Placemaking
Placemaking is a movement that reimagines public spaces as the heart of every community, in every city. It’s a transformative approach that inspires people to create and improve their public spaces, and turn them into places, into experiences. Placemaking strengthens the connection between people and the places they share.
Public space is just...space, but a place is somewhere you can belong, somewhere you can connect.
A place is an experience.”
–Katie Gibson
BID Creation and Renewal
Urban Place has facilitated efforts to successfully establish more than 30 new Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) throughout the United States with collective annual assessment revenue of over $18 million. We have renewed 15 districts that each saw their assessed revenue and geographic scope increase upon renewal. Our clients range from downtown organizations to city governments, from large cities to small towns, and from districts with a majority of small businesses to those with a predominance of governmental and non-profit organizations.
We have assisted over 40 downtown management organizations become leadership organizations by helping define their vision, mission, goals, organizational structure, board/staff relationship, as well as providing implementation plans and assisting with staff recruitment. Our work ranges from board retreats to long-term, in-depth analyses and restructuring of downtown corporations and their programs.
Organizational Development
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
–Henry Ford
Interim Management
As an outgrowth of our work establishing BIDs and improving their management, we have developed an expertise in managing them and other downtown associations on an interim basis. Interim management allows the board of directors to take sufficient time in selecting the next CEO of the organization without losing effectiveness in the management of daily district programs. We have been asked to manage districts under three circumstances:
•Newly established BIDs conducting an executive director search
•BIDs in transition between executive directors
•BIDs in the process of implementation or renewal
Our experience in managing business improvement districts and working with downtown organizations in 40 cities and 23 states provides us with the insight to successfully develop parking strategies that reflect the unique needs of each client we serve. Because we are not a parking consulting firm, but a downtown consulting firm, our programs are based upon what actually works in a downtown. We understand the issues and needs of retailers, office tenants and downtown users, not only through downtown managment, but having been some ourselves. We also understand the importance of public process, including relations with public agencies, city councils and mayors.
Parking Strategy
Parking isn't rocket science. It's a lot more complicated than that.”
–Don Shoup