PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Courtney Hall
chall@retailstrategies.com
214-356-9920
Downtown Strategies sanctioned by USDA as a national technical assistance provider
On May 31, 2022, USDA unveiled a free digital toolkit to help rural leaders build placemaking plans in small towns and communities across America. As part of that toolkit, USDA has identified sanctioned technical assistance providers as national or regional partners to assist communities in building strategic plans, of which Downtown Strategies is included.
What is Placemaking?
Placemaking is a people-centered approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover needs and aspirations.
Should my community be thinking about Placemaking?
Absolutely. As rural communities continue to change and grow in this post-COVID era, there’s never been a better time to consider how your community’s sense of place presents itself to residents and visitors.
What should I do next?
1.
There are 4 questions community leaders should ask themselves to check-up on their downtown or central business district. Take our downtown check-up here to see what your community readiness is for a strategic placemaking plan.
2.
Request a complimentary Walkability Assessment for your downtown. We’ll analyze how walkable your space is and provide recommendations for improving the overall safety, aesthetics, and business mix in your community.
Want to know more about how your community can engage with your downtown?
Reach out to our team for advice and next steps.
About Downtown Strategies
Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, exists to provide realistic, implementable strategies to communities for revitalizing their downtowns. Led by a team of former downtown revitalization practitioners and real estate experts, our combination of real-world experience, plus expertise in real estate and retail uniquely qualify us to assist communities with backfilling vacancies, increasing tourism, and enhancing the sense of place in their downtowns. Serving rural communities in 22 states, Downtown Strategies is the leading national firm for downtown revitalization planning with an emphasis on real estate and retail.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in recruiting businesses and strategically developing communities. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality of life amenities. With confidence, we pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team with unmatched real estate and community development expertise.
