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Each month, Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter provide in-depth news, information and ideas on how to rebuild the hearts of our cities.

But we often have valuable background material, additional information, or related resources that we just can’t fit in the newsletters. Listed below are a wide range of documents that add further insight and understanding to the articles in Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter.

These documents may be viewed and printed with the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free copy by clicking on the yellow icon.

Learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter.

March 2010

To jump-start upper-story development, downtown calls on local design and engineering students. One of the opportunity areas for downtown-gown partnerships is in tapping local architecture and engineering faculty and students to help generate ideas and designs for adaptive reuse of underused buildings. The City of Roseburg (OR, est. pop. 20,680) Community Development Department, for example, recently partnered with downtown property owners and engineering students to design conceptual plans for four buildings with vacant upper floors. “We viewed it as a small jump start to redevelopment options downtown,” says Brian Davis, director of the City of Roseburg Community Development Department. View a report to city council about this town-gown program, as well as a video of the students’ presentation at that meeting. (Downtown Idea Exchange).

Billboards, magazine ads, and events all support a downtown’s re-branding efforts. With the relocation of a winery to its central square a few years ago, and the emergence of wineries in this state-capital region, the picturesque downtown of Georgetown, TX (est. pop. 49,620), now has something more tangible, engaging, and activity-oriented to promote. Georgetown is using its wine association to market downtown via special events, ads in regional lifestyle magazines, and billboard ads that target people who pass through the city on their commutes. Photos for the ads were shot in several downtown businesses. View all three billboard ads and the magazine ad. (Downtown Promotion Reporter).

Wine Billboard 1

Wine Billboard 2

Wine Billboard 3

Magazine Ad

February 2010

Countering negative perceptions of parking with branding, technology and reduced fees. Three ideas top Eugene, OR’s agenda for revamping downtown’s public parking system: branding through new parking and wayfinding signage; upgrading to modern technology and easier payment options; and expanding and publicizing free parking. View a packet of memorandums from Parking Services to the City Council Parking Subcommittee, which detail these parking ideas. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Have more regular dialog with elected officials, IDA says. Encouraged by a White House memo on developing effective place-based policies for the FY 2011 Budget, the IDA is attempting to do precisely that at the national level, through lobbying to have a seat at the table as government discusses policy that could impact urban areas. The memo is relevant to downtown management in the three principles it advises agencies to follow. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Expose people of various walks of life to the joys of living downtown. Downtown Living Exposed, a multi-faceted campaign by the Pittsburgh (PA, est. pop. 310,000) Downtown Partnership (PDP), raised awareness among target demographics about the appeal of living downtown. Most interestingly, the campaign focused on very different kinds of real people who have chosen to live downtown. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Pittsburgh Living Ad — Eco-Friendly Exec

Pittsburgh Living Ad — Dynamic Duo

Pittsburgh Living Ad — Battlefield Beauty

Pittsburgh Living Ad — Family Focused

Downtown Living Exposed (PowerPoint Presentation)

January 2010

Campaign encourages redirecting $50 locally each month. Begun with a blog post by retail consultant Cinda Baxter, The 3/50 Project is a buy-local campaign based on a simple premise: Ask consumers to frequent three local brick and mortar businesses they don’t want to see disappear, and to spend a very affordable $50 per month doing it. Unlike other buy-local campaigns, The 3/50 Project does not ask consumers to avoid or stop shopping in chains or franchises. A week after first posting this proposal to her blog last March, Baxter threw together a free flyer that businesses could crank out of their desktop printers to hand customers. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Survey leads to four-pronged approach to economic development. Following a survey probing what type of economic development and revitalization projects people would like to see downtown, the planning and development department and the city council in Eugene, OR (est. pop. 150,100), adopted a set of four strategic focus areas for their downtown revitalization efforts.View the results (starting on page 9 of this document) of the public survey commissioned by the City of Eugene to inform its downtown revitalization plan. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

December 15, 2009

Can small downtowns be cool? Researcher Dave Ivan says, Yes they can! His white paper and presentation provide additional insights to the article appearing in Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Recruitment and expansion grant can help steer business development downtown. The Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District’s Recruitment Fund Grant program, in Oshkosh, WI (est. pop. 63,680), provides qualified businesses with grants for up to $5,000 for expansion and/or relocation into the downtown district. Qualifying businesses must go through the Recruitment Fund Grant application process. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

December 1, 2009

Given more cautious consumer mindset, no room for weak restaurants. The world has changed, and so have our eating habits. In recruiting and retaining restaurants, it’s important to understand how. A 2009 survey of over 2,100 consumers by Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based foodservice research and consulting firm, revealed that people are feeling the recession across the board. Read Technomic’s white paper, Satisfying the Changing Consumer: The Winning Restaurant Formula. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

With strict enforcement of time limits, free parking can enhance commerce. Short-term parking meters are meant to encourage frequent turnover of spaces in key areas. Trouble is, people are often unprepared with quarters when they need to park, and so may avoid stopping at all. This informal parking survey was sent to downtown businesses in Davenport, IA, to solicit opinions on a range of solutions. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Facing widespread blight, large redevelopment zones should strengthen downtown. Taking into account its decades of decline and sobering economic and demographic trends, the City of Cedartown, GA (est. pop. 10,120), is taking a practical and holistic approach to preparing downtown for economic relevance and redevelopment. The Cedartown Redevelopment Plan puts downtown development in the context of communitywide revitalization. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

New downtown organization tackles weak local awareness. Creating a strong brand identity for downtown has been an early focus area for the Castle Rock, CO, DDA. Among its accomplishments is this well-produced, quarterly newsletter that informs area residents about what downtown has to offer. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

November 15, 2009

Downtown organization seeks to establish BID for next phase of growth. Established in 2002, the not-for-profit Great American Downtown, Nashua, NH (est. pop. 86,580), organization relies on special events as its primary source of income. Over time, this has led to problems as sponsorship dollars have become less plentiful while the organization seeks to do ever more ambitious work. See the letter to downtown Nashua business/property owners regarding a proposed Business Improvement District. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Parking policy is seen as key to downtown’s economic development. A major reorganization in the City of Salem, OR (est. pop. 153,400), reflects changing priorities and a new vision of parking as an integral part of economic development in the downtown core. See a map of Salem’s Downtown Parking Plan, which shows a preponderance of free two-hour on-street parking around approximately 20 blocks of the downtown core. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

November 1, 2009

Laying the foundation for upper-story housing. Downtown revitalization efforts are luring many residents back to city centers. Yet, downtowns face inherent challenges in developing their market-rate housing stock to meet these needs. In 2006, Main Street Concord, Concord, NH (est. pop. 42,260), for example, set its sights on stimulating market-rate housing in upper stories of existing downtown buildings. To begin to pursue this top priority, the objective of the Downtown Housing Committee, a sub-committee of its Economic Development Committee, was to explore the practical, financial, and market conditions that would be necessary to encourage upper-story residential redevelopment. The results of its site evaluations are presented in the group’s 2007 Downtown Housing Study, Concord, New Hampshire. Each site study includes photos and descriptions of the buildings, relevant zoning details, conceptual floor plans drafted by an architect, a financial analysis, and conclusions about the property’s redevelopment potential. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Bicycle and rider accommodations can make downtowns more accessible via transit. A great solution to move more people in and out of transit centers serving downtown is also a very old one most of us learned to use as children — the bicycle. Clearly, transit centers serving downtowns have an opportunity to become more viable and user-friendly at a relatively low cost if they can better accommodate bicycles and their riders. Mobis Transportation/Bikestation has worked with a number of agencies and organizations in the planning, development, and implementation of bike-transit facilities next to downtown transit stations like this converted storefront in Pioneer Square near King Street Station, Seattle, WA, and this purpose-built facility serving Union Station, Washington, DC. They also design and develop modular facilities like this one slated for Covina, CA. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Curb panhandling while delivering much needed help. Panhandling, unfortunately, is a fairly universal problem for downtown districts, even the very best ones. And, it creates a negative atmosphere that can drive people away and keep them away. To mitigate the problem, downtowns must encourage the general public to stop rewarding this behavior, and to provide help in more meaningful ways. The Downtown Alliance of Salt Lake City, UT (pop. 181,700), which recently unveiled an educational campaign designed to discourage donations to panhandlers and encourage donations to local social service organizations instead, also teamed with the mayor’s administration, which drafted a panhandling ordinance that was submitted to public comment. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Putting good, bad, and ugly of citywide events into perspective. Even if the disruption of hosting a high-profile, citywide event hurts small businesses in the short term, the long-term benefits should not be overlooked. Be it a convention, sporting event, or even a classic car show on the main street, downtown should embrace and capitalize on these rare opportunities by making the best impression it can on new visitors and the news media covering the event.

By forcing downtown to put its best foot forward — sometimes in a hurry — high-profile events can also provide a shot in the arm to critical activities like business recruitment. For example, in the four months it had to get ready for the G-20 Summit of world leaders in September, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP), Pittsburgh, PA (est. pop. 310,000), did a number of key things to ensure the event’s success and a positive image of downtown. Read the wrap-up letter that Michael Edwards, CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, sent to members after the G-20 Summit. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Home-grown scavenger hunts. The November issue of Downtown Promotion Reporter, discusses strategies for bringing a professional scavenger hunt producer downtown and provides lessons from the pros. If you’re creating your own scavenger hunt, these three events, which were originally covered in the August issue of Downtown Promotion Reporter, will provide inspiration. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

October 15, 2009

RFP Announcement. The City of Huntington Park, CA, is soliciting Requests for Proposals (RFP) from qualified individuals, firms, and/or consultants to conduct a study to review the City’s existing business based Business Improvement District (BID) including an assessment of a fee adjustment for the existing district, a review of a physical expansion of the existing district, and a review of a property owner-based expansion of BID membership. (Downtown Digest)

When a mixed-use redevelopment defaulted, this city forged ahead to improve the main street. When the City of Sunnyvale, CA (est. pop. 132,100), embarked on a 184-acre mixed-use redevelopment of a downtown mall, the last thing economic development manager Connie Verceles expected was that the developer would fail. In the wake of the stalled mall redevelopment, the City made a strategic decision to forge ahead with public investment in improving the infrastructure of Murphy Avenue, which is chock full of independent restaurants and bars, and immediately north of the redevelopment area. View design details from the Murphy Avenue Master Plan. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

October 1, 2009

Downtown acts on short-term implementation steps suggested by master plan. To steer more investment, development, and sorely needed pedestrian activity downtown, the City of Blue Springs, MO (est. pop. 55,700), developed a new downtown master plan in 2006. “The downtown area is the personality, heart, and soul of any community,” says Mayor Carson Ross. But as new development has gone elsewhere, that personality has become rather flat and utilitarian: “People come downtown to go to city hall, to the post office, and the police station. Those are your major attractions.” Through redeveloping downtown, he says, “We want to be able to offer something that will entice people to come downtown for a purpose, but then after that, have a want rather than a need to be downtown.” Since the city council adopted the plan in February 2007, many of the short-term implementation projects have been completed. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Downtown “creates“ a spokesperson and builds a marketing campaign around him. The Cheyenne (WY, pop. 56,920) Downtown Development Authority (DDA) created an urban legend — an urban cowboy legend, more precisely — as the downtown’s resident songsmith, troubadour, and mystery mascot. His name is a mix of what people tend to be when they come to downtown with what they expect to see a lot of locals wearing in Cheyenne, Wyoming: Boots Walker. A DDA press release last December introduced us to the multi-media “marketing campaign championed by spokesperson Boots Walker” and two songs credited to him, with the headline, “Recording Artist Boots Walker is coming ‘Back to Cheyenne.’” See and hear the music video for “Back to Cheyenne.” Here’s the poster that “Friends of Boots” merchants place in their windows to connect this new urban legend with foot traffic into their businesses. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Guide gives direction to new businesses. One of the most useful business recruitment tools we’ve seen is not geared to selling entrepreneurs on downtown, but rather preparing them with the information they need to succeed. Business Development in Downtown Lexington: A Guide for New and Expanding Businesses is a 10-page booklet developed by the Lexington Downtown Development Authority (LDDA), which guides business owners through the complex process of opening a business in downtown Lexington, KY (est. pop. 282,100). (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

September 15, 2009

New technology is making street trees more sustainable. A new underground soil cell system called Silva Cell is engineered and manufactured to be sturdy enough to support a sidewalk and heavy equipment above, while housing non-compacted soil in the voids below, allowing for tree roots to grow freely beneath the pavement, and have easier access to good soil as the street trees mature.

“Each Silva Cell is composed of a frame and a deck. Frames can be stacked one, two, or three units high before they are topped with a deck to create a maximum amount of soil volume for tree root growth and stormwater treatment. The cells can be spread laterally as wide as necessary — the Silva Cell is approximately 92% void space, enabling it to easily accommodate surrounding utilities,” explains Al Key, vice president of sales for Deep Root Partners, the company that designed and manufactures the Silva Cell. For more, see this technical sheet on how the system works. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

September 1, 2009

Street design guidelines provide best practices for quality and functionality. The New York City Street Design Manual, introduced earlier this year, provides policies and design guidelines for the improvement of streets and sidewalks throughout the five boroughs of the Big Apple. It is intended to serve as a comprehensive resource for promoting higher-quality street designs and more efficient project implementation. As a collection of current best practices in urban street design, the manual is worthy of study by downtowns of all sizes. Especially noteworthy is this Street Design Policy introduction, which gives the over-arching goals and principles of the NYC DOT for planning and designing city streets. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Business recruitment campaign features people who live and work downtown. Business recruitment materials should present opportunities, not just hard facts about office space — and they should be exciting. A great example is “It’s the Moment,” a business recruitment campaign featuring photography and profiles of a number of accomplished people from all walks of life who choose to do business and/or live in downtown Brooklyn, NY. The bulk of the campaign revolves around a direct mail piece sent to 1,500 commercial and retail real estate brokers and corporate decision-makers. The mailer contains a collection of full-color postcards profiling downtowners. Here are some examples. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

“It’s The Moment” ad

Postcard 1

Postcard 2

Postcard 3

August 15, 2009

Building inventory aids city and other stakeholders in making appropriate development decisions. Which downtown historic buildings are most important to preserve? As the saying goes, pick your battles. A building inventory can be a highly useful tool in doing so, by establishing a baseline or a reference point that is in place before any development that threatens an old building is proposed.

For example, at the request of the mayor in Lexington, KY (est. pop 282,100), the Division of Historic Preservation has drafted a 170-page, building-by-building inventory of 34 downtown blocks. Each downtown property in the study area was inventoried with a color photo, the name of the building, if known, its street address, approximate year of completion, and a brief architectural description. Each building built before 1965 was also categorized in terms of its importance through ranking terminology accepted in the historic preservation field. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

August 1, 2009

Market data is key to good strategies. Sound, insightful, and up-to-date market research and analysis will inform more realistic and ultimately more successful marketing and promotion. But for small downtowns in particular, good data and analysis is often hard to come by. Warren Brown, a senior public service associate and director of the Applied Demography Program at the University of Georgia, recommends a four-step process to develop more realistic, fact-based, and successful marketing strategies for downtown:

• Uncovering downtown’s unique niche.
• Tracking and sharing information.
• Understanding the trade area and market conditions.
• Studying successful downtowns.

In a paper titled, Successful Downtown Retail Districts, Brown expands on each of these points. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Donut ads promote newly renovated square, events, businesses. Recently, downtown Watertown, NY (est. pop. 27,440), finished a $7-million streetscape project that has given it a newly renovated public square to host special events. But tearing up the streets to make the improvements also disrupted downtown businesses for two and a half years. So to help get downtown and its businesses back on track, the board of directors of the Watertown Local Development Corporation authorized a budget of $65,000 for a co-op ad campaign promoting downtown, including these television and radio donut ads. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

University to acquire downtown hotel, remake as home to students and events. From time to time, even relatively recent developments need to be repurposed to contribute to their potential. A silver lining of the recession is that it facilitated an opportunity for reinvention of the 252-room Doubletree hotel in downtown Lowell, MA (est. pop. 103,500), and a larger University profile in downtown by UMass Lowell. In a move that will bring students and professionals directly to downtown, the University of Massachusetts Lowell has agreed to purchase the hotel, which will be renamed the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. It will provide housing for hundreds of University students, host professional and academic conferences, and also cater to summer festival tourism crowds. Read the detailed prospectus on plans for the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

July 15, 2009

Emphasis on mix of uses brings a long-struggling downtown back to viability. Downtown Flint, MI (est. pop. 114,700), is successfully changing gears from a shell-shocked former “Vehicle City” to a renovating college town. It has many underutilized but grand old buildings that were built during the auto industry’s boom times. Developers and civic leaders alike are focused on working with those assets to revitalize downtown, and return those grand old buildings to good economic use. Watch this video on Flint’s progress. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

July 1, 2009

Through philanthropies, downtown has found the funding to start planning its reinvention. In the midst of a recession and the aftermath of a hurricane, downtown Galveston, TX (pop. 57,470), has turned to area philanthropies to fund its $395,000 economic development plan. The plan’s development will be overseen by the Historic Downtown Strand Seaport Partnership, and will help shape the island city’s recovery after Hurricane Ike. Read a draft of the scope of services outlined for a downtown Galveston comprehensive plan. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

New uses for downtown’s shuttered car dealership. Stanford, KY (pop. 3,430), ran with an idea to transform their vacated downtown auto dealership into a small parking garage that also serves as a community center for seasonal events. Review the project’s executive summary and purpose statement. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Promoting shop-local message downtown. Education vs. gift certificate approaches. One approach to promoting local commerce is to make buying local a part of downtown’s marketing message or brand. The Bainbridge Island Downtown Association in Bainbridge, WA (pop. 20,310), took this approach with its “Think Bainbridge/Buy Local” campaign. Read the Think Bainbridge brand guidelines. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

June 15, 2009

Economic downturn creates window of opportunity to reform development process. Before the recession, the growing city of Asheville, NC (est. pop. 73,880), started seeing a quantity and scale of development proposals that was unprecedented since the 1920s. With no downtown height limits, an overwhelmed city council, and an activist population base, downtown development was becoming a highly politicized, reactive, and unpredictable process. That’s changing now. A silver lining of the recession is that it’s given Asheville a welcome opportunity to catch its breath, and create a new format where cooler heads may prevail, in the form of the new Asheville Downtown Master Plan. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Retail incubator program aims to boost critical mass of key shopping zones. Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated (DKI), Kalamazoo, MI (pop. 77,150), recently announced the availability of a new business development tool designed to assist small business owners get their concepts off the ground. A new retail incubation program will be run and managed by the Business Recruitment and Retention Committee of DKI. The Retail Incubation Program is one of the first retail-focused initiatives to come out of the new 2009 Downtown Kalamazoo Comprehensive Plan, which identifies building downtown retail as a strategic priority, based on focus groups with hundreds of community members last year. Unlike other incubator programs that identify a specific start-up property, DKI’s program is based on a model and method that encourages businesses to locate in the best space for the business. It’s expected to help two or three new businesses get started this year. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

June 1, 2009

Payment-in-lieu-of-parking fees can ease infill development constraints and parking shortage. Some cities allow downtown developers to pay fees into a municipal parking or traffic mitigation fund in lieu of providing the required parking on site. The fees can then be used to provide public parking that is strategically located according to need. Such a solution was recently implemented by way of a payment-in-lieu-of-parking code amendment ordinance in Cold Spring, MN (pop. 2,980). All money paid in accordance with the city’s payment-in-lieu-of-parking policy is deposited into a special account known as the “Parking Improvement Fund.” The city council may authorize expenditures from the Parking Improvement Fund only for the acquisition and/or development of off-street parking and related facilities, which are determined by the council to address the demand for parking within specific commercial blocks or nodes. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Grand yet shuttered downtown theater is purchased by CVB. Downtown Wheeling, WV (pop. 31,400), has a classic theater on its main street, the Capitol, which opened in 1928 and features a 2,450-seat auditorium. The Capitol Theatre was sold by Clear Channel Communications to LiveNation in the spring of 2005. After LiveNation purchased the venue, it remained largely dormant and underutilized. By August 2007, the venue was closed due to several fire and building code violations. Fortunately, downtown backers saw that day coming, and had already been long at work on a plan to purchase and resurrect the theater, to once again serve downtown as a vital cultural and economic engine. A study by Economics Research Associates conservatively estimates that the revived theater will attract at least 74,000 visitors per year through 62 events, led by the return of Wheeling Symphony Orchestra concerts. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

May 15, 2009

Identifying opportunities as short- or long-term helps to prioritize. Over the next few months, the Sussex Downtown Business Association board of directors will be prioritizing elements from Downtown Sussex — A Strategic Plan for the Redevelopment of the Central Business Area in Sussex, New Brunswick (pop. 4,240), and laying out a work plan for implementation, says Karen Black, the association’s general manager. To make choosing projects more manageable, the report divides key opportunities into short and mid- to long-term categories. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

May 1, 2009

Understand why people jaywalk, and whether the risk is acceptable. Jaywalking is something that we come to associate with the pedestrian-oriented culture of a downtown setting, and out of self-preservation, most people don’t do it too recklessly. But it should be safely managed. The Federal Highway Administration acknowledges the inevitability of this behavior, in its Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation-Lesson on Mid-Block Crossings.

Facade program has helped spur reinvestment and new interest in downtown. In downtown Vineland, NJ (pop. 56,270), improving the appearance of commercial buildings is part of an overall strategy to attract consumers and new businesses as well as to support existing businesses. Operation Facelift is the mission critical-sounding name of a facade improvement program that has successfully encouraged these improvements. Since 2006, over 70 commercial property owners have applied, with 12 renovations already finished and another 30 or so under way. View the program description and application for Operation Facelift, as well as the Design Guidelines for Main Street Vineland and an application for the town’s Facade Improvement Program for Non-Property Owners. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Assistance program boosts new and emerging events and promotions. To assist new and emerging events and promotions in downtown Grand Rapids, MI (pop. 197,800), the Downtown Alliance and Downtown Development Authority have partnered to develop a Downtown Events and Promotion Assistance Program. Requests and proposals for downtown events and promotions seeking assistance are accepted on a quarterly basis, and reviewed according to evaluation criteria presented in a seven-page application document View the events and promotion assistance program application form. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

April 15, 2009

Boosting long-term viability without detracting from small-town charm. A block-long building called The Plaza is the beginning of the 7.42-acre First Street Redevelopment Project, one of the largest undertakings in the history of St. Charles, IL (pop. 32,130). Opened last July, The Plaza looks like a traditional row of main street buildings but it actually contains a parking deck. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

The Plaza as seen from a bridge over the adjacent Fox River.

The Plaza facade as seen from across the street.

This flyer details The Plaza by numbers, and illustrates its views from all sides.

April 1, 2009

Three goals for today’s downtown leaders. Recently, Rich Bradley, executive director of the Downtown DC Business Improvement District, joined 12 other leaders of America’s top downtown organizations, as well as a leading real estate economist, to discuss implications of the global financial crisis on downtown management. Their conversations highlighted many initiatives that downtown executives from around the country are pursuing to adjust to the difficult times. View their full report, Downtowns and the Global Economic Crisis.

Capitalize on natural assets, and develop a critical mass of residents. In Sylvan Lake, Alberta (pop. 11,120), a lakefront redevelopment plan lays out strategies to capitalize on one of the best recreational lakes in the province. The plan presents a long-term vision for the downtown as a golf and spa resort. Already, by taking steps to improve its visual quality and pedestrian experience, Sylvan Lake is slowly attracting more and more retiree residents and large crowds of weekend tourists in the summer months. Read the Town of Sylvan Lake Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

BID showcases sponsorship opportunities in annual catalog. The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership in New York City is soliciting sponsorship funds from area businesses that will help facilitate the implementation of neighborhood improvement and marketing projects. Corporate sponsors receive brand recognition and logo placement that’s visible throughout the business district. They may choose to sponsor individual items or select “Adopt-A-Block” sponsorship packages that provide support for BID initiatives and yield maximum exposure for their brand and/or company. View the available sponsorship opportunities, as presented in the BID’s 2009 Sponsorship Program Catalog.(Downtown Promotion Reporter)

March 15, 2009

Help downtown improve its most important asset. The format of a walkability checklist should be compact and simple enough for people to check off what’s working well and what’s missing without much fuss. Walk San Diego has produced this fine example of one, with 25 questions covering four categories. Each category has one page in an 8.5“ x 5.5“ booklet, with room at the bottom for notes. (Downtown Idea Exchange).

March 1, 2009

With a more expansive board, BID looks to expand its service to members. After just five short years in existence, the Erie Downtown Partnership has remade itself to better serve the needs of all downtowners. The activities of the partnership include more than doubling the size of its board of directors to better represent the needs of all downtown business and property owners. As a result, the partnership has become far more effective and focused, its new director says. This year, the organization is looking at what it can provide its members beyond the usual events and marketing work that primarily serves downtown’s retail and entertainment industries. Read the recent Erie Downtown Partnership CEO Report to the public. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Bring tourists and other travelers into downtown businesses. It’s imperative for downtowns to do all that they can to attract tourist and traveler dollars, says retail consultant Barbara Wold. To do this she advocates making a shopping trip downtown as enjoyable and memorable as possible. In other words, to make it refreshingly unlike the transactional, ‘get the commodities and go’-oriented sameness of shopping online or in a big box chain store. Wold presented her ideas on enhancing the value of downtown tourists in a webinar that is part of the Innovation Lab Series presented by the National Main Street Center. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Why Tourists Shop — Log

Why Tourists Shop — Handouts

February 15, 2009

Downtown seeks growth through revitalized waterfront, and enhanced cultural offerings. In Westport, CT (pop. 26,640), downtown parking and open space beside the river have long been in too-short supply. Fortunately, Westport has a Plan Implementation Committee, as well as a year-old Downtown Subcommittee, to ensure progress is made in addressing those issues, and advancing various ideas and goals to enhance downtown. View the work of Westport’s latest planning effort, completed in 2007. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

February 1, 2009

Downtown organizations can help local businesses face turbulent times. What can downtown organizations do to support local businesses during these challenging times? Three key things, according to “Thriving in a Slow Economy,” a recent National Main Street Center Innovation Lab Webinar presented by economic restructuring specialist Todd Barman, a program officer with the National Trust Main Street Center:

• Stay the course.
• Help businesses keep pace with the market.
• Monitor and report on economic performance.

(Downtown Idea Exchange)

Campaign helps to recover and rebuild. In June 2008, Cedar Rapids, IA (est. pop. 126,400), suffered a flood that was among the worst natural disasters in American history. In response to the disaster, the Cedar Rapids Downtown District quickly assembled the “Rebuild Downtown” campaign. It included full-page ads in Sunday editions of the city newspaper in August and October, listing businesses that were coming back, as well as a full-page ad in the area business journal. There were also radio ads, each featuring this intro and outro message, sandwiching three or four business owners declaring their intent to return downtown. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

To develop a brand for downtown think of her as a movie star. Developing a strong brand for downtown can help guide your promotions and advertising, as well as provide a touchstone for visitors to remember long after they’ve left. But before the promotions and ad campaigns begin, the downtown organization must craft a brand that highlights the best of what downtown has to offer. A recent podcast from Virginia Main Street shows the way. Download a worksheet for hosting a session to find your brand personality. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

January 15, 2009

Site visits demonstrate value of modern streetcar. At least 40 cities are exploring modern streetcar plans, and more than a dozen have existing lines. One downtown exploring the idea is Fort Worth, TX (2007 est. pop. 681,800). Last year, the Fort Worth mayor and city council appointed a Modern Streetcar Study Committee to examine the feasibility of streetcars in the downtown core. The committee worked for six months, looking at previous studies, identifying favored routes for a starter corridor, estimating capital and operating costs along with potential funding sources, and proposing the next steps for city council to take. View the resulting Modern Streetcar Study Committee Recommendations. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

January 1, 2009

RFP ensures fair price for study of downtown parking needs. Following a request for proposals (RFP) process that yielded a wide range in bid estimates, the Brighton (MI, pop. 6,700) Downtown Development Authority is commissioning its first comprehensive parking study in a decade. When issuing an RFP for a study, “you really need to be very precise about what your expectations are,” in terms of the final product and the process used to achieve it, advises Piet Lindhout, CEO of Brighton architecture and engineering firm Lindhout Associates. (Downtown Idea Exchange)

Work with state DOT to lead visitors into downtown. Working with the state department of transportation, the Downtown Development Authority of Traverse City, MI (pop. 14,530), has hired hometown firm Corbin Design to create a comprehensive wayfinding and signage system for the downtown. Here’s a preview of draft designs for the system. (Downtown Promotion Reporter)

Rethinking and rebuilding for a cleaner, greener downtown. Following a tornado disaster, Greensburg, KS (pop. 1,570), decided to rebuild the downtown with a real emphasis on “green.” BNIM Architects has worked closely with the city to develop a master plan that strives to balance long-term economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Greensburg also recently established downtown design guidelines, a set of architectural and site-specific practices for creating the kind of downtown it wants. (Downtown Idea Exchange)