Downtown Development

Here is a section of sidewalk in Boston made from brick pavers. It’s clear that the lack of uniform sizes and heights could pose challenges for the disabled or elderly pedestrian. Photo credit Seldom Scene Photography.

Designers, planners, and members of the public have recently come into conflict over Boston’s historic use of molded brick in sidewalks and public spaces.  Some think the use of bricks represents the face of Boston, while others condemn them as obstacles to the disabled and elderly. The different viewpoints amount to an ownership debate on the city’s public space.

The City’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities maintains that traditional, molded bricks are unable to provide the smooth surfaces (meaning no height variations greater than a quarter of an inch) that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires. However, other professionals (landscape architects, historical preservationists, and the brick industry) affirm that the material itself is not to blame, but rather improper installation and maintenance. 

Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award 

Richard C.D. Fleming is honored for his commitment to building livable and sustainable cities as a civic entrepreneur for more than 30 years while engaged in private sector and civic initiatives to revitalize cities and metropolitan communities in Atlanta, Denver, and, for the past 17 years, St. Louis.

"So, what is the point of public art? ” This question, posted online by Voice of San Diego's Kelly Bennett, came in response to the city of San Diego’s recent pull from public art funding; after its release on Twitter the post quickly turned viral. Responses to the post ranged from views of public art as superfluous and its place in the public sphere as luxury, to public art as necessary for community well-being, safety, and cohesiveness. 

Many of us believe in the arts as integral to the livable community— but when measuring out our federal dollars,  the arts are usually the first to go. But what if we could prove that in addition to instilling neighborhood pride and value in our public space, public art could actually serve as a deterrent for crime and violence?

Entrepreneurial Livable Community Award

For the community’s entrepreneurial spirit in its transformation to become a model for sustainable development and prosperity today.

William H. Whyte Award

For his contributions to creating more environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable communities through his work as a developer, academic, and author.

How does a city aspire to be livable when the outside public seemingly brands it as ‘dying?’ How does the city grow when it is told that is 'shrinking’? With eyes that are turning away from the core industrial cities and onto the technological hubs of the twenty-first century: can the city sustain itself?

For Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown, OH, hearing his city being labeled by Forbes Magazine as one of  Americas 10 Fastest-Dying Cities, inspired him to take the city in a new direction; one that leveraged successful development upon its own definition.

At the “Building Livable Communities” forum held at Washington, DC's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on September 22, 2010, Mayor Williams held a detailed discussion on how civic institutions in Youngstown redefined their role to promote dynamic change as amenity rich centers.

Mixed-Use downtown developments outperform “big box” developments in tax revenue-per-acre, reports Mary Newsom for Citiwire.net. Newsom explains the results of a recent study in Sarasota County Florida, and what it means for the way we grow our communities.  Click here for the full story.

On a recent visit to Denver, Linda Severson was surprised to find herself ignoring the city’s famed scenery to examine one of Denver’s lesser known wonders: its parking meters.

Denver is one of a number of U.S. cities that has installed brightly colored, repurposed parking meters designed to take donations to services for the city’s homeless.  Intrigued by these “donation stations,” Severson took the idea back to her role as human services coordinator for the Johnson County Council of Governments, in Eastern Iowa.

Her timing was apt.  Iowa City, the county seat, was then in the process of revising their panhandling ordinance, which would increase the restrictions on where panhandling could take place in the downtown area.  It seemed like the perfect time to offer what city officials have now deemed an “alternative” to panhandling. 

An organization that works with the existing cultural and historical strengths of Rocky Mount to revitalize the community’s economic health.

Minneapolis, MN

A central gathering place, market, and community center for members of the Minneapolis Latino community.

Partners' President Bob McNulty stops in on Ipswich, Australia—a city Partners has been working with for almost 10 years—to check out all the new activity and growth the city has experienced in the last 2 years. Read more about his vist to Ipswich>

Click here to read more about Ipswich, Australia—An Entrepreneurial City>

Washington, D.C.

A committee made up of arts, business, and civic leaders dedicated to the cultural development of the Washington, D.C. community.

 

Jackson, MS

A former shopping mall that has been converted into a comprehensive, multidisciplinary health care complex.

North Adams, MA

A cultural institution has brought stupendous growth to the surrounding community.

St. Paul, MN

A development bank and vehicle to fund the revitalization of the Lowertown area in downtown St. Paul.