In a bid to boost business at downtown bars and restaurants, the city of Owensboro, KY (est. pop. 59,188), has loosened rules around outdoor consumption of alcohol. As the pandemic pushes patrons outside and leaves downtowns bereft of visitors, many cities are considering revamped codes concerning alcohol. Owensboro’s downtown, along the banks of the Ohio…To read more — login/subscribe
When you think about winter in Canada, outdoor dining and shopping may not come to mind. Yet, CBC Canada reports that several Canadian cities are extending temporary patio programs into the fall and winter and taking other measures to support physical distancing at shops, restaurants, and bars. For example, the City of Ottawa has extended…To read more — login/subscribe
San Diego’s Little Italy is a bustling neighborhood that’s home to thousands of new housing units and dozens of thriving businesses. There’s a food hall and many independent businesses, along with a Shake Shack, an art supply store, and several galleries. Amid the hive of activity, Marco Li Mandri, head of the Little Italy Business…To read more — login/subscribe
The Soundwalk app gives city dwellers more reasons to get outside and explore. During the height of the pandemic in New York City, composer Ellen Reid created original music to accompany a stroll through the city’s iconic Central Park. Reid utilized the Soundwalk app. The mobile app allows artists to compose audio and map it…To read more — login/subscribe
Skeptics think of downtown Bridgeport as a treacherous place. The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District (DSSD) has a different perspective. It sees downtown Bridgeport, CT (est. pop. 144,365), as “friendly,” “flourishing,” and “eclectic.” To underscore that image, downtown boosters launched Colorful Bridgeport, a branding and marketing program that pitches the district as a vibrant place…To read more — login/subscribe
Over the past 12 months, Downtown Digest has highlighted dozens of examples of downtown leaders responding to the pandemic. But, that's not all. We've also covered parking management, attracting downtown residents, streetscape improvements, grant funding, and much more. If you’ve missed any posts during this hectic year, they are online now. You’ll even find our…Continue reading
Skeptics think of downtown Bridgeport as a treacherous place. The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District has a different perspective. It sees downtown Bridgeport, CT, as "friendly," "flourishing," and "eclectic." To underscore that image, the district launched Colorful Bridgeport, a branding and marketing program that pitches the district as a vibrant place to live, work, and…Continue reading
As downtown merchants recover from the pandemic, they need to rethink how they lure customers. That’s according to Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, founder of Retail Minded. She says retailers and downtown leaders will need to find ways to bring customers back to physical storefronts. “Whether we like it or not, consumers have gotten way too comfortable…To read more — login/subscribe
The coronavirus pandemic gave downtown leaders an opportunity to rethink how streets are used. In many downtowns, streets were closed or narrowed to make way for sidewalk dining and pedestrian traffic. Those are the sorts of changes that urban planners Danial Iacofano and Mukul Malhotra have long championed. In their book Streets Reconsidered, they lay…To read more — login/subscribe
With the US economy increasingly driven by the tech sector, a growing number of downtown leaders in mid-sized cities are looking for ways to spur innovation locally. One example is in Fort Wayne, IN, where a rusting manufacturing hub was transformed into an innovation district and changed attitudes along the way. Jeff Kingsbury is a…Continue reading
