Fresno's Downtown Dreams

City leaders in Fresno, CA, have unveiled a $30 million plan to will revitalize the city's downtown. Will it succeed?

1 minute read

March 14, 2002, 11:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Fresno's city leaders Tuesday unveiled an eight-year strategy to turn downtown into a vibrant metropolis with a river walk surrounded by high-rise buildings, specialty shops and restaurants. The strategy's initial driving force will be a $30 million investment by the city. But where the money will come from, and whether the investment will affect the city's upcoming budget, is not immediately known. Unfortunately, the plan doesn't address other changes that need to occur to aid in a downtown rebirth, such as a revision of the city's suburban-oriented zoning for the downtown area, or a reversal of the recent habit of vacating streets to create superblocks, which tends to inhibit the walkability and street life that are associated with healthy downtowns.

Thanks to Dan Zack

Thursday, March 14, 2002 in The Fresno Bee

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

July 6 - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

July 6 - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine