Downtowns Are Coming Back, But It Could Be Better

Downtowns are coming back, but it could be a lot better—that was the perspective of panelists from major companies at the ICSC’s “Downtown Reboots: the Future of Retail and City Centers” discussion.

Larisa Ortiz, Streetsense Managing Director, Public Non-Profit Solutions, believes the answer to revitalizing downtowns and business districts is as simple as putting housing in those rather empty areas. “The elephant in the room is that people are not in downtowns—at least in office-centric downtowns—the way they were,” Ortiz said during the panel. “We have to think about putting people in these buildings whether they’re working or they’re living, because they come downstairs and they spend money.”

Read a full recap of Larisa’s ICSC discussion in The Commercial Observer.

Our Public Non-Profit team expertly develops place-based strategies on behalf of local, state, and federal government entities and non-profit place-management organizations—offering communities innovative, research-driven answers to place-based challenges. Explore our full-scale strategic planning services—created in partnership with MIG—for Union Square Alliance, the City of San Francisco’s premier and storied central shopping district, here.

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