Type: Award

Downtown Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, faces the same issue as many other downtowns: how to challenge the perception-based fear of visitors encountering the homeless and mentally ill population – whether it be general panhandling, or people stopping traffic by knocking on car windows. Businesses were becoming increasingly vocal about the impact this was having on their ability to do business, had lost faith in the municipality’s approach to a solution and were looking to the DBA for answers. The difference is how the Red Deer Downtown Business Association approached the challenge. The Red Deer Downtown Business Association holds the contract from the local municipality to keep the streets of the BRZ clean and free from litter. The DBA formed a partnership with A Gathering Place, a clubhouse for adult individuals with mental illness located within the BRZ. Members of A Gathering Place are contracted by the DBA to work as part of the Community Clean Team for several hours a week. The DBA has not increased its budget to provide this service, it has simply re-appropriated funds to contract out to the Gathering Place. The partnership with A Gathering Place allows the BRZ to provide meaningful employment for a minority group who may not otherwise have an opportunity to showcase their skills and community pride. They started with only two individuals on the team and have now grown to four, with many more wanting to join the team. Although they have yet to see any of the participants move into other full-time employment as a direct result of being involved in the Community Clean Team, they have been able to increase the individuals’ hours on the team due to their aptitude on the job. This alone is a milestone. This program provides meaningful daily activity to a marginalized population that receives a fair wage; and proves to the business community that we can embrace the entire community we live and work within to mutual benefit.

Once perceived as a neglected part of town, Downtown Sioux Falls now reigns as the dynamic and thriving city center of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Retail sales have steadily increased in recent years, while downtown office and residential vacancy rates have continued to decline. In the last four years, over 95 new businesses have opened in the downtown district. Through the significant growth the downtown has undergone, Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. experienced a common challenge: communicating to individual business owners and new residents regarding their responsibilities and roles within the dynamic mixed-use neighborhood. The organization’s goal was to create a guide to help foster a healthy and thriving environment for both the resident and business owner, and create expectations for everyone to be good neighbors. The Good Neighbor Guide provides information on resolution of conflicts that may occur from living and working in a vibrant and growing central business district, as well important information on city ordinances and regulations. The organization has received positive feedback from stakeholders and has been requested to present this guide to City Council and neighboring communities. This guide can easily be replicated for any downtown organization, but Downtown Sioux Falls notes that it will take a great deal of staff time to coordinate and facilitate the significant amount of stakeholder outreach needed to make such a project successful.

Seattle’s Downtown Transportation Alliance (DTA) is a unique public/private collaboration – forged to address a parking crisis – that has facilitated tremendous private investment and downtown growth, while reducing the city’s reliance on single-family automobiles by making it easy for downtown workers to walk, bike, ride transit, or utilize many alternative transportation choices. An additional value is outstanding public/private coordination about construction mitigation, allocation of rights-of-way, transit routes, and traffic, as well as public space activation, civility, and many other issues. A dozen years ago, downtown Seattle’s public and private leaders realized that they simply could not build enough parking to support all of the development that was underway or planned in the thriving city center. The solution was to promote development by encouraging people to get downtown some other way than driving alone. This center city promotion – coupled with Commute Seattle’s innovative application of the state’s Commute Trip Reduction law – are highly replicable in other cities. The law requires large employers to actively participate in transportation mitigation; to offer transportation amenities and benefits, to track progress, and to quantifiably reduce vehicle trips. Many business communities may consider such regulations burdensome, but DTA and Commute Seattle’s business-oriented approach allows the regulations to be seen as more carrot and less stick – an opportunity to partner with the government to increase downtown’s competitiveness relative to suburban employers. In 2000, nearly 50% of downtown Seattle commuters drove to work. Sustaining both employment growth and a 50% drive-alone rate would have required the gutting of the city: new parking garages, widespread teardowns, and widened roads. Instead, the DTA and Commute Seattle were formed to reduce the drive-alone rate to just 30% by 2016, and by 2014 – two years ahead of schedule – the drive-alone rate has been reduced to just 31% despite adding over 50,000 jobs since 2009.

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In April 2014, with the help of involved community partners, Midtown Business Association launched its first “Pop-Up Dog Park” in Sacramento, California. MBA found that their community of residents, artists, dog lovers and collaborators were missing out on an off-leash dog park experience, and such a place would fit right in with Midtown’s unique vibe and lively social environment. The local media was supportive of the new concept, and two television stations provided live news coverage of the inaugural event. Between 30 and 50 dogs and their owners enjoyed the mobile dog-friendly experience, which continued monthly through October 2014. Throughout the seven-month season, a series of special activities were also added to the “Pop-Up Dog Park” to extend its value and offer fundraising opportunities. Some of the additional activities included animal shelters who promoted pet adoptions or microchip services, and interested vendors providing cider tastings, gift giveaways and more. Due to the first season’s success, a number of future opportunities have developed. On a small scale, MBA has since leveraged its dog-friendly reputation and developed a promotional flyer which lists more than 20 dog-friendly patios of area restaurants and bars. In 2015, the “Pop-Up Dog Park” kicked off with a fun “Dog Days of Summer” PR campaign intended to draw attention to the dog-friendly restaurants and patios, as well as raise funds for the local animal shelter. In addition, Sacramento has since revised its space ordinances to allow for smaller permanent dog parks; one is currently under development.

For three months during the winter, a bland parking lot is transformed into a winter wonderland. ICE at Santa Monica, Downtown Santa Monica’s 8,000-square-foot, outdoor ice skating rink boasts brightly colored bistro tables, holiday décor and party tents. The rink, which was created eight years ago, has become a home for the holidays for many families, serving as the perfect spot to create lasting memories and experience the joys of skating on ice, something rare in Southern California. It’s an ice rink, but more importantly, it’s a community gathering space where Santa Monicans can reconnect and foster meaningful relationships. Skaters and their families feel safe and comfortable at ICE, returning multiple times during the season and choosing to hold over 150 birthday parties and other celebrations there. ICE at Santa Monica has become a tremendous success, attracting more than 58,000 skaters in the 2014-15 season, and is now self-sustaining. Last season ICE generated more than $1 million dollars, allowing DTSM to reinvest in ICE to enhance the experience, which will further increase its popularity. Over the years, DTSM has taken on more responsibility for the construction and management of the rink, bringing more duties in-house to streamline the operation, having more control over the customer experience and cutting costs to ensure a larger profit. Since it has become a community asset, the rink has ensured its own future. A private developer of city-owned land has committed to building a permanent rink at ICE’s current location when the vacant parking lot is transformed into housing, office space and a luxury hotel. ICE will forever have a home in Downtown Santa Monica.

In the spring of 2015, Downtown Huntsville, Alabama, advocates began to explore the possibility of creating a temporary entertainment experience that would be free and accessible to the broadest number of participants. After considering several options, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. decided to develop a 20-hole “pop-up” putt putt course in the downtown core that was open 24 hours a day, seven days per week for 10 days. The goal was to create an experience that was approachable, visually dynamic, interesting for observers, and playable by individuals of all ages, including those with disabilities. Putt Putt was selected because of its inter-generational popularity, but it typically has not been an ideal fit for urban locations because of its large footprint. Installing a temporary course spread throughout the downtown could mitigate this need for space. The “Downtown Open” project is highly representative and diverse in that all 20 holes were sponsored by a variety of local and multi-national companies. The response to the Downtown Open was positive and widespread. In addition to extensive print, radio, television, and on-line coverage for the event, over 2,500 people played the course during the event with many more people observing the tournaments and related events.

For 24 years the seasonal Downtown Farmers Market in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been creating community and building relationships between families, neighbors, farmers, food vendors, artists and other downtown businesses. Located in the historically crime-challenged Depot District, the market has a significant positive impact on the neighborhood, encouraging investment in a food-based, micro-economy around the park and acting as a giant test kitchen for dozens of local entrepreneurs. Building upon the success of the seasonal summer market, the Downtown Alliance launched a Winter Farmers Market in November 2012 as an alternative marketplace for consumers and producers to exchange ideas and goods. A plan was formed that included putting together a series of “Pop-Up” markets in different locations, as the Downtown Alliance was challenged in finding a permanent location in a short time. Built in 1910 for the Denver Rio Grande and Western Railroad, the Rio Grande Depot is one of Utah’s most iconic buildings. While the building is home to several state agencies, local businesses believed it could become more of an active community space. After successful negotiations with the State of Utah, the Downtown Alliance was granted permission to use the building. The lease terms required detailed planning, build-out and execution. The biweekly Winter Market began in 2013 and wrapped up its second season in April 2015, running Saturdays from November to April. By the end of the 2015 season, the Winter Market averaged approximately 2,000 to 2,500 patrons per market with an average of 65 vendors. Both seasonal markets are part of a larger vision to activate the historic Rio Grande Depot building with daily, year-round programming, such as a demonstration kitchen, classes, food- and nutrition-related seminars, and brick-and-mortar retail establishments run by local farm market vendors.

San Antonio’s Houston Street was once one of downtown’s major business and entertainment corridors until the 1970s. Retailers slowly left over time, leaving the downtown core with storefronts that were boarded up or converted to discount uses that were not attractive to visitors or locals. The OPEN initiative began in December 2013 by the City of San Antonio’s Center City Development and Operations Department (CCDO) as a catalyst and an opportunity to showcase the benefits of downtown retail. OPEN allows selected local entrepreneurs to test out the downtown retail market and their product, pricing, and marketing efforts rent-free. This fills empty storefronts temporarily and brings attention to the potential benefits of long-term investment in the spaces. Since its beginning, OPEN has activated 12 spaces with 58 vendors over 3 years. Programming such as daily live music and food trucks, as well as an outdoor movie, social mixers, pet adoption events, and more create pedestrian traffic to support the pop-up shops throughout the two-week event in May. In 2015, stores were open from 5 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 6 pm on weekends. OPEN leverages the local creative economy by bringing local musicians, artists, and vendors to the area, which creates a vibrant district and a look into the area’s long-term investment potential. As a result of the OPEN program, property owners had new interest from potential tenants for featured spaces. Some vendors also explored options for opening a brick-and-mortar location as a result of their OPEN experience. OPEN’s social media presence has grown by 400% on Twitter and Instagram and there has already been a 200% increase in vendor applications for the next season. In 2015, the program garnered an estimated 3,595,395 media impressions and the program generated nearly $70,000 in earned media value over the two-week promotion, highlighting the positive economic impact of even temporarily disrupting the status quo of non-activity in a neighborhood. The program has been recognized as a model that can be tailored to meet the individual needs of any community.

