Even cities without an official program for revitalizing their downtowns can take steps to transform their urban cores into a collection of vibrant places. The urbanSCALE website has collected a list of such strategies.
John Karras shares strategies for transforming your downtown into “a thriving urban district,” even if your city lacks a long-range plan for its downtown or a downtown-focused organization.
The list varies from structural changes, like street reconfiguration (“Turn one-way streets into two-way streets”), interim steps (“Establish a regularly occurring public event”), and management (“Consolidate regional economic development partner organizations into a single downtown location”).
FULL STORY: 12 Strategies That Will Transform Your City’s Downtown
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service