Live-Work as a Downtown Population Growth Engine in Independent and Suburban Communities

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By William F. Ryan, University of Wisconsin – Madison/Extension and N. David Milder, DANTH, Inc.

Introduction

Within the downtown revitalization community a broad consensus has formed around the maxim that the greater the number of people who live in our downtowns, the more likely they are to prosper. These residents help to spark the “activation” of the district, providing the visible evidence of people engaging in a variety of activities, and nurturing the perceived sense of vitality among visitors that makes …

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Maybe the Time Has Come for a Crazy, Impractical Idea to Improve Downtown Retail

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By N. David Milder

INTRODUCTION

Given that the demand for retail space and storefront
locations has dropped significantly, and so many downtowns are having a tough
time finding tenants for vacant stores, one might argue that some out of the
box thinking might produce some positive results. Well, it has made me think
again of an idea I came up with about 15 years ago about how to make it easier
for downtowns to attract quality retailers. 
Unfortunately, when I shared it with the leaders of various statewide
organizations …

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LET’S GET REAL ABOUT DOWNTOWN RETAIL COMING BACK

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By N. David Milder

INTRODUCTION

A few weeks ago, an article appeared in the Congress for
the New Urbanism’s ( CNU) online journal Public
Square titled “Why downtown retail is coming back ” (1).  While the article had some valid and
encouraging points, overall it blurred over a very complex situation in which
retail in different types of  downtowns
have different prospects for retail rejuvenation and growth. Most importantly,
there was no discussion of the enormous process of creative destruction that
the retail industry is experiencing, one that …

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