Strengthening downtown public spaces in our smaller communities

Abstract

Today, downtowns large and small are facing the challenges of the new normal, especially a contraction in retail-drawn customer traffic. Vibrant parks and public spaces can fill the slack and help maintain and grow a downtown’s pool of visitors. Too many of them in smaller communities focus just on being event venues, however, while failing to provide the simple amenities and programming that are essential to attracting users on non-event days. This paper suggests that properly located public spaces can successfully target and attract the daytime markets segments present in these smaller communities, if the appropriate and affordable programming and improvements are made.