Brazilian Beat is Boca Raton’s official festival for Brazil’s Independence Day, which celebrates pride in country, passionate patriotism and cultural identity. Now in its third year, this signature annual event brings together the art of music and dance with a cultural celebration of Brazil and its Independence Day. More than 11,000 visitors from Boca Raton and across South Florida descended into the heart of Downtown Boca to enjoy the entertainment, driving business traffic to downtown. The event has emerged as a successful example of the goals of the Boca Raton CRA and the vision for downtown – where residents, businesses and visitors unite in a vibrant and happening destination, celebrating culture and spirit that is very much part of the community. More than 300,000 Brazilians call the South Florida region home, and more than half of the 25 U.S. communities with a high percentage of people of Brazilian ancestry are in South Florida. Attendees to the 2014 Brazilian Beat were treated to an electrifying cultural experience like no other. In one jam-packed evening, event-goers enjoyed genuine Brazilian entertainment: Zumba and Samba showcases, Capoeira dancers, carnival dancers and drummers, and delicious Brazilian fare. In addition to being a wonderful cultural event, Brazilian Beat also boosts the local economy. Many businesses call Downtown Boca home, including shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, and salons. Large scale events like Brazilian Beat increase business foot traffic and same-day sales, building return visitors and brand recognition. Continued feedback from the downtown businesses has proven that Brazilian Beat is one of Boca Raton’s largest events, and with it comes thousands of consumers who are ready to spend before, during and after the event. From the inaugural event in 2012, Brazilian Beat has been deemed an “official” Brazilian Independence Day celebration from the Brazilian Consulate in Miami. This designation has proved invaluable in positioning the event as culturally authentic, providing government- level promotion and helping to secure global funding in the form of financial sponsorships and in-kind services.

In 1996, police, merchants, and local government officials recognized a growing crisis within the downtown business district in Burlington (Vermont’s largest city). The frequency and severity of unlawful and anti-social behavior of youth and adults with mental illnesses and a history of substance abuse was negatively impacting the public’s perception of safety, the business climate, and the general quality of life downtown. In 2000, a public-private partnership was created and the Street Outreach program was launched. Street Outreach interventionists make efforts to prevent and address disruptive and anti-social behaviors of individuals who demonstrate acute and chronic mental illness, substance abuse, and, increasingly, issues that defy traditional diagnoses but point to serious functional impairments. The impact on the downtown over the past fourteen years has been significant. Street Outreach team members have reduced the number of crisis responses (those involving the police) from 24% in FY01 to 8% in FY14 while increasing the number of interventions by 60% over the past 15 years. In FY14, Street Outreach team members had a demonstrable direct impact on clients 94% of the time. Much of the credit for the program’s success is due to collaborative community partnerships. Program funders and partners meet regularly to discuss program successes and challenges, ensuring the team can respond creatively and nimbly to emerging needs in the community. There are clear cost savings and benefits of this program, helping to prevent crises and the associated costs. Frequently, merchants choose to contact Street Outreach first, in lieu of calling Burlington Police Dispatch or 911. Other communities have started to build similar social services programs on this model, and the system is replicable with a nimble leadership structure and shared funding commitments.

The neighborhood where the South Park Business Improvement District (SPBID) is located in Downtown Los Angeles is a vital economic driver for the City; however, poor district conditions prevented the area from having a walkable, pedestrian-friendly reputation. To directly address the problem, the SPBID formed a Strategic Plan to enhance the physical environment. First, the SPBID identified a company to conduct a district survey, detecting 800 trip hazards that could be repaired with a unique “saw-cutting” technique. The total cost for the survey, city time and construction was less than $80,000 and resulted in the elimination of all hazards – in just 14 working days. Secondly, the BID took inventory of current trees and identified locations and funding to plant new trees. This resulted in 19 new street trees planted and 38 new tree wells identified. Lastly, with the larger goal of beautifying the built environment, the SPBID developed a vision to transform the neighborhood into a cultural destination. The resounding results are seven completed large-scale murals. While each one of these components seems different in nature, they collectively transformed South Park into a safe, beautiful and desirable neighborhood for pedestrians and businesses alike.

Lake George lies in Eastman Park in the heart of St. Cloud’s Downtown and originally served as a community gathering spot for many generations. Over the years, portions of the Lake were filled in for downtown development, the lake’s spring source became clogged, and crime in the area became a problem. The City cleaned up the Lake’s water, built a walking track around the Lake, and closed the park’s deteriorated swimming pool, turning it into a community meeting center. The Rotary Club of St. Cloud was approached to become the lead redevelopment organization and they solicited donations from members and local and regional businesses, raising more than $1.5 million. Rotarians also contributed “sweat equity” into the project, laying brick sidewalks and sod as well as providing general oversight of the project. In May of 2011, the Council decided to hold a free, weekly festival during the summer featuring live music, food/retail vendors, a market, and a family/children section named Summertime by George! Seasonal attendance in the inaugural year was 45,000 and grew to 114,740 in 2014. More than 1,500 volunteer hours are donated each season and profits have increased each year from $33,375 in 2011 to $123,780 in 2014.

Downtown Halifax’s Date Night Marketing Campaign aimed to drive traffic to the Date Night page on their website and remind residents what Downtown Halifax has to offer. Specifically, the campaign targeted local couples spanning two generations: Millenials and Gen-X’ers. The campaign targeted letting downtown make date night easy. In partnership with Downtown Halifax-based agencies Extreme Group and Egg Studios, they used local actors and old-school recording techniques to recreate the very worst of the VHS dating videos, which were popular in the 80’s. The campaign was met with instant local success: the video gained over 100 shares and 10,000 views on Facebook within 24 hours, YouTube video views reached over 135,000, and Facebook video views and shares totaled over 39,000 and 440 respectively. The Date Night promo packages sold out and the estimated earned media value was over $750,000. On the heels of this success, and inspired by a tweet, Downtown Halifax decided to treat a random couple from Toronto to an allexpenses paid dream date. To make sure their audiences could share in the experience, they made a video documenting the date. With the #DanAndAyesha Promotional Video, Downtown Halifax aimed to capitalize on the attention drawn to downtown. All expenses were paid, courtesy of Downtown Halifax Business Commission—with a camera crew in tow. Dependent on the cooperation of several Downtown businesses and stakeholders to make it happen, Downtown Halifax got to work partnering with several businesses—from the hotel for the penthouse suite, to the various restaurants and destinations that comped their experiences. The video received 117 shares on Facebook, and over 371 likes.

