Making Business Districts Work

Unprecedented, broad coverage of downtown and community development topics from a practitioner's viewpoint!

Making Business Districts Work: Leadership and Management of Downtown, Main Street, Business District, and Community Development Organizations is the essential desk reference for downtown and community business district professionals and board members. It's also a complete survey of all the skills and information students will need as they emerge from school and begin work in this challenging profession. The book covers nearly all aspects of leading and managing downtown and community development organizations, from planning and implementing programs and policies, to evaluating successes and failures. Charts, tables, photographs, chapter analyses, and Web resources make this vital text even more essential.

An unprecedented diversity of perspectives makes this book unique, with contributions from the United States, Canada, and Portugal, and from small, medium, and large cities. Case studies provide a sharp focus on events that have something to teach every student and professional in the field. These include a look at how Lower Manhattan dealt with the crisis during and after September 11, 2001, how Los Angeles deals with an overwhelming homelessness crisis, and the 20-year planning and development of a major revitalization project in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In addition, Making Business Districts Work covers:

• downtown/business district management--an essential state-of-the-art overview plus examinations of developing leadership roles, vision-driven organizations, and the leadership versus management debate
  
• organization--structures, governance, human resources, staffing structure, finance, and fundraising
  
• operations--strategic planning, diversity, and advocacy
  
• marketing and communicating--with downtown, shopping, and electronic applications
  
• management of a downtown district--safety and cleanliness, urban design, hospitality, transportation, parking, social atmosphere, and hiring consultants
  
• development secrets for downtown districts--economic and residential development, attracting the right retailers and a solid retail base, regional attractions, and political considerations
  
• international perspectives from Canada and Portugal
  
• a look at how the field has evolved--and where it is likely to go in the near future

Making Business Districts Work presents step-by-step instructions for performing a host of essential tasks in the business district revitalization field, but more than that, it clearly shows how America's most experienced and successful downtown executives handle these responsibilities. Whether you are involved in practice or academia in urban planning, public administration, social work, architecture, international studies, public policy, political science, or business administration, Making Business Districts Work provides tools, skills, and insights to help you--or your students--succeed.