May 28, 2020 — Before the coronavirus shutdowns, Santa Cruz, CA, was home to a bustling downtown. Some 4,000 workers had jobs in the district, and downtown’s mix of early-morning cafés and late-night bars created what Claire Gollogly, the city’s transportation planner, calls a "23-hour" city. There is a catch, though. Downtown Santa Cruz is…Continue reading
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many downtowns to rethink their outdoor spaces. By summer, downtown leaders had adapted — vacant lots, sidewalks, and even streets gave way to al fresco dining. Now, though, the changing of the seasons will present a new challenge: Are downtown visitors willing to sit outside when the weather turns cold? "Everybody…Continue reading
With several portable toilets on the verge of being removed from service, the City of Columbus, OH, came through with $51,000 in funding to maintain the toilets and keep them open. That temporary reprieve will be followed by a more permanent solution, as Columbus has earmarked funds to install several free-standing bathrooms downtown. Early in…To read more — login/subscribe
Many downtowns offer gift certificates or custom currency that can be redeemed with local eateries and merchants. The offerings are typically limited to a handful of locally owned cafĂ©s, restaurants, and gift shops. But in Thomasville, GA (est. pop. 18,539), Downtown Dollars are so widely used that a consumer might be able to survive on…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders face a parking conundrum. On the one hand, urbanists have long preached that cities underprice parking at the expense of pedestrianism. Yet visitors and merchants often hate any hint of rising parking prices and more expensive parking tickets. Add to the mix, hourly downtown workers, grappling with inflation, and it’s more difficult than…To read more — login/subscribe
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. The Texas Department of Transportation took advantage of the opportunity to encourage drivers to watch out for pedestrians. TxDOT notes that in the El Paso area last year, there were 181 traffic crashes involving pedestrians, resulting in 21 fatalities and 42 serious injuries. The Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign…Continue reading
Amid a wave of mass shootings nationally, downtowns have been the locations of a number of unfortunate incidents. On New Year’s Eve 2022, one person was killed and nine were injured during a mass shooting during a concert in downtown Mobile, AL. Earlier in the year, seven people were injured in a shooting in downtown…To read more — login/subscribe
It’s one of the most common complaints from downtown leaders: “I don’t have enough volunteers.” Whether you need community members to staff events, to judge business plan entries, or tackle some other task, volunteers are both crucial and scarce. Liz Parham, director of North Carolina’s NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center, says you need…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtown leaders in Philadelphia have boosted safety patrols, hosted return-to-work events, handed out free coffee at transit stations, and spruced up Center City’s sidewalk flowerbeds. “As an organization, we’ve done everything we can to reactivate,” Paul Levy, chief executive officer of Center City District, told The Wall Street Journal this summer. Even so, the city…To read more — login/subscribe
The holidays are here again — and for many downtown leaders, that means it’s time to think about how to wrest some holiday spending from Amazon and suburban shopping malls. Locally branded gift cards have emerged as a popular way to spur local spending while also tapping into civic pride. For downtowns that have embraced…To read more — login/subscribe