Downtown Halifax’s Date Night Marketing Campaign aimed to drive traffic to the Date Night page on their website and remind residents what Downtown Halifax has to offer. Specifically, the campaign targeted local couples spanning two generations: Millenials and Gen-X’ers. The campaign targeted letting downtown make date night easy. In partnership with Downtown Halifax-based agencies Extreme Group and Egg Studios, they used local actors and old-school recording techniques to recreate the very worst of the VHS dating videos, which were popular in the 80’s. The campaign was met with instant local success: the video gained over 100 shares and 10,000 views on Facebook within 24 hours, YouTube video views reached over 135,000, and Facebook video views and shares totaled over 39,000 and 440 respectively. The Date Night promo packages sold out and the estimated earned media value was over $750,000. On the heels of this success, and inspired by a tweet, Downtown Halifax decided to treat a random couple from Toronto to an allexpenses paid dream date. To make sure their audiences could share in the experience, they made a video documenting the date. With the #DanAndAyesha Promotional Video, Downtown Halifax aimed to capitalize on the attention drawn to downtown. All expenses were paid, courtesy of Downtown Halifax Business Commission—with a camera crew in tow. Dependent on the cooperation of several Downtown businesses and stakeholders to make it happen, Downtown Halifax got to work partnering with several businesses—from the hotel for the penthouse suite, to the various restaurants and destinations that comped their experiences. The video received 117 shares on Facebook, and over 371 likes.

In 2012, the City of Santa Monica revised its event ordinances and resumed control of event permitting on Third Street Promenade, a function previously overseen by Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM). The result was an average decrease of $138,000 in DTSM’s annual operating budget. After much creative problem solving, a parking structure advertising program was developed under DTSM’s leadership. DTSM identified an opportunity to install advertising displays on the interior walls of ten City-owned public parking structures flanking the Third Street Promenade pedestrian mall. Advertisements would be shielded from the public right-of-way, yet visible to the millions of visitors, residents, and employees who park in the garages each year. In just over one and a half years of operation, the program has generated more than $1.15 million in gross revenues, resulting in proceeds of $138,000 for Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. and $552,000 for the City of Santa Monica.

National coalition “Downtowns Canada,” composed of Halifax, Fredericton, Ottawa, Toronto, London, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria, banded together to produce a study that examined the return on investing in downtowns, assessed the changes in attitudes, perceptions, functionality and performance over time. To fund the project, each city contributed $10,000. The results were astonishing. Published in 2012 and made available on the International Downtown Association’s website, the study did not go unnoticed. Other Canadian cities were eager to participate and a second edition was published in 2013 to include downtown Charlottetown, Kingston, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Windsor, Regina and North Vancouver. Research from both studies were integrated to provide readers with an extensive look at downtown revitalization efforts, successes, and economic contributions. Moving forward, a benchmark has been created and the group will continue to update the study every two years to measure their success, laying the framework for downtown advocacy, recording revitalization efforts, and sharing successes to inspire and inform city builders.

The Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA) held a forum in early May 2014 to discuss issues of transiency, public intoxication and panhandling. The meeting was well-attended and business members and social service providers alike had the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences. The meeting would serve as a catalyst for research of national best practices, data collection, and a DBA-City of Billings sponsored Community Innovations Summit. Efforts were made to seek, identify, and prioritize issues from various perspectives: business owners, social service providers, law enforcement, public opinion, tribal and faith leaders. The two-day summit was a success, hosting over 300 civic leaders, city and government officials, business owners, and members of the community. These working groups formed the Community Innovations Team; a website was created for the initiatives, hosted and managed by the Downtown Billings Alliance, and staff has been assigned to the ongoing initiative. Some of the most impressive milestones to date are collaborations between cross-sector public and private entities, the hiring of a mobile case-worker who works in collaboration with the Downtown Resource Officers in approaching the identified target population, and the development of a peer-to-peer mentoring program for continued treatment by the Native American Coalition of partners. The partnership also organized legislative task force efforts to lobby the state government for the passing of a bill strengthening public intoxication ordinances to assist further in addressing key issues.

Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) launched the Downtown Daffodil Project in support of the worldwide Daffodil Project, which aims to build a Living Holocaust Memorial by planting 1.5 million daffodils around the world to remember and represent the one and a half million children who died in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Downtown Daffodil Project is the largest installment of the worldwide effort and works to create a “ribbon of consciousness.” Over 50 volunteers planted 20,000 daffodils in Woodruff Park, representing the first installment of the vision and in December 2014, more than 60 volunteers assisted with a ceremonial planting, launching an expansion of the project by 450% in just one year resulting in a total of 110,000 daffodils. At the end of the project, over 20 media placements reached 1,309,861 broadcast and print news consumers and there were 1,346,423 unique online news viewers.

