Ways to Assist Neighborhood Commercial Districts

{The following is a reprint from MainStreet News - National Main Street Center and from a presentation given to the Urban Forum II}

Donovan D. Rypkema
Principal - Place Economics
Drypkema@PlaceEconomics.com

Here is a quick, 22-item list of mostly cheap ways to assist neighborhood commercial districts.

Do the basics. That means doing the things that local government is already supposed to do: provide public safety, maintain public space, sweep the streets, and don't tolerate drug dealing and prostitution.

Review ordinances, regulations and policies that prevent you from doing what you want to do and then change them. That means zoning ordinances, building codes, regulatory processes, parking requirements, and capital improvement budgets.

Strongly discourage metal security gates; they are more effective at scaring off customers than they are at reducing crime.

Get the city to put public services in neighborhoods and pay rent.

Remove graffiti. It's easy and cheap to do and very, very effective.

Do not let a suburban building typology diminish the urban character of your neighborhood.

Chains (stores) are not necessarily a bad thing in neighborhood business districts, but they should be built to accommodate pedestrians, not automobiles.

Create design guidelines that are appropriate for the district and, just as important, provide design assistance. Most building owners would prefer to follow Spike Lee's directive and "do the right thing" in terms of design, but they often need help figuring out what the "right thing" is.

There isn't just one type of neighborhood business district but many. Each district should be encouraged to build on and celebrate its own character.

Broaden the definition of historic preservation. Remember that ad campaign a few years ago, "It's not your father's Oldsmobile"? Well, historic preservation today is not your blue-haired grandmother's historic preservation. Create local historic districts or, if more appropriate, conservation districts.

Make sure public improvements are appropriate to the scale and character of the neighborhood.

Review the city's development incentives and customize them to meet the specific needs of neighborhoods.

Push to re-open neighborhood institutions such as libraries and especially neighborhood schools.

Encourage high-quality infill construction.

Forget the big fix; it doesn't exist. Revitalization is trickle-up, not trickle-down. Encourage and assist little catalysts in the neighborhood.

Practice selective code enforcement. Try to work with property owners cooperatively. But when they are intransigent and are having an adverse effect on the businesses and buildings around them, make their lives miserable and get the building code enforcement people to help you.

Recruit institutional partners for your neighborhood efforts - Boston has done a remarkable job in this regard.

Adopt locally appropriate sign ordinances as the stick and small grants as the carrot. Signs don't necessarily have to be visible by low flying aircraft.

There are times when a building must be torn down, but demolition should always be the last resort, not the first choice.

The city and other organizations should help the neighborhood - both residential and commercial - get organized and build partnerships. We know the phrase "public-private partnership" but the successful models are actually public-private-non-profit partnerships and they are critical to success.

It may not always be possible, but if you can, make sure that the revitalization process is depoliticized.

Provide technical assistance on a number of levels, including: understanding the local market, parking, financial analysis, dealing with white elephant buildings, merchandising, business planning, personnel training, and a myriad of others.