In Winnipeg, MB (est. pop. 750,000), downtown cleanups are a community effort. This year, nearly 700 people turned out for the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s Downtown Spring CleanUp. “This annual event is more than just picking up litter, it is an opportunity to come together as a diverse and vibrant group of community members, business…To read more — login/subscribe
With many small cities struggling to lure skilled workers, a few downtowns are trying something new: They're offering to help people pay down their college loans if they move to town. Hamilton, OH (est. pop. 62,216), last year launched a Talent Attraction Program that offers up to $10,000 to workers who earned college degrees within…To read more — login/subscribe
Valerie Marmone once ran a clothing boutique in Sacramento, so she knows firsthand how hard it is to operate a retail business in an era of tight margins and online shopping. In her post-entrepreneurial career, Marmone works as vice president of business development at the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. In that role, she runs the annual…To read more — login/subscribe
As downtowns upgrade parking systems, they experience both greater efficiencies and technological growing pains Coin-operated parking meters are going the way of telegraphs, typewriters, and payphones. Downtowns nationwide have scrambled to replace old-fashioned parking meters with kiosks and apps that centralize payment collection. The new digital systems allow for more secure payment methods, and they…To read more — login/subscribe
Parking requirements designed for suburban shopping areas are sapping the life from downtown business districts, argues Charles L. Marohn Jr. “We don’t need the miles and miles of asphalt dictated by local governments’ minimum parking mandates,” says Marohn, president of the nonprofit organization Strong Towns and author of the 2019 book Strong Towns. “Communities have…To read more — login/subscribe
Tourism consultant Roger Brooks has a contrarian alternative for downtowns struggling with a dearth of visitors. Tell them to go camping, canoeing, or hiking instead. As strange as it sounds, Brooks says, the strategy makes sense. He points to the example of Asheville, NC. Thanks to its downtown restaurants and microbreweries, Brooks says, “Asheville is…To read more — login/subscribe
The coronavirus pandemic has hammered downtowns. While the duration of this disruption is unclear, the impact of coronavirus will be broad, deep, and unrelenting. Even so, downtown leaders must carry on. Economic development professionals suggest a range of strategies for supporting at-risk businesses, protecting the downtown’s market position, and growing the local economy in the…To read more — login/subscribe
Urban farming comes downtown Farming will soon be happening year-round in downtown Westbrook, ME. The farm, developed and operated by Vertical Harvest, will occupy a four story building with a quarter acre footprint in the heart of the small city. Vertical Harvest plans to grow two million pounds of produce annually. The farm will anchor…To read more — login/subscribe
Long before anyone had heard of COVID-19, Middlebury, VT (est. pop. 6,966), faced an existential threat of a different type. An infrastructure project was set to tear up roads and disrupt the downtown for six years. Back in 2015, the Vermont Agency of Transportation embarked on the Bridge & Rail Project, a public works investment…To read more — login/subscribe
Lights Out downtown Rapid City, SD, turned off the lights downtown — But just for seven days. The city was recognizing Dark Sky Week (April 5 - 12), an annual event which aims to educate people about light pollution and encourage them to enjoy the night sky. The Rapid City Sustainability Committee and the local…To read more — login/subscribe
