Downtown Economics Newsletter – JANUARY, 2021. Before the pandemic, Latinx[1] entrepreneurs in numerous communities filled vacant downtowns with new businesses like grocery stores, restaurants, and variety stores. These new businesses contributed to increased economic activity and attracted foot traffic by bringing consumers back to the central business district and often appealing to a broad regional […]
An Innovative Response to COVID-19 By Elizabeth Brodek* If we have gained anything from the pandemic, one of the most important and hopefully long-lasting is the successful collaboration of public and private sectors. Place makers, community organizers, and city officials have all had to become more creative and think further outside the box than we […]
Restaurants have become a key element in the business mix of downtowns throughout Wisconsin and the U.S. Their growth has helped reestablish downtown as the central social district of our communities and they have been a major employer and a visible example of entrepreneurship at work.
Downtown Economics Newsletter — APRIL, 2020. The Changing Facades of Downtown: A La Crosse, Wisconsin Success Story. By Andrea Schnick, Economic Development Planner, City of La Crosse.
Downtown Economics Newsletter — DECEMBER, 2019. Current Trends in Retail: Looking Ahead to 2020 and Beyond. Summarized by Karina Ward collaborating with Bill Ryan and an ad hoc workgroup.
Downtown Economics Newsletter — JULY, 2019. Walkability Means Better Business Written by Katherine A. Westaby, AICP, Planner/Community Development Specialist, City of Platteville, Wisconsin. Contributors: Todd Johnson and Jennifer Stephany. Reviewers Pam Parish and Mary McPhetridge.
Downtown Economics Newsletter — DECEMBER, 2018. Dollar Stores in Small Communities. Are they a good fit in your town? By Jonathan Wolfrath, Bill Ryan, and Patrick Nehring.
Downtown Economics Newsletter — APRIL, 2018. Downtown Development Strategies: Assessing the Priorities of Illinois Municipal Leaders. A summary of research by Norman Walzer, Mim Evans, and Michael Aquino, Northern Illinois University.
Perspectives from N. David Milder, PhD — Overall, consumer demand and behavior have changed significantly over the past decade. At the end of 2017, those changes are having a lasting impact on the industry.
Downtown Economics Newsletter – MARCH, 2016. Storemageddon: The end of retail as we know it.
An ever-larger number of communities are investing their economic development resources into attraction programs targeting retail and related businesses.
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