Best Practices for Downtown Revitalization

Downtown revitalization comes in all shapes and sizes. A new, free guidebook from Smart Growth America offers advice for making revitalization work.

1 minute read

December 24, 2015, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Los Angeles Downtown Historic Core

Omar Bárcena / Flickr

A new guidebook, (Re)Building Downtown: A Guidebook for Revitalization, from Smart Growth America (SGA), "is designed to be used by communities of all sizes no matter what their stage of development or redevelopment," according to an article by Joan Mooney.

Mooney examines one of the case studies offered in the book, Macon, Georgia, to illustrate some of the concepts explored in the book, which essentially offers a seven-step process for redevelopment. An abridged list of the seven steps:

  1. Understand your community.
  2. Create an attractive, walkable place.
  3. Diversify the downtown economy.
  4. Build in equity. 
  5. Improve government regulations and processes. 
  6. Finance projects.
  7. Establish ongoing place management. 

The book is offered free online as a resource for communities looking for best practices in redevelopment and revitalization.

Monday, December 21, 2015 in Urban Land

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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.

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