Venture Richmond created a botanical makeover of the Canal Walk in downtown Richmond, Virginia. The Canal Walk has served as an economic engine for more than $450 million of investment over the last 16 years. Many people use the Canal Walk regularly for walking, running, biking, working, and relaxing. The environment is beautiful, but lacks lushness. Venture Richmond saw the potential to greatly enhance a five block area with a “botanical makeover.” Venture Richmond (VR) is under contract with the City of Virginia to manage the Canal Walk and manage the Downtown BID, which includes the riverfront. Last year, they decided that the best way to enhance the Canal Walk was to organize a “botanical makeover” internally. VR bought the plant materials and soil amendments at wholesale prices, and worked with local community partners on the execution to lower costs. Installation began with the planting of shrubs, perennials and a few annuals which was done over several weeks with different partners. They partnered with a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth from a housing project, horticulturalists from local business, HandsOn RVA, and other corporate organizations. The project supports the Mayor’s desire to beautify Richmond for the UCI Road World Cycling Championships held in the fall, as well as Venture Richmond’s desire to enhance the Canal Walk and raise the bar for landscaping in Richmond’s urban environment. The botanical approach creates an opportunity to put downtown on Richmond’s Garden Trail and gives visitors and locals another reason to visit the Canal Walk, riverfront and downtown.

The Long Beach Parklet Program began as a city-directed pilot initiative in order to create greater incentives for local business owners, safer inclusive pedestrian focus for the city, and a means to capitalize on the favorable weather in sunny, breezy Long Beach, CA. The pilot program sought to complete three parklets in partnership with local established restaurants. Early on, the program faced a number of challenges including inadequate funding. By working closely with a number of city organizations and private companies, the first building plans were initiated. In the spring of 2011, progress began on the first two parklets of the program, with plans for a third to include a more sophisticated design. The criteria for these projects included: ensuring the parklets were economical, fast and straight-forward to construct, as well as easy to maintain. The three parklets, designed to date, rest on a decking system supported by adjustable pedestals that allow the deck to align with the sidewalk height, and easily adjust to the curvature of the street so they are able to remain level. Parklets help reinvigorate communities and allow existing businesses to expand in a current location. From an urban design perspective, the parklet concept can be leveraged to revitalize traditional retail corridors and contribute to the “complete streets” concept by calming traffic and allowing bicycles, pedestrians and cars to efficiently share existing public infrastructure. Parklets, ranging in price from $18,000 to $25,000, are supported by businesses and are considered to be temporary structures, whereas parklets that are built upon a foundation of pedestals, bulb-outs, or curb extensions, are permanent concrete decks that are constructed at street intersections or mid-block crossings. Today, the Long Beach Parklet Program has evolved to incorporate a public / private partnership component.

As the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) plans for the future growth of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) and the potential redevelopment of its land assets along D Street, it seeks to create a vibrant new urban district unlike any other in Boston. D Street was — until the construction of The Lawn on D in 2014 — a bleak and under-used landscape comprised mostly of vacant lots, aged industrial buildings, and surface parking. An urban design team composed of Sasaki Associates and Utile, Inc. was brought on board by the MCCA to help shape a vision for D Street. This urban design team, along with HR&A Advisors (HR&A) and representatives from the neighboring communities, worked with the MCCA to conceive of The Lawn on D – an experimental, innovative, and vibrant temporary open space of 2.7 acres that would be an “early arrival” on D Street, setting the tone for civic impact and expressing the ambitions of the new district. Months later, Sasaki was re-commissioned as landscape architect of the Lawn on D. HR&A led programming and implementation of the space. A construction budget under $1.5 million was achieved by concentrating investment in a small and intimate area within the landscape (the plaza), by making playful use of low-cost materials (painted asphalt), using signature furniture and fixtures to set a playful, flexible tone, and focusing on elements whose life might be ultimately reused and thereby extend beyond the anticipated timeline of The Lawn on D. In the short time since its opening in August of 2014, The Lawn on D has set social media ablaze, been praised in the press, gained critical acclaim both locally and nationally, hit tops of “to do in Boston” lists, been embraced by its neighbors, enlivened the BCEC, and become synonymous with innovation, public art, and placemaking. In its pilot season, the space welcomed more than 30,000 visitors from across the Commonwealth and beyond in just 10 weeks, and easily surpassed that number in its second season.

Dazzle the District, unveiled during an event of the same name, is the dramatic transformation of the Playhouse Square District in downtown Cleveland, OH. The largest performing arts center in the country outside of New York and the world’s largest theater restoration project, the not-for-profit Playhouse Square attracts one million guests to more than 1,000 performances and events in its 10 performance spaces annually. Bringing the beauty of Playhouse Square’s historic theaters outdoors for all to enjoy, the Dazzle the District transformation features dynamic video signage, elegant gateways, façade lighting, retro signage, and the world’s largest outdoor chandelier, the GE Chandelier. From the days when its historic theaters were saved from demolition in the 1970s, Playhouse Square was envisioned as a vibrant, 24/7 destination. This led to the creation of a unique business model: Playhouse Square is a performing arts center with a real estate services division. More than just a land owner and property manager, Playhouse Square has become the steward of its neighborhood and part of its not-for-profit mission is to create an exciting destination in which to live, work and play. To create a stunning, iconic identity for Playhouse Square, the organization hired experiential design firm The Barnycz Group. The group recommended a plan with five elements: digital signage network; gateways; retro signage features; an upgrade of Playhouse Square’s urban park, U.S. Bank Plaza; and the GE Chandelier. Nearly 25,000 people attended the Dazzle the District event and lighting ceremony. News of the transformation brought positive attention to Playhouse Square and the city of Cleveland in such notable media outlets as The New York Times, NPR and USA Today. The $16 million transformation is attracting more visitors to downtown Cleveland, further supporting the city’s economy.

