Category: Downtown

The entrepreneur as community problem solver

June 16, 2010

Give an entrepreneur a challenge and let them rise to it.  That strategy is fueling two transportation efficiency efforts, and it may provide a much needed model for community problem-solving.  In one case, Oliver Kuttner, a Lynchburg entrepreneur, is responding to the fuel efficiency challenge made by Progressive Automotive’s X-Prize: to create a practical, safe car that can travel 100 miles on … More The entrepreneur as community problem solver

Virginia Preservation Toolkit, a green guide?

June 14, 2010

Historic preservation is gaining popular recognition as a “green” practice connected to broader sustainability goals.  After all, reuse of a historic building is fundamental recycling.  From a national perspective, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has created a Sustainability and Historic Preservation Web resource for homeowners, Main Street communities and preservation planners.   Now Virginia can … More Virginia Preservation Toolkit, a green guide?

New Virginia Main Street Commercial District Affiliates named

June 10, 2010

With the addition of two new  Commercial District Affiliates, the list of communities recognized as pursuing or exploring the Main Street Four Point Approach has grown to 98.  There are currently 21 designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) Communities across the commonwealth. These communities have all been nationally accredited by the National Trust Main Street Center for their work in … More New Virginia Main Street Commercial District Affiliates named

The unexpected entrepreneur

May 21, 2010

If you were asked to describe an entrepreneur, what words would you use?  Maybe terms like “bright, energetic, or magnetic.”  This 2004 article in the aptly named magazine Entrepreneur, gives a whole host of other terms, not all of them complimentary.  Two descriptions of an entrepreneur that most people would not use are “ex-felon,” and … More The unexpected entrepreneur

A Japanese city assesses its attraction of tourists, and its character

May 13, 2010

In the Virginia Department of Housing and  Community Development’s asset-based downtown planning process, the agency recommends that an out-of-town visitor be included in the assessment of the community and its potential. The reason: the uniqueness of place is often most overlooked by those who know it the best.   The point was demonstrated a few weeks ago when a Giles … More A Japanese city assesses its attraction of tourists, and its character

Rightsizing traffic for a people-friendly place

May 12, 2010

Downtown revitalization is problem solving with a wide variety of variables, and while we share best practices, each community must develop its own strategies and solutions. Take the problematic pedestrian-automobile relationship. The 1970’s pedestrian mall solution of removing cars altogether worked in a few places but not in most, and it turns out that the  most workable response … More Rightsizing traffic for a people-friendly place

Virginia Main Street announces Downtown Improvement Grant opportunity for designated communities

May 6, 2010

In an ongoing celebration of the Virginia Main Street’s 25th anniversary, the Virginia Main Street program has announced a rare funding opportunity specifically for designated Virginia Main Street communities.  Downtown Improvement Grants of up to $2,500 per designated community are now available for special, one-time projects.  The grant opportunity is designed to offer communities the ability … More Virginia Main Street announces Downtown Improvement Grant opportunity for designated communities

Altavista’s first historic district

April 12, 2010

Altavista arose in the late 19th century, soon after the regional Virginian Railway extended