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Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case

By Becky McCray

Why does downtown matter? I’ve been asked why downtowns matter to small towns. Why should you invest your time and money into revitalizing your downtown? What makes it more important than any other area of town? What about that highway frontage? Or the edge of town where the discounters locate? In our Survey of Rural […]

February 22, 2021 Filed Under: community, economic development, rural, shop local Tagged With: building community, community development, downtown, economic development, Joe Borgstrom, main street, opinion, Place and Main, rural

Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals

By Becky McCray

2020 has taken a toll on downtown shopping and placemaking. There’s no time to waste on big master plans and no money for expensive consultants. Start taking action now to show life and new activity with small inexpensive steps. Murals add life and color to a downtown and are highly visible even to people driving […]

September 11, 2020 Filed Under: community, rural, shop local, survivors Tagged With: 2020, art, cheap, Climate, downtown, idea friendly, inexpensive, murals, placemaking, recession, shop local, tactical placemaking, tactical urbanism, temporary

How to get more parking downtown without adding any spaces

By Becky McCray

There’s not enough parking downtown! Doesn’t every city have that problem? You’re about to learn a new way to get more parking for your Main Street without having to pave, stripe or get a permit. It doesn’t work in every town, but it very well might work in yours. Finding hidden parking There is only […]

March 7, 2020 Filed Under: customer service, economic development, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, shop local Tagged With: Climate, creative placemaking, downtown, economic development, empty land, empty lots, entrepreneurship, parking, parks, placemaking, rural, small towns, walkability

Need a downtown business idea? Try a Cookie Crawl

By Becky McCray

A tray of cookies on a craftsman-style table

  Our friend Maury Forman of Washington state, sent us this idea from Madras, Oregon: On February 16 the Madras Downtown Association and Petite Sweets hosted the first-ever Cookie Crawl. Participants paid $5 and received a box and map that listed all the locations where the beautifully decorated cookies were available. Petite Sweets decorated cookies […]

July 22, 2019 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural Tagged With: activities, downtown, effective marketing, entrepreneurship, events, guest post, Maury Foreman, promotions, retail, rural, service businesses, small business

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