The Military Park revitalization project is a long-term undertaking to re-create Newark, New Jersey’s historic town square. Military Park is a five-acre green space in the heart of downtown Newark. The first phase of the project, completed in May 2014, was the physical redevelopment of the park. All of the major physical changes to the park were designed to create activity in the space, such as creating two new plazas to host free classes and activities, with a new space for an outdoor “reading room” for cultural activities. The second phase of the project began when Military Park re-opened to the public. Military Park Partnership, or MPP, provides hundreds of free programs, classes, and amenities for people who live in, work in, and visit Newark. These include fitness classes, activities for children and families, a farmer’s market, board games, an author series, outdoor movies, ping pong tables, an outdoor reading room, and dozens of other programs. All of these are free and open to the public. The park now attracts more than 300 people in a “snapshot” on a nice day, cultivating over 1,000 visitors over an entire day, making it the busiest downtown park in northern New Jersey. The number of daily visitors has doubled since the park opened just over a year ago—Newarkers and downtown office workers alike have embraced the park and its programming.

Since 2011, the Downtown DC Business Improvement District has invested in its public spaces by creating a customized solution which tracks, maps, and helps monitor nearly 90 various problems using iOS, GIS and cloud server technology. The Downtown DC BID has also taken the initiative to better understand pedestrian patterns and density by installing pedestrian counters in the busy Chinatown neighborhood, which has counted more than 2.5 million people since its installation. As a result, the BID is now a leader in data collection and analysis. Downtown DC meets with local agencies regularly to discuss activity and concerns in the public space. By establishing a working relationship with these affected governmental entities, the BID will continue to collaborate on priorities in the public space and establish partnerships in problem solving. This process includes accurate reporting, documentation, and the inspection of various issues. The BID then shares the information with District agencies and the National Park Service. Once all of this information is collected, Downtown DC uses unique tools, including online interactive maps and databases, to present and share their findings with area visitors. One of the best application of this process is the story map. This map is available to everyone and allows people to report areas in need of improvement, as well as see stats translated into an interactive map format. The story map includes homelessness hot spots, high-crime locations, property manager correspondence, and sidewalk café vibrancy.

Hemming Park is Jacksonville, Florida’s oldest public park, occupying 1.54 acres in the center of Jacksonville’s major civic buildings. Once the center of Downtown life, Hemming Park was converted into a plaza during the 1970s, and ultimately fell into disrepair and became a haven for public drinking, drug activity and other nuisance activity. In 2013, Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI) and other local stakeholders formed the Friends of Hemming Park, a nonprofit that sought to manage and improve the park. Through a comprehensive management plan and contract with the City of Jacksonville, as well as private and public funding, FOHP has been managing Hemming Park for nearly eight months. Changes to the park in this short time have been remarkable. A focus on “lighter, cheaper, faster” approaches to park amenities and programming have allowed for experimentation to see what works best. Additionally, park staffing from Day 1 and aggressive branding and messaging helped reverse negative perceptions of Hemming Park.

In 2014, after two years in development, the Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (DRBIA), with the support of the City of Ottawa, installed a prototype multi-media “programming pole” (FXpole) on Rideau Street (at Waller Street). The prototype is testing new infrastructure that is being installed on Rideau Street to promote festivals and events, welcome conference delegates and create artistic encounters supporting Downtown Rideau’s brand as Ottawa’s Arts, Fashion & Theatre District. The prototype pole is a stand-alone pole designed to be part of a computerized network synced together and controlled by the DRBIA from its office. The network is connected by fibre optic cable. Upon completion of the project, there will be a total of 12 FXpoles on Rideau Street for 6 blocks from Sussex to King Edward. In addition to having district branding signage at mid-pole height, each FXpole has a programming and promotional kiosk at street level and theatre projection (FX) lighting at the top of the pole. The kiosk contains: audio, video, speakers for satellite and live music, WiFi connection with social media interaction potential, a LED digital monitor and a backlit print poster panel. The kiosk’s digital posters will promote festivals and events activity for visitor awareness. The kiosk’s print poster will contain welcome messages for major conferences or events, and wayfinding maps to assist visitors. Initial response to the FXpoles has been very positive. In addition to performing as intended, there is indication that the FXpoles have also had a positive social environmental impact at the test location. Rideau at Waller is known to be a blighted and unwelcoming location that is now animated and full of colour with people “playing” in the FX lighting and choosing to pass through the space to enjoy the light shows, rather than avoiding the space, as previously was the case.

Downtown River Road has become the first Complete Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Once a high-traffic industrial road, this historic byway running along the Mississippi River has been transformed into a recreational landscape that accommodates vehicles. Surrounded by downtown Baton Rouge’s cultural and civic attractions, as well as a surge of private investments, River Road was the ideal corridor to first convert into a Complete Street. In a joint effort comprised of the Downtown Development District (DDD), the Mayor’s Office, Department of Public Works, and landscape and architecture design firms, River Road was able to capture the community’s vision to reflect Baton Rouge’s intimate, historical connection to the Mississippi River while ensuring the space is welcoming to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. The downtown River Road project has not only served to reconnect citizens of Baton Rouge to the river, but also helped solidify future interest and investment into the greater downtown area. The DDD has worked to establish a dedicated funding mechanism for downtown development, coalition building, visionary efforts, and project implementation capability. This project is a shining example of how downtown organizations can be the key agents of change and create innovative, successful public spaces that enhance the experience of a robust and lively downtown.

