebook.
...“Environmental design” can contain crime, to an extent — Billings, MT has turned to the concept of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) to discourage loitering, public drunkenness, and vandalism. See the...
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International CPTED Association’s clear-eyed look at homelessness and environmental design . ...
Downtown takes cleaning, distancing seriously — but not too seriously — In Rosslyn, VA, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the form of purple stickers, signs, and banners placed throughout the 17-block Business Improvement District. Check out some photos of the ...
Rosslyn Ready signage . ...
Portable pop-up retail — Pop-up retail is part of the downtown development initiative in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. The city envisions businesses popping up in refurbished shipping containers. Read an archive article about creative retail space using shipping containers. ...
Iconic spaces reimagined — Nine bold concepts for Washington, DC spaces were developed by regional architects and designers for Washingtonian magazine. ...
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
