2nd Annual Membership

Meeting

Competitive Neighborhood Business Districts

The 14 Elements of Successful Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization

1. Leadership

2. Comprehension

3. Management

4. Partnerships

5. Public Sector Participation

6. Community Orientation

7. Economic Diversity

8. Differentiation

9. Pedestrian Orientation

10. Incrementalism

11.Market Sensitivity

12.Forward Thinking

13.Address Commercial Gentrification

14.Effective Communication

Leadership

• Local Champions for Neighborhood Revitalization

• Formal or Informal Overall Vision or Plan that Guides the Process

• Branches of Institutions in Neighborhood

• Stakeholders Responsive to Change

Leadership

• Institutional Support for Neighborhood Revitalization– Local Government– Financial Institutions– Residential Groups– Community development advocates– Churches/Synagogues/Mosques– Neighborhood Newspaper

• Business Leadership Committed to Neighborhood

• Neighborhood Organization Means of Building Leadership

Comprehension

Understanding of the Importance of Neighborhood Revitalization– Public Sector

– Business Community in Neighborhood

– Business Community Elsewhere

– Community at Large

Comprehension

• Clear Definition of Where the Neighborhood Is

Management

• Public/Private/Non-Profit Organization for Neighborhood Revitalization

• Comprehensive Approach to Management

• Organization Tracking Change

Partnerships

• Among All Three Economic Sectors

• Interdependence– Among Businesses– Among Buildings– Between Landlords and

Tenants– Between Business and

Residential Organizations

• Interaction with Neighborhood Schools

Partnerships

• Participation– Opportunities for

Participation– Active Participation by

Newcomers– Participation by those

without Vested Financial Interests

• Alignment with Abutting Residential Neighborhoods

Public Sector Participation

• Regulatory Environment– Reinvestment

Encouraged

– Consistent Public Policy toward Neighborhoods

– Neighborhoods treated differently in Planning and Zoning

Public Sector Participation

• Public Improvements– Appropriate

– High Quality

– Well Maintained

• Mixed Use of Buildings Encouraged

• Sense of Business District as “Center” of Neighborhood

• Abundant Non-Economic Activities

• Tolerance of Diversity • Serves Local Market

Community Orientation

• Sense of Public Safety– Minimal Graffiti– No bars on windows– Good Maintenance– Businesses open during

business hours– Minimum of

dirty/unkempt windows & Entrances

• Significant Residential Use of Upper Floors

Community Orientation

Economic Diversity• Economic Diversity

– Affordable Place for Incubation, Experimentation, Creativity

– Wide Range of Rental Space Available by Size, Condition, Use

– Predominately Locally Owned Businesses

• Arts & Cultural Activities Key Elements

Differentiation

• Character Defining Resources– Identified

– Enhanced

– Protected

• Appropriate Use of Historic Resources

• Imaginative Reuse of White Elephant Buildings

Differentiation

• Physical Resources Used for Differentiation

• Doesn’t Try to Compete with Mall/Downtown on Their Strengths

• Maintains & Capitalizes on Sense of Discovery

• Historic Preservation Key Component

Pedestrian Orientation

• People on the Street• 15-18 Hours a Day

Usage• Circular Pedestrian

Movement• Automobiles

Appropriately Accommodated but Not at the Expense of Pedestrians

Market Sensitivity

• Demand Driven• Customer Driven

Incrementalism

• No “Success Only” Mentality

• No “Bring Back 1956” Mentality

• Incremental Economic Change

Incrementalism

• Incremental Physical Change

• Sense of Evolution• Multiple Catalysts for

Change• “Trickle-up” not

Quick Fix

Forward Thinking

• Capitalize on Emerging Opportunities– Locationally Indifferent

Businesses

– Extension of Work-at-Home

– Growth Sector Businesses

• Part of Smart Growth Strategy

Forward Thinking• Public

Transportation Re-Established

• Sustainability Strategies– Economic

– Fiscal

– Physical

Commercial Gentrification Addressed

• Understand Benefits• Understand Costs• Understand not all

departure is displacement

• Create tools to offset negative impacts

Effective and Regular Communication

• With Mayor• With City Council

Member(s)• With Departments• Between Businesses• With Neighborhood

Institutions• Between Business

Organization and Residential Organizations

Principles of Creating Quality Places

• Choice & Diversity• Linkages• Reinvestment• Identity• Pedestrian/Cyclist

Friendly• Green Space• Live/Work• Mixed Use• Scale• Durability

• Walkability• Parking• Multimodal• Local Streets• Bike/Pedestrian

Access• Transit Supportive

Development• Public Spaces• Air/Water Quality• Resource Efficiency• Natural Elements

Thank you very much

This event is made possible through the generous support of:

The Katherine and Lee Chilcote FoundationThe Cyrus Eaton Foundation The Nord Family Foundation

Jonathan Forman of the Cedar-Lee Theatre

Jane Evans of Studio You!

FutureHeightsPreserving Enhancing and Building Community