Travis Park in San Antonio, Texas, is the third oldest municipal park in the nation. Strategically located between the new $203 million Tobin Arts Performing Arts Center and the historic St. Anthony Hotel, the 2.6-acre park’s central location makes it a strategic part of the vision for an active and vibrant downtown. In late 2012, the City of San Antonio engaged Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) to envision and transform the park into a great urban destination that is historic, dynamic and contemporary at the same time. In March 2015, the community was invited to celebrate the grand re-opening with free activities and programming. Daily programs have been established to capitalize on the grand re-opening’s success. Since the re-opening of Travis Park, over 600 events have been held in the public space. Special events such as Movies by Moonlight have successfully attracted more than 24,000 people. Other successes include receiving several awards, including the coveted Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) Lone Star Legacy Park designation, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a park. Travis Park now stands as a symbol of what can be achieved when the public and private sector work together to redevelop an area into a welcoming public space for the community.

The before-and-after photos of the Pedestrian Promenade and Sanborn Square Arches in Boca Raton, Florida, are striking. Previously empty tree boxes are now filled with colorful plantings and majestic palm trees. Car-centric design gave way to pedestrian-friendly spaces safer for children, cyclists and shoppers. Gateway arches welcome everyone to the center of downtown. Consistent with the Downtown Master Plan vision, the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) goal for the Pedestrian Promenade and Sanborn Square Arches was to create a comfortable and visually engaging pedestrian-scale environment connecting all of the parts of downtown, while still accommodating vehicles. Elements of the improvements included a curbless street and flexible spaces with open, walkable public areas and pedestrian crossings in the two sections connected by the Promenade. Adjacent to Sanborn Square Park, the Pedestrian Promenade serves as the north-south link in downtown Boca, while the arches at the two entrances to this area serve as landmark guideposts. Communities with aged infrastructure and older downtown designs that do not support pedestrian interaction and walkability could benefit from the achievements of this public space beautification project. The completion of the project resulted in a safer, more efficient pedestrian and vehicular flow between adjacent downtown businesses, and served as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment and economic development. In short, Downtown Boca is now a more beautiful, walkable, convenient, social and engaging destination the whole community has come to love

Over the past several years, the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID) in Columbus, Ohio, has expanded its mission beyond clean and safe to make substantial and transformative community investments in the public realm. Based on a 2008 Public Realm Enhancement Study for Downtown Columbus, Capital Crossroads partnered with urban design firm MKSK to implement four projects totaling $5.3 million. The primary source of funding has been the City of Columbus Capital Budget. Capital Crossroads’ capacity and proven ability to provide ongoing maintenance for the capital improvements has given the City confidence to spend capital budget dollars to improve the public realm that would otherwise not have been spent due to financial concerns over operating costs. The projects have included bike shelters and improvements (294 custom-designed bike parking spaces such as bike racks, lockers, and shelters); 65 unique streetscape elements and landscape plantings including a custom branding icon developed by a local artist; pedestrian improvements, lighting, sidewalk widening and more for a major city gateway; and enhanced lighting, storefront access and artist installations in two alleys to encourage micro-retail. Prior to the construction of the first improvements, the Capital Crossroads SID engaged a public art consultant who, in collaboration with the Greater Columbus Arts Council and a local jury, pre-qualified a pool of local artists to partner on the design of the projects. The inclusion of local artists for each project brought a fresh and enlivened element. The process used by the Capital Crossroads SID for the development of streetscape enhancements in Downtown Columbus is a model for cooperation between municipal public service departments and private downtown organizations. By assuming the responsibility for project management, engaging local artists, leading the public engagement process, and for funding the maintenance, repair and insurance, the Capital Crossroads SID relieved the city of the burden of creating and caring for unique design elements in the right-of-way. This approach leverages the strengths and resources of both parties in the public-private partnership and has resulted in a more vibrant public realm in Downtown Columbus with artist-inspired placemaking and pedestrian-scale projects.

When the Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) was first created in 2012 to represent a 25-block neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, one of its goals was to create a long-term initiative to bring the character of Ballston to the street level. Due to Ballston’s rich background in the technology field, the organization decided to incorporate technology into a series of art attractions. The BID sent out an RFP asking for artists to submit their ideas, and a jury narrowed the submissions to eight projects. The series of projects, known as “Public Displays of Innovation” cost nearly $200,000 and were unveiled from July to December 2014. Over the course of that six-month period, the BID unveiled inventive art displays, including: a series of interactive audio tours; LED-lit “eyes” that community members could interact with through a web link; transformation of a pedestrian bridge into a nerve signal that tracks pedestrians and generates their movement into a symphony of sounds and light; an audio mapping application that allows pedestrians to experience different compositions in various pockets of the neighborhood; and more. To ensure the success of the art series, partnerships with local government and property owners were imperative. The reaction and results associated with the “Public Displays of Innovation” exceeded expectations. Since the implementation of the artwork, the BID experienced a 300% increase in foot traffic at the farmers market on the days they unveiled the art projects and received hundreds of calls, tweets, Facebook likes and emails praising the projects. The series as a whole continues to attract creative thinkers to the neighborhood, which perpetuates Ballston’s reputation as a center for innovation.

