Once again, cities are gathering places. People want to be Downtown.
Downtowns have the assets.
The panel, held during ULI's Spring Council recently in Minneapolis, featured a number of mayors and public officials from Rochester, NY, Indianapolis and the Twin Cities. Coleman says municipal officials must be willing to take risks on alternative development designs, provide flexible zoning, and they must focus on preservation and enhancement of existing properties rather than demolition. Mayor William A. Johnson of Rochester, NY, described his city's efforts to revive two low-income neighborhoods with redevelopment that includes new retail centers to serve a market segment that had been ignored. The city viewed the effort as a way to turn around the neighborhoods, fill a retail void, and trigger additional investment. The area now has 400 new homes, a volunteer neighborhood patrol and is thriving, he says.