Downtowns & Town Centers

Downtowns & Town Centers

Your community's comprehensive plan should make downtown the easiest and most advantageous place for new development to occur.
-- Kennedy Smith, from "Downtown Hurdles"
Many suburban cities and towns are seeking to strengthen or create a hub for their community. This collection of articles reprinted from the Planning Commissioners Journal provides an excellent introduction to the planning issues facing downtown & town center development. Philip Langdon, author of the highly regarded A Better Place to Live: Reshaping the American Suburb contributes, along with Kennedy Smith, Donovan Rypkema, Roberta Brandes Gratz, and others.

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Articles
Summary

Size Up Your Downtown:

Why Downtowns (Should) Matter to Planning Commissioners
by Kennedy Smith Why should a strong downtown be a top concern for planning commissioners and others? Noted national "main street" expert Kennedy Smith makes the case for why downtown matters.

Sizing Up Downtown
by Kennedy Smith How do you size up the health of your downtown district?

Downtown Hurdles
by Kennedy Smith It should be no harder to develop downtown than elsewhere. Yet, too many regulatory hurdles often face downtown development.

"We Don't Have Enough Parking"
by Roberta Brandes Gratz In many cities and towns it's common to hear complaints that downtown retail districts suffer from a lack of adequate parking. A look at some "people first" steps to better address downtown parking.

No Such Thing as Free Parking
by Hannah Twaddell A look at some of the provocative ideas about parking in a much discussed book by economist and planner Donald Shoup.

Bright Idea: Getting to Business
by Wayne Senville How the City of Boston is working to make its neighborhood businesses more accessible to seniors. From the PCJ's special Bright Ideas series.

Design Considerations:

An Introduction to Design Guidelines
by Ilene Watson A growing number of cities and towns are using design guidelines to help preserve or reinforce the distinctive architectural character of certain areas or districts.

An Introduction to Urban Design
by Ilene Watson What do you see when you walk down the main street of your city or town? Are the buildings interesting to look at? Do you feel comfortable and secure? An introduction to urban design and how it can be used to create more people-oriented places.

Recycling Main Street
by Kennedy Smith Besides benefiting residents and drawing in visitors, our downtown main streets can also be good for the environment.

Downtown Preservation:

"H" is for Housing
by Laurence Gerckens, FAICP Planning historian Laurence Gerckens provides a brief overview of the development of inclusionary housing policies in America. From Gerckens' Planning ABCs publication.

An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning
by Amy Facca A look at the basics of planning for historic preservation, with sidebars on local preservation efforts from across the country.

Historic Preservation is Smart Growth
(included with An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning download, listed above)
by Donovan Rypkema Why historic preservation is integral to the principles of "Smart Growth."

Historic Preservation Ordinances: Frequently Asked Questions
(included with An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning download, listed above)
by Julia H. Miller, Esq. Perhaps the single most important tool in local historic preservation efforts is the preservation ordinance. Yet these ordinances are often controversial and poorly understood.

Preservation Boosts Local Economies
(included with An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning download, listed above)
by Edward T. McMahon The impacts historic district zoning can have on tourism, job creation, and property values.

Adding Life to Downtown:

Public Buildings Keep Town Centers Alive
by Philip Langdon Post offices, municipal halls, libraries, courthouses, and other public buildings can play a critical role in keeping downtowns and town centers strong.

Bright Idea: Family Housing, Downtown
by Wayne Senville The City of Vancouver, B.C., has taken creative steps to encourage families to live in the downtown core. From the PCJ's special Bright Ideas series.

Farmers' Markets
by Roberta Brandes Gratz Now numbering more than 2,400 nationwide, local farmers' markets provide one of the best ways of increasing downtown activity, while offering a valuable outlet for area farmers.

Downtowns Grow One Step at a Time
by Roberta Brandes Gratz Local entrepreneurs, working building by building, can be the most effective resource in strengthening downtowns.

New Downtowns & Town Centers:

Creating the Missing Hub: How Today's Suburbs Build Town Centers
by Philip Langdon A growing number of suburban cities and towns are seeking to create a hub for their community. Journalist Philip Langdon reviews recent efforts, and the challenges facing municipalities in developing successful town centers.

What Makes a Town Center a Town Center?
by Kennedy Smith Highlighting the importance of building character and individuality into new town centers.

Take a look also at our excellent collection of articles on Understanding Smart Growth.

Articles	Summary
Size Up Your Downtown:
Why Downtowns (Should) Matter to Planning Commissioners by Kennedy Smith	Why should a strong downtown be a top concern for planning commissioners and others? Noted national "main street" expert Kennedy Smith makes the case for why downtown matters.
Sizing Up Downtown by Kennedy Smith	How do you size up the health of your downtown district?
Downtown Hurdles by Kennedy Smith	It should be no harder to develop downtown than elsewhere. Yet, too many regulatory hurdles often face downtown development.
"We Don't Have Enough Parking" by Roberta Brandes Gratz	In many cities and towns it's common to hear complaints that downtown retail districts suffer from a lack of adequate parking. A look at some "people first" steps to better address downtown parking.
No Such Thing as Free Parking by Hannah Twaddell	A look at some of the provocative ideas about parking in a much discussed book by economist and planner Donald Shoup.
Bright Idea: Getting to Business by Wayne Senville	How the City of Boston is working to make its neighborhood businesses more accessible to seniors. From the PCJ's special Bright Ideas series.
Design Considerations:
An Introduction to Design Guidelines by Ilene Watson	A growing number of cities and towns are using design guidelines to help preserve or reinforce the distinctive architectural character of certain areas or districts.
An Introduction to Urban Design by Ilene Watson	What do you see when you walk down the main street of your city or town? Are the buildings interesting to look at? Do you feel comfortable and secure? An introduction to urban design and how it can be used to create more people-oriented places.
Recycling Main Street by Kennedy Smith	Besides benefiting residents and drawing in visitors, our downtown main streets can also be good for the environment.
Downtown Preservation:
"H" is for Housing by Laurence Gerckens, FAICP	Planning historian Laurence Gerckens provides a brief overview of the development of inclusionary housing policies in America. From Gerckens' Planning ABCs publication.
An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning by Amy Facca	A look at the basics of planning for historic preservation, with sidebars on local preservation efforts from across the country.
Historic Preservation is Smart Growth (included with An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning download, listed above) by Donovan Rypkema	Why historic preservation is integral to the principles of "Smart Growth."
Historic Preservation Ordinances: Frequently Asked Questions (included with An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning download, listed above) by Julia H. Miller, Esq.	Perhaps the single most important tool in local historic preservation efforts is the preservation ordinance. Yet these ordinances are often controversial and poorly understood.
Preservation Boosts Local Economies (included with An Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning download, listed above) by Edward T. McMahon	The impacts historic district zoning can have on tourism, job creation, and property values.
Adding Life to Downtown:
Public Buildings Keep Town Centers Alive by Philip Langdon	Post offices, municipal halls, libraries, courthouses, and other public buildings can play a critical role in keeping downtowns and town centers strong.
Bright Idea: Family Housing, Downtown by Wayne Senville	The City of Vancouver, B.C., has taken creative steps to encourage families to live in the downtown core. From the PCJ's special Bright Ideas series.
Farmers' Markets by Roberta Brandes Gratz	Now numbering more than 2,400 nationwide, local farmers' markets provide one of the best ways of increasing downtown activity, while offering a valuable outlet for area farmers.
Downtowns Grow One Step at a Time by Roberta Brandes Gratz	Local entrepreneurs, working building by building, can be the most effective resource in strengthening downtowns.
New Downtowns & Town Centers:
Creating the Missing Hub: How Today's Suburbs Build Town Centers by Philip Langdon	A growing number of suburban cities and towns are seeking to create a hub for their community. Journalist Philip Langdon reviews recent efforts, and the challenges facing municipalities in developing successful town centers.
*What Makes a Town Center a Town* Center?** by Kennedy Smith	Highlighting the importance of building character and individuality into new town centers.
	Take a look also at our excellent collection of articles on Understanding Smart Growth.