Exploring an effort to revitalize the downtown of the city of Fresno—an agricultural town in the Central Valley of California.
James Fallows presents Fresno as a case study of a city attempting "to rebuild and revitalize what is now its very troubled downtown…" To do so, Fallows evaluates a number of points, including "Downtown as bellwether," the "Stages of downtown recovery," the "Background source of trouble," and the "need for a public champion."
Fallows notes that Fresno is positioned in interesting, and uncertain, points relative to any of the narrative arcs described in the article.
The article is the latest installment of the third season of the "American Futures" special report project. The homepage for American Futures shows the other communities the project has explored around the country.
FULL STORY: Stages of a Downtown Comeback: Fresno Begins the Long Climb
Fresno Returns Cars to a Pedestrian Mall in the Name of Downtown Revitalization
While global cities in other parts of the world are taking steps to ban cars from city centers, Fresno, California has taken the opposite approach. Time will tell if the return of vehicle traffic to Fulton Street project pays dividends.
FresYes: How Fresno Fueled and Funded a Comeback
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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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.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
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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.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research