Downtown Toolkit
DECEMBER 5, 2008
Jones Auditorium - CT Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street, New Haven CT 06511
Master Plans are indispensible in shaping the future of our communities.
A downtown master plan can help attract, guide and support development. It can foster civic engagement by facilitating extensive community participation. And a master plan provides guidance on the partnerships needed to move the plan forward and how the district will be managed, marketed and promoted.
This workshop will provide an overview of the context of pedestrian-friendly design as a critical component of a downtown master plan. Throughout the day attendees will be provided with:
- Case studies illustrating various master planning processes
- How visualization tools can facilitate community engagement
- Implementation strategies and descriptions of roles of public and private sector partners
Presentation -Design And Visual Components of Master Plans
Presentation - Two Connecticut Towns And The Benefits Of Master Planning
Handout - Managing Downtown Through A Streetscape Project
Presentation - The Downtown Lowell Development Renaissance
Presentation - The Developers Perspective
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JULY 25, 2008
The Lyceum Center, 227 Lawrence Street, Hartford CT 06106
There are thousands of buildings in America’s older downtowns with vacant upper floors. These spaces boast a central location,high visibility, complete community infrastructure, and are prime candidates for redevelopment. UPSTAIRS DOWNTOWN is an award-winning initiative created
to help owners reclaim and reuse these vacant upper floors, and turn them into incomeproducing
properties.
Presentation - Building The Case For Greater Diversity On Main Street
Presentation - Market And Financial Feasibility Of Upper Floor Development
Presentation - Free Design Services
Presentation - Case Studies and Local Incentives
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APRIL 25, 2008
West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium, 50 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107
In response to considerable and continuing requests for information, the content and presentations for this workshop will be concentrated around the subject of parking and explore the issues involved in planning, maintaining, and building consensus – and finding the right solution for your commercial district.
This workshop will provide an overview of parking issues – land use, auditing, wayfinding, collaborations and pedestrian-friendly practices and presentations will include:
- An overview of the principles of exemplary urban design including the critical aspect of integrated parking and wayfinding systems
- Case studies illustrating the pros and cons of various parking solutions
- A case study featuring a managed parking system in a traditional downtown (West Hartford Center.)
- A walking tour
Morning Session:
Principles of Walkable Design and Integrated Parking
David Sousa, ASLA, AICP, Clough Harbour & Associates LLP
Re-defining our Parking Problems
Norman Garrick, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, UConn
Wesley Marshall, P.E., Deptment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Transportaion Engineering, UConn
Afternoon Session:
Case Study: West Hartford Center's Managed Parking System
Rob Rowlson, Economic & Community Development Officer, Town of West Hartford
John Philips, Supervisor, Municipal Parking, Town of West Hartford
Self-guided walking tour of West Hartford Center - a traditional New England town center with over 140 specialty shops businesses, the post office, public library and town hall all within easy walking distance.
Presentation - 7 Key Principles - Sousa Presentation - West Hartford Municipal Parking Presentation
Presentation - West Hartford Municipal Parking Presentation
February 1, 2008
Sponsored jointly by: CT Trust for Historic Preservation and Connecticut Main Street Center
The Municipal Partnership: Why it’s Important, How to Make it Happen
How to Establish a Preservation Ordinance
Presenter: Laura Knott-Twine, Executive Director of Hartford Preservation Alliance
Hartford’s Pioneering Preservation Ordinance provides protection to over 4,000 buildings located in National and State Registered Historic Districts throughout the city. The Hartford Preservation Alliance (HPA) and the City of Hartford have collaborated to provide property owners and contractors with resources and technical assistance to support historic rehabilitation projects.
Converting a 19th Century Factory into Market-Rate Housing
Presenters: Jim Burke, Director of Economic Development, Town of Windsor; Marty Legault, private developer and President,
Corporation for Independent Living
First Town Square is an 80,000 square foot former factory building that has been brought back to life with market-rate condominiums. Located in Windsor Center and adjacent to the historic railroad station, this project has resulted in a residential component that will provide social and economic benefits to the downtown.
The State Partnership: How to Leverage Resources to Create Solutions
Presenters: Paul Bruhn, Executive Director, Preservation Trust of Vermont; Valerie Talmage, Preserve Rhode Island
Drawing on the successes of neighboring states, two leaders presented some of their best ideas and case studies in their work to build dynamic partnerships between state officials and local advocates.
Presentation - First Town Square
October 26, 2007 - 8:30am to 4:00pm
Effective Communications Strategies for Your Commercial District
Downtown programs consistently struggle with the issue of rising cost of advertising and media. Learn how identifying your most valuable customer and determining the key messages to reach that customer can help you develop a low cost, effective communications program for your downtown.
- Who is downtown’s most valuable customer?
- What do you want to tell this customer?
- How do you choose the right method for communication?
- How do you promote downtown on a budget?
Workshop leader Jane Jenkins has 19 years of downtown management experience. As Executive Director of the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District, she maintains a 97% retail occupancy rate despite competition from a nearby regional shopping center.
Effective Communications Presentation
July 27, 2007 - 8:30am to 3:00pm
Restructuring and Strengthening Your Downtown Economy
Todd Barman, Program Officer of the National Main Street Center, has assisted downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts for 10 years. In this workshop, he presented information about restructuring the downtown economy by helping existing businesses and reconfiguring the mix of goods and services so that downtown is economically balanced, adaptable and competitive. Topics addressed in this workshop included:
- Strengthen downtown businesses
- Identify and prioritize downtown’s market opportunities
- Recruit new businesses that complement those market strengths and the character of your community
- Develop underutilized space in downtown and assemble incentives and capital
Presentation Materials
April 27, 2007 - 8:30am to 3:00pm
VISUALIZE CHANGE in Downtown: Using Design as a Revitalization Tool
Explore the tools and techniques for creating more viable downtowns and main streets in this workshop led by David V. Sousa, R.L.A., A.I.C.P. Mr. Sousa has 26 years of experience in landscape architecture and urban planning, and has managed the design and construction of large-scale projects for corporate, institutional and governmental clients. He is a disciple of Smart Growth and Traditional Neighborhood Development and has focused his career on creating more livable, sustainable and attractive communities. In this workshop you will learn how to:
- Expand your ability to visualize change
- Better understand the positive and negative aspects of density
- Examine the complex interrelationships of people, place, automobile and nature
Presentation Materials
January 19, 2007 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Building Nonprofit Capacity for Preservation and Downtown Revitalization
As a nonprofit organization, have you considered…
- How to increase board responsibility and participation?
- How staff can balance and manage their work load?
- How to develop and broadcast your public message?
- How to increase financial support and donations?
David Cooper, Vice President of Development, and Valecia Crisafulli, Director of Statewide & Local Partnerships, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation led the workshop and sessions included:
- Engaging board members in leadership capacities
- Developing and implementing a strategic workplan
- Identifying diverse and appropriate sources of revenue
- Establishing and fundraising plan
- Developing strategies to secure major gifts and corporate and foundation grants
Internet ResearchTools&Directories.pdf
Org&Development Presentation.pdf
Problem Boards or Board Problems.pdf
Sample - Board Mbr-RoleDescriptions.pdf
Sample - Table of Gift Expectations.pdf
Sample- Board Member Agreement.pdf
October 27, 2006 - 8:30am to 4:00pm
Developing Promotional Strategies for Your
Commercial District
Workshop leader Jane Jenkins has 19 years of downtown management experience. As Executive Director of the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District, she maintains a 97% retail occupancy rate despite competition from a new, nearby regional shopping center.
She will teach you how to market your downtown by articulating the right physical environment and image, how to identify your target markets, and how to discover what products and activities will bring them downtown. You'll leave with a healthy start on developing a comprehensive downtown marketing plan, including:
- A positioning statement for your downtown
- A strategic matrix for a calendar of events
- Many inexpensive and FREE ideas for marketing and promoting your downtown
- Ideas to encourage better customer service from downtown businesses
For a PDF file of the presentation, click here
September 22, 2006 - 8:45am to 11:30 am
Mixed-Use/Mixed-Income Development
Forum
Why it is essential • What
you need to know • How to make it happen
The demand for downtown housing is growing rapidly. Mixed-use/mixed-income development is an important downtown revitalization strategy. This session is designed for elected officials, leaders of state agencies, developers, downtown managers, economic development professionals, partnering organizations and advocacy groups. Learn how you can bring housing and new economic vitality to your downtown.
Speakers:
Dan Carmody, President, Downtown Improvement District,
Fort Wayne (IN)
Brian Hollenback, Executive Director,
Rock Island (IL) Economic Growth Corporation
Click
here for speaker profiles. Click
here to read an article by Dan Carmody on affordable
housing and mixed-use development.
For a PDF of the forum presentation click here. Presented in cooperation with HOMEConnecticut, an initiative of the Partnership for Strong Communities Made possible by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority |
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July 28, 2006 - 8:30am to 4:00pm
Economic Realities of Downtown Revitalization
Donovan D. Rypkema, principal of Place Economics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm, is an industry leader in the economics of preserving historic structures, and has consulted on real estate and economic development for 30 years. He will teach you how to restructure your downtown economy by helping existing businesses and reconfiguring the mix of goods and services so that downtown is economically balanced, adaptable and competitive. Topics addressed in this workshop include:
- Real estate - investment, measurement of investment quality, returns on investment, and operation
- Acquisitions, rehabilitation, and dealing with white elephants
- Closing the gap between redevelopment costs and value
- Retailing, business attraction, and downtown living
You will learn how you can start today to improve the economic base of your downtown through long-term, market-based solutions, creating an economic environment where more dollars go into more cash registers. Sign up today!
*Subject material appropriate for CEUs for Landscape Architects. Also approved for 5.5 CPD credits for Certified Planners.
For a PDF of the workshop presentations click on a title: Workshop Presentation - Econ Dev Crash Course
April 28, 2006 - 8:30am to 4:00pm
Using Design as a Tool for Downtown Revitalization or DOWNTOWN VIZ
Explore the tools and techniques for creating more viable downtowns and main streets in this workshop led by David V. Sousa, R.L.A., A.I.C.P. Mr. Sousa has 26 years of experience in landscape architecture and urban planning, and has managed the design and construction of large-scale projects for corporate, institutional and governmental clients. He is a disciple of Smart Growth and Traditional Neighborhood Development and has focused his career on creating more livable, sustainable and attractive communities. In this workshop you will learn how to:
- Expand your ability to visualize change
- Better understand the positive and negative aspects of density
- Examine the complex interrelationships of people, place, automobile and nature
During the morning session Mr. Sousa will use graphic presentations and break-out discussion groups to review the basic principles of urban place-making around such topics as density, zoning, streets as public spaces, “walkability,” community identity, and parking. In the afternoon you will participate in “building” a new downtown district based on the principles identified in the morning session and utilizing state-of-the-art computer visualization techniques.
*Subject material appropriate for CEUs for Landscape Architects. Also approved for 5.5 CPD credits for Certified Planners.
For a PDF of the workshop presentations click on a title: Design - Parking - GIS
January 27, 2006 - 8:30am to 4:00pm
Building Your Capacity to Revitalize Downtown
Kent Burnes, principal of Burnes Consulting, has 19 years of experience in economic and downtown development, and small business consulting. He will teach you to use a comprehensive approach working with strong partnerships to bring downtown back to life. In this session you will learn to:
- Develop a leadership team and plan
- Maintain partnerships and community involvement
- Identify strategies and projects to fit mutual objectives
- Fund your revitalization initiatives
Strong partners will provide your revitalization initiative with people, expertise and financial resources. In the end, it takes an entire community to revitalize a downtown.
*Subject material appropriate for CEUs for Landscape Architects. Also approved for 5.5 CPD credits for Certified Planners.
For a PDF of the workshop presentation click here.