From a pop-up drive-in movie theater to a downtown-backed delivery service, communities across the United States are coming up with creative ways to come back from the coronavirus crisis. In May, Main Street America announced that eight downtowns had won grants of $10,000 each for innovative proposals. The grants — to six small towns, one…To read more — login/subscribe
Social media has forever changed the way that people plan trips, take trips, and document a trip after their return. This change presents new opportunities for cities and towns to grow the local economy through tourism. Whether tourists come downtown to see historic sites and cultural venues, to… Continue reading
In Creating a Vibrant City Center, author Cy Paumier provides an action plan for developing a lively and economically vibrant city center. He proposes a comprehensive approach and guides readers in: Attracting a diverse yet complimentary mix of uses. Using the principals of placemaking to develop an attractive,… Continue reading
Parking Management for Smart Growth details how to create a strategic parking management program that is comprehensive, coordinated, and supportive of local goals. It explores new opportunities for making the most from every parking space in a sharing economy and taking advantage of new digital parking tools to increase… Continue reading
Good public space and street design can dramatically improve a downtown’s walkability, and enhance social and commercial activity. In this very readable book, author Ned Crankshaw combines practical experience, compelling case studies, and design guidelines to help every downtown improve the quality of its public spaces while respecting… Continue reading
A lack, or even perceived lack, of public restrooms downtown can lead to visitor dissatisfaction, as well as the more unsightly problem of public urination. Communities are finding that the expense of adding public restrooms is worthwhile because it keeps downtown cleaner, and provides visitors with a more comfortable experience, which in turn encourages them…Continue reading
Making lighter, quicker, cheaper improvements can mean something as simple as providing seats in public spaces. For example, when the public library in Wallkill, NY, wanted to activate green space around the building, it installed colorful lawn chairs along with signs inviting people to relax. “This effort changed the look and feel of the library…Continue reading
The pre-holiday “Shop Local” message is being refined in numerous ways in an effort to reach more potential customers for downtown’s businesses. Nearly every community endeavors to educate consumers about the economic benefits of shopping locally — some take a logical, numbers-based approach while others tug at the heart strings. Most tie into the national…Continue reading
In the December issue of Downtown Idea Exchange, guest columnist John Karras shares 12 strategies that can transform virtually any downtown into a more vibrant place. The list includes structural changes, like street reconfiguration (Turn one-way streets into two-way streets), short-term steps (Establish a regularly occurring public event), and management approaches (Consolidate regional economic development…Continue reading
The January issue takes a look back at marketing and attraction activities that will set the direction for the year to come. One of many trends is an increase in alcohol-friendly downtown events and activities. An increasing interest in wine and locally brewed beer is bringing success to brew festivals, pub crawls, wine walks, and…Continue reading