The Hudson Square Business Improvement District (BID) sits on Manhattan’s lower west side surrounded by the world-class neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Soho and Tribeca, next to the Hudson River. Hudson Square is a hub of creative industries, home to over 50,000 workers, even as the Holland Tunnell accommodates 35 million vehicles per year. Unfortunately, arterial roads feeding into the Holland Tunnel cut Hudson Square off from its surroundings. The neighborhood lacks parks, open space and greenery. Since 2009, the BID has been working to improve the streetscape, reclaim the streets from traffic and create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Hudson Square is Now, a $27 million plan conceived as a public-private partnership, was launched in October 2012 with four distinct initiatives: installing neighborhood seating, landscaping and lighting; transforming the primary east-west spine into Hudson Square’s main street; remaking a public space connecting Hudson Square to its neighbors; and redesigning a north-south grand boulevard with a series of small pocket parks. All of the Hudson Square is Now initiatives are on city-owned property, requiring public review and approvals, and have to be implemented in conjunction with the City of New York. The biggest challenge was to translate a comprehensive planning approach into an implementation strategy that would allow for phasing and mixing of public and private funds. Hudson Square BID is the first and only BID in NYC that has developed its own, privately funded, green infrastructure program in partnership with the city. As the design has received necessary approvals, it can be replicated elsewhere with minimal paperwork or lead time. The BID has changed the perception of the district from that of an on-ramp to the tunnel to that of an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable neighborhood.

The Downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, Action Plan was adopted to foster residential growth in a downtown core that was grossly underserved. Adopted in June 2014, the plan was designed to remove the core barriers to downtown development, such as the lack of predictability regarding the character of new development, insufficient parking infrastructure, inappropriate design concepts by developers, streets with design speeds above 25 mph, and inadequate government investment in infrastructure projects in the downtown. The scope was purposefully limited to one goal and five supporting initiatives so that it could be easily summarized, understood and passed on to others— whether at a city council meeting or a cocktail party. Instead of typical planner jargon, Lafayette intentionally used a tone and words that could be easily understood by everyone. While the planning consultants were uncomfortable with this approach, the group received accolades from the intended audience for making it easy to understand. Within a month of the adoption of the plan, the local government hired a consultant team to produce a parcel-by-parcel analysis that showed that the downtown produces the highest return on infrastructure investment, resulting in greater downtown investment from the MPO and the local government. The plan has resulted in significant outcomes, including: a new zoning code within a year; replacing old parking meters with smart meters; securing of funding to revamp the city’s most important civic space; and more.

The conversation surrounding converting one-way streets in the City of South Bend, Indiana, had been ongoing for more than 30 years, but it largely centered on the engineering-based solution of moving traffic. In 2013, the Smart Streets initiative sought to remake South Bend’s primary downtown streets with the economic development goal of creating a sense of place and supporting a vibrant downtown, including the creation of streetscapes comprised of wide sidewalks, bicycle facilities, on-street parking, street trees, and public art. Because the process considered land use and transportation simultaneously, it involved major employers, developers, and property owners, whose input helped inform the designs. Consequently, the vision created excitement among developers and investors, and the plan created predictability, fulfilling the two key ingredients needed for positive change. Public involvement was a critical part of the Smart Streets planning process, and more than 24 public meetings were organized. The total land value of the affected area is nearly $2.4 million, and the total improvement value is almost $25 million. Since its completion, the plan has created tremendous interest from local developers who want to be part of the renaissance of the community. In 2015, two major projects have already been announced that are a result of the Smart Streets initiative — the conversion of a vacant historic landmark into a mixed-use building, and the construction of a new hotel. Conversion of one-way street networks with a goal of advancing economic development is not uncommon, but few communities have made the effort to benchmark current conditions so that the economic impact of such a project can be tracked through key performance indicators such as retail sales, vacancies, job creation, change in assessed value, and change in crime rate. South Bend is taking these steps to establish annual baseline data and track progress.

In 2010, the City of Fremont, California, adopted an updated General Plan with a vision to transition from an auto-oriented suburban community to a strategically urban city. The community recognized that growth will continue to occur and instead of ignoring these increased housing needs, the City identified Downtown Fremont as an area of potential growth. In 2012, the City Council adopted the Downtown Community Plan (Plan) in 2012 to transform this auto-oriented area into an urban core within walking distance of viable transit options, while offering the community the social heart it has been yearning for since its inception in 1956. Downtown Fremont is 110 acres within a ¼ mile from the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Capitol Avenue bisects the downtown and will serve as downtown’s “main street,” connecting existing employment centers to BART. Currently, downtown Fremont is surrounded by major employment hubs with 50,000 daily employees within a 3-mile radius. Plan implementation efforts to date include the entitlement of downtown’s first public/private mixed-use development with 157 residential units and 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail; the opening of a Whole Foods Market; award of a $5.8 million grant to fund infrastructure improvements along Capitol Avenue and improve pedestrian/bicycle connections between downtown to the Fremont BART station; initiation of phase I of the civic center master plan; and development of arts and cultural events programming. Through the implementation of the plan, downtown will be transformed from an auto-oriented environment into a pedestrian-friendly urban space where the existing daytime population will be able to enjoy a safe, vibrant, and walkable environment. In addition, urban sprawl will be reduced by connecting nearby employment centers and high-density neighborhoods to a variety of viable transit options including BART. The Downtown Fremont Community Plan can serve as a best practices model for suburban communities transforming into “strategically urban” centers. The plan is innovative as it not only outlines the development of a downtown from scratch, but emphasizes placemaking throughout all phases of development as an equally critical component as building out infrastructure. Arts and cultural events are programmed to establish Downtown Fremont as the “social heart” of the city. To supplement these efforts, the City will be consolidating services into one building as part of a civic center. Featuring a public plaza, designated art walk, and public spaces for gatherings and celebrations.