A new era of downtown opportunity
May 20, 2022
Published in CNU Public Square: David Dixon, Urban Places Fellow, shares how downtowns are headed for prosperity despite pandemic devastation
Over the past two years I have heard colleagues express growing pessimism about the future of North America¡¯s downtowns. And why not? In its April 2021 report, ¡°To Recover From COVID-19, Downtowns Must Adapt¡±, Brookings noted ¡°Across the U.S., the pandemic has left downtowns ¡®cratered,¡¯ ¡®devastated,¡¯ and ¡®abandoned.¡¯¡±
Yet, with the right planning and policies in place, downtowns face two decades of unprecedented opportunity.
The case for optimism starts with a quick New Norm 101. Over the next two decades dramatic shifts in North America¡¯s economy and demographics will intersect to create a perfect storm of demand to live, work, play ¡ and innovate. In fact, some of these forces have already been pumping growing vitality in downtowns for more than a decade. Let¡¯s start with North America¡¯s changing economy.
Read the full article at .
