ANOTHER WAY TO IDENTIFY YOUR STREET NAMES

While most communities don't place street names in their sidewalks, I've seen a few that do.  This is the most colorful example I've ever come upon so far:

DOWNTOWN STREET ENTERTAINERS

I had not seen this particular type of street entertainer before...which is just one reason why New Orleans is such an interesting / unique city.   For a small fee, these poets will create (on a typewriter) an original piece of poetry using a word / theme that you select.  Just another idea for better of "mix" of entertainers for your next downtown event.

NOTHING WRONG WITH ALLOWING SOME HUMOR IN YOUR SIGN ORDINANCE

Came across this recently while visiting New Orleans...

SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR YOUR DOWNTOWN CROSS WALKS

Came across this article on cross walks and ideas to make them safer and more interesting.  Worth a read and maybe consideration in your community:

 

http://twistedsifter.com/2017/10/testing-3d-crosswalks-to-slow-down-drivers/#.WfJ5XM4HVYU.facebook

SIDEWALKS AS AN ATTRACTION; PART 1

Many many communities have made use of temporary or permanent artwork on downtown sidewalks.   Several (though far fewer) communities have discovered and made use of sidewalks as an avenue for presenting poetry.

While poetry is the emphasis for this posting, sidewalks could be used as a "page" for other text or ideas a community may want to communicate within its downtown.  More on this topic in a later post.

PARKING METERS!

While most smaller communities removed their parking meters years / decades ago, those that did not have another opportunity to add interest to their downtown.  Instead of bearing the cost of removal, cities could repurpose their meters into art.  If the meters still work, they could use them as a way of collecting funds for their downtown development efforts.   Bottom line; always make the effort to look at old / existing items in your downtown differently.

CELEBRATE YOUR COMMUNITY

Most communities have SOMETHING to celebrate within their past be it a famous person, historical event, etc.  Others (for the sake of marketing) make something up.  In a recent trip to Waukesha, Wisconsin; the downtown district was paying homage to hometown celebrity Les Paul.  While I probably missed several items, the downtown was covered in decorated guitars and paintings.  The community is justifiably proud of this man and took the opportunity to make their downtown different and interesting...

PARKLETS

Obviously this type of amenity isn't for every community, but the concept is at least worth considering when trying to bring interest and interaction to your downtown.  No need for me to explain the concept, the images do that:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/84935142943373133

KEEP IT CURRENT

EVEN CLEVER CAN GO STALE

Below is a photo of a river front project.  Exactly what it is, I am not sure.   It is either a knitted art project for the potted trees or it is scarf give away for the local homeless.  Whichever it actually is; there are problems.  If it is  knitted art, the project has been kept up too long and the colors have faded in the summer sun.  If it a scarf give away; the season of need has past and the scarves have rotted away.   In any event, the the lesson is the same;  if your downtown has similar projects, they need to be kept up and kept relevant.  Many, many projects are put up and then left to experience a long, painful death.  If you are going to the trouble of undertaking a project, keep it fresh and relevant.  Once the project is deemed old, remove it and replace it with something else.

SOMETHING ELSE I'VE NOT COME ACROSS BEFORE

While recently walking through the Third Ward in Milwaukee, I found this attached to the exterior wall of a local bar / restaurant.   It appears to serve as a place for people to put down their drink while socializing outside.  For the casual observer walking by, this also serves as a piece of street art.   Just thought it was interesting:

FLEXIBILITY IN CITY CODE

Allowing flexibility in a community's codes / ordinances allow businesses to be creative and interesting while marketing their location.  Non-traditional signs (among other things) makes your downtown more memorable; offering an experience visitors may not find elsewhere. 

A TWIST ON YOUR TYPICAL FLOWER PLANTER

The City of Beloit, Wisconsin has a flower planter with two kaleidoscopes attached to it.  Just another example of something that could be incorporated into a community's downtown that will give visitors and locals a reason to pause and experience something a little out of the ordinary.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A VACANT STORE FRONT THAT ADDS INTEREST

Even in vibrant downtown districts like Madison, Wisconsin; there will be the occasional vacant building front.  The owner of the property (or someone who got the owner's blessing) did a great job turning this downtown from an object of blight to a point of interest.

POCKET PARKS

Pocket parks are usually associated with larger communities, but more seem to be showing up in communities of all sizes. Downtowns with "missing" storefronts can beautify gaps by adding some plantings, benches and other amenities.   This one of two such parks in downtown Beloit, Wisconsin.

This particular park provides seating towards the business storefronts and access to additional parking behind the buildings.  Regardless of which direction you enter from, the space is useful and looks good.

GARBAGE DUMPSTER; SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY

I'm posting these images, because this is the first and only time I've seen a  garbage dumpster enclosure that tries to be a little decorative.   This dumpster is at a Portillo's restaurant in Rockford, Illinois.   I've never seen a dumpster with flowers / plantings along the upper edge of the enclosure.  

This could be worth attempting to improve the looks of your downtown if there dumpsters that are clearly visible.  Personal opinion; some manner of ground cover or vines would probably be a little more visible than flowers if you're driving by (but what do I know?).

Kudos to this business for at least trying.

A BLOG POSTING WORTH READING

101 small ways you can improve your city...

https://www.curbed.com/2016/9/22/13019420/urban-design-community-building-placemaking

DOWNTOWN TRASH RECEPTACLES (REVISITED)

This mini-park (for lack of a better word) is located in downtown Beloit, Wisconsin between two existing buildings. Of particular interest for this post is the trash receptacle within the park.  I've not seen this type of receptacle used very many places, but seems to be a useful homemade design which will outlast anything a community could buy commercially.

The all brick "shell" with a locked access door in the back, holds a traditional trash can.  The top is a cement slab.  It appears to have been here for quite some time and has held up very nicely.

Like any expenditure made by cities for their downtown, serious thought should be given as to how much it costs, how long the item will last and how much upkeep it will require.

PUBLIC SEATING; MADE MORE ENGAGING

On a recent trip into a Chicago suburb (Arlington Heights), I came across public seating that was installed in a manner that is not common in most communities.   Seating was arranged in a manner similar to a living room in a home.   This arrangement encourages groups of people to sit and interact.

Nothing earth shattering here, but I like the concept:

DOWNTOWN ARCHITECTURE

KNOWING WHAT YOU HAVE

(FOR VARIOUS REASONS)

Another opportunity for attracting visitors (and preserving community history for future generations) is knowing / understanding your community’s downtown architecture as well as the historical significance of downtown.

Working with local historians and experts from local colleges, a community can compile useful information concerning the types of buildings in its downtown, the years they were built and possibly historic significant events that the building may have been involved in.  Besides appealing to an outside audience interested in architecture, this information is also of great value in instilling and maintaining civic knowledge with local residents.

For the visitor; preparing a detailed map / brochure will allow tourist to undertake a self-guided walking tour.  This is yet another way to generate foot traffic in your downtown.  For the locals, recording and preserving the history of your downtown and its buildings is a good way to preserve and pass on a community’s heritage to future generations.

Every year, the City of Dixon takes grade school children on a walking of downtown, pointing out the various buildings, the type of architecture and what (if anything) of historic significance took place at various locations.   The city is blessed with numerous historical figures living in or spending time there.  While not every town will have famous residents or visitors, most communities do have colorful folk tales of events that occurred in their downtown.   Every event doesn’t need to be verified for factual accuracy, but every folk story should be preserved for posterity.

OPTIONS TO BOARDING UP A VACANT BUILDING

An article from the HUD website addressing the issue of blight and offering alternatives to the traditional use of plywood to board up doors and windows...

Vacant and abandoned properties are often easy to spot. The telltale signs of neglect — overgrown lawns, sagging gutters, and accumulating debris — can be a primary mechanism for the contagion or spillover of negative effects of vacant and abandoned properties.1 Even boarding up the windows and doors, the typical method of securing a vacant property, can turn the property into an eyesore and act as a visual reminder of its distress.

Several recent innovations attempt to shift these perceptions by taking advantage of alternatives to bare plywood. Even a simple coat of paint — an extra step and expense for those securing properties — can improve the appearance of a boarded door or window. The vacant property ordinance in Nashville, Tennessee, for example, requires that plywood be painted a color that matches the building.2 More elaborate paintings, such as those by Christopher Toepfer of The Neighborhood Foundation, add details such as windowpanes or flowers. Decals that appear to be functional doors and windows, such as those produced by the Michigan-based company Home Illusions, can make a house look occupied, at least from a distance.3

A company in Cleveland takes this approach a step further by replacing the unsightly plywood boards altogether. Clear plastic panels made from recycled materials (known as clearboarding) offer the security of plywood and the appearance of glass with the added benefit of allowing police and other officials to look inside, thereby discouraging illegal activities.4

No research yet exists to measure the potential benefits of these cosmetic efforts. The slightest scrutiny of these facades betrays the underlying state of distress. Yet the camouflaging or replacement of plywood doors and windows might reduce the negative externalities often associated with vacant and abandoned properties, and, at the very least, make them look a little nicer.

John P. Harding, Eric Rosenblatt, and Vincent W. Yao. 2009. “The Contagion Effect of Foreclosed Properties,” Journal of Urban Economics 66, 164–78.
“Ordinance No. BL2007-40,” City of Nashville website (www.nashville.gov/mc/ordinances/term_2007_2011/bl2007_40.html). Accessed 4 February 2014.
Conor Dougherty. 2013. “Decorative Details Disguise Boarded-Up Houses,” The Wall Street Journal, 21 November. Accessed 4 February 2014.
Ibid

BICYCLE RACKS

Bicycle racks are expected in downtowns that are attempting to draw residents and visitors.  While there is a wide range of traditional bike racks to choose from, a community should consider bike racks as another way to make downtown interesting.   There are numerous non-traditional racks available that can add to the "theme" that you are attempting to achieve for your downtown.   Here are just a few examples: