Eight years after downtown Rochester sparked a retail resurgence along its Main Street with a holiday light display, small towns across Metro Detroit are following suit to create a sense of place and lure shoppers away from boring big boxes.
"In recent years, holiday displays have popped up in cities and downtowns across Metro Detroit that are attempting to create a destination for shoppers who want a different experience than they can get in a mall or shopping center," reports Lauren Abdel-Razzaq. Following the success of Rochester’s "Big Bright Light Show", Troy is launching the "Lights of Hope" project along Big Beaver Road. The holiday light display builds on recent changes to the city's zoning ordinance meant to encourage a walkable downtown
"Other displays, including those in Shain Park in Birmingham and in downtown Royal Oak and the Wayne County Lightfest, have already lit up to get shoppers to open their wallets and pocketbooks," adds Abdel-Razzaq.
"In a time when buying local resonates, small businesses that typically find it difficult to compete with big-box stores and their advertising budgets can get an edge on holiday sales by creating the 'whole downtown experience,' said Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority."
FULL STORY: Metro Detroit cities use holiday lights to put customers in buying mood
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St. Louis County (Missouri) Department of Planning
SB Friedman Development Advisors
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Mt. Shasta
Ferguson Township, Centre County, PA
Town of Palm Beach
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
