By Brittney Sherman
Downtowns and business districts play a pivotal role in the long-term health of a region and Economic Development Teams across Silicon Valley developed creative ways to keep these districts active during the pandemic.
In preparation for the Annual SVEDA Conference, data on the impacts, responses, and long-term effects of the pandemic on downtown districts was collected from (11) Silicon Valley cities. Unsurprisingly, there were common issues found across several downtowns, with the three most visible and difficult issues being vacant storefronts, public space management, and homelessness.
Cities want to create vibrant Downtowns but face challenges with code restrictions and resistance to new programs and street activations. Read the full White Paper Report HERE and flip through the slideshow to learn more about the top suggested strategies on ways to enliven Downtowns and business districts.
“Special thanks to John Lang, Economic Vitality Manager at the City of Mountain View and Kara Gross, Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance for their collaboration on this research and thank you to the 18 participating cities that took part in the study.”