Downtown Perspectives

Each month, Downtown Idea Exchange provides detailed case studies, practical news reports, how-to information and hundreds of real-world examples of how traditional downtowns, business improvement districts, main street communities and others are growing and prospering.

A key feature of the newsletter is the monthly Perspectives Column. These insightful, and often controversial, articles are written by industry experts and leading practitioners.

The full text of these articles is provided here. If you would like to receive future articles and the monthly Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter on a regular basis, we invite you to subscribe today.

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• Revitalizing America’s downtowns in the 21st Century

• How deep will municipal services be cut? How can downtowns be spared?

• Challenged like no time before, downtowns innovate with community development models

• Small downtown-affordable solutions to an expensive problem, the fear of crime

• As we leave the recession, affordable downtown retail rents are a revitalization imperative

• Downtown managers must quickly master the art of consensus building

• Consumer trends signal opportunities for downtown retail

• The six core elements of safe and vibrant hospitality zones

• While challenges remain in 2010, there are also some very encouraging trends

• Downtowns need to rethink the low-tech parking space and meter

• Focusing development: How focus groups can hasten the economic recovery of downtowns

• Downtowns and philanthropy: A connection worth exploring

• Landlords must enter the twenty-first century if small downtowns are to thrive

• Downtowns and BIDs can do more to face the recession

• How to maximize public input to plan better for downtown’s long-term future

• Time to rethink and reinvent downtown organizations?

• Downtown vacancies: Let’s get real

• Why downtowns will shine after the economic storm

• Public safety in a downtown area is always a sound investment

• Question is, Will downtown be ready for the bounce back?

• With such a bleak picture, where is the "blue sky"?