Bakersfield Turns to Crowdfunding for Downtown Revitalization Plans

Here's an experiment worth watching: Bakerfield's Downtown Business Development Corporation (DBDC) has launched a crowdfunding website in the hopes of seeing its urban design plans come to fruition.

1 minute read

February 14, 2015, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


From the crowdfunding page on Idiegogo, Bakerfield's Downtown Business Development Corporation (DBDC) explains the reasons for its crowdfunding campaign: "The DBDC voted to hire Placeworks, a nationally esteemed space planner, to create an urban design plan for our city. The results are amazing! "

The campaign is seeking $150,000 to launch phase 1 of the project, which "will give our city the boost it needs to begin creating viable districts in our downtown (i.e. arts & entertainment, education, civic, and health districts)."

That $150,000 will go toward four projects: 1) Lighting and maintenance, 2) A mural for the18th Street parking structure, 3) alley revitalization, and 4) development of the Downtown Urban Master Plan.

Thanks to Marissa Aho for the tip.

Friday, February 13, 2015 in Indiegogo

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation