Vision

Sub Categories: Vision

Advancing Places: Strategic Planning for Your Organization

Place management organizations vary from city to city whether it be in size, structure, funding or implementation strategies, but ultimately performance needs to align with the downtown and its stakeholders. Hear from three seasoned professionals and the work they are doing to keep their strategic plan front and center.  

Brent Toderian Master Talk

Brent Toderian is a nationally and internationally respected thought-leader on better cities, and a leading global practitioner in city planning, urban design, transportation, downtown revitalization and advanced urbanism with 30+ years of experience.

2030 Strategic Vision Plan

Downtown Greensboro is the economic hub of North Carolina’s Triad region, and it reflects the history, diversity, energy, and talents of the entire community. Every 10 years, Downtown Greensboro, Inc. (DGI) partners with the City of Greensboro and Guilford County to set a course for the next decade of Downtown development and growth. Past plans have focused resources for strategic investments, catalytic projects and transformative programs.

Planning for a New Downtown Management Organization

In the late 2000s, the City of Tulsa, being dissatisfied with the management of the downtown improvement district, disbanded the private downtown management organization in place by terminating the long-time improvement district. In 2018, a new mayoral administration evaluated the existing downtown management structure and determined that a public-private partnership model should be explored. DCC staff developed a planning scope and timeline to convene stakeholders and partners for the process.

Project Spotlight: Engage Your Community

The Longest Table has welcomed local Grand Forks, North Dakota residents to sit down for a free meal in a welcoming environment with people they may not have known, to foster stronger connections, exchange stories, discuss community challenges and spur civic innovation. The Longest Table has been successful in engaging underrepresented populations in important civic conversations; providing everyday citizens with tools to be active participants in creating the community they want to have.

Bold Downtown: Public Realm Visioning for 21st Century Business Districts

This session explores opportunities for BIDs to lead public and private stakeholders in developing a vision framework and capital plan to unlock the public realm for a more livable, competitive and dynamic downtown. Panelists will share tactical and permanent strategies to improve pedestrian safety; promote subway and bus use; create greener and more sustainable streets; and celebrate the district’s identity.

Completion of the Boynton Harbor Marina Redevelopment Project

January 2017 marked the completion of the Marina Open Space Project, one of three redevelopment phases of the Marina Redevelopment Plan. The marina was purchased by the Boynton Beach CRA to maintain the “working waterfront” and ensure public access. The marina has nineteen, water-activity related businesses and three waterfront restaurants. The operation of the marina and the creation of much needed public waterfront areas is consistent with the mission of the Boynton Beach CRA and the Boynton Beach Downtown Vision & Master Plan.

City of the Future: 2018 Gilbert Heritage District Redevelopment plan

The purpose of the 2018 Heritage District Redevelopment Plan is to serve as a visioning document which focuses on attracting uses that will stimulate growth and complement the area’s identity. The plan identifies and prioritizes short, middle, and long-term goals, provides tactics to achieve goals and objectives, provides recommendations for documents such as the Heritage District Design Guidelines, and delivers the very first master plan to guide development of town-owned land in the district.

Molly Cox Master Talk

Molly Cox is the President and CEO of SA2020, a nonprofit organization that drives progress toward a shared community vision for a thriving San Antonio. In this role, she serves as a facilitator, storyteller, convener, fundraiser, communicator, data analyst, policy wonk, and connector. A Certified Nonprofit Professional, with a master’s degree in political science from UTSA, Molly has also run a University Center, managed her own consulting business, and worked in radio and television.

Strategic Planning for Downtowns

Whether it’s preparing for P/BID formation or renewal, or to refresh a downtown management organization that needs to diversify its funding and approach, strategic planning is an essential tool to guide downtown managers and board members. This session will provide an overview on the benefits of strategic planning for downtown organizations, and then focus on two recent strategic planning efforts undertaken for the Old Pasadena Management District and the iconic Santa Monica Pier.

Parramore Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan

The Parramore Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan focuses on creating a healthy, sustainable, and vibrant community that prepares for the future while preserving, enhancing, and celebrating the culture and heritage of Parramore. The Plan contains the community’s vision for their neighborhoods based on a set of Healthy Community Design principles, and provides strategies with short, mid and long term action items.

Downtown Development Framework

The Downtown Development Framework (DDF) is both a vision for downtown Oklahoma City and an innovative set of guidelines The DDF provides specific direction for development, by defining land uses and density and guiding the design of the public and private realms. Application of these development guidelines will help perpetuate downtown as a dense, vibrant, and sustainable core of commerce and culture in Oklahoma City.

The 360 Plan

In partnership with the City of Dallas, Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) developed The 360 Plan, a five-year comprehensive and strategic plan for a clear, cohesive vision for downtown’s future. To achieve this vision, Downtown Dallas 360 set forth specific, implementable actions that support Downtown’s long-term vibrancy and success, including transit, streets, public spaces, urban design, housing, and parking.

Vision Cedar Rapids Downtown Framework Plan

In 2007, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance commissioned the first Vision Cedar Rapids Downtown Framework Plan to mold a clear, unified vision for downtown, which directly informed the planning efforts in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 flood event. With the framework for flood recovery in place, the plan was updated in 2017 to launch to an even bigger and broader plan for the future.

Retail Strategic Plan

The City of Cambridge is experiencing rapid changes in consumer purchasing habits; in particular the growth in on-line shopping that impacts traditional downtown districts. The city realized that they needed to better understand these macro trends, and needed guidance to enable city staff and leaders, as well and the business community to develop best practice policy prescriptions that could be effectively implemented by the City and embraced by the community.

Oswego, New York, DRI Strategic Investment Plan

The small city of Oswego parlayed a $10 million state grant into more than $50 million in new downtown investment. Even after years of decline, Oswego retains some important assets to build on: walkable scale, historic buildings, and a beautiful setting on the Oswego River. The city won state funding to create a plan that identified specific projects, explained how they would benefit downtown, and showed that they could attract other money.

Big Spring Partners Advisory Panel: Renewed Mission and Leadership

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel focused on tailoring a fresh mission and vision for the downtown organization while also providing guidelines for how to hire and lead the organization. The report detail’s the panel’s findings and recommendations.

Colorado Springs ULI/IDA Advisory Panel: Affecting a Downtown Reniassance

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel was tasked with creating a strategy for a downtown renaissance. The panel highlighted assets to leverage, identified challenges, and identified specific opportunities to execute high-payoff actions to focus time and funding on. The presentation details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

GSA Federal Courthouse / Civic Center Mall Toledo Advisory Panel: Making a Place

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. In this instance the panel was tasked with assessing the “sad, tired, and dismal” Civic Center Mall and determining whether the formation of a place management organization would be beneficial. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

City of Tulsa Advisory Panel: How to Bring Bustle to Downtown

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel was asked to assess the downtown’s on-the-street activity, street level offerings, and the governance and partnerships managing the downtown area. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

South Side Pittsburgh Advisory Panel: Mission Update and Solving Community Challenges

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel focused on creating a strategic framework for the South Side Local Development Company, assessing the viability of an improvement district, and providing expert insight on best practices for economic vitality. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership Advisory Panel: Strategic Visioning

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. The CHDP was looking to refine their organization’s mission and community vision ahead of their search for a new executive director. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

Huntington Beach Downtown BID Advisory Panel: Visioning and Organizational Restructuring

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel focused on creating a fresh strategic vision and a restructuring of the management organization to improve efficiency. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

City of San Antonio Advisory Panel: Visioning for a Changing Downtown

IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel focused on helping the community and city government build a vision for downtown San Antonio as well as outlining the need for an organization to manage the downtown. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.

Sizzling Second Tier Cities: Action Plans Reshaping Downtowns

Second tier cities are heating up and market-based action plans can provide a catalyst to reshape downtowns. Hear how Reno NV, Evansville IN and London ON all used recent downtown plans as a springboard to create energy and attract investment, thereby strengthening the role of downtown organizations that are rapidly becoming agents of change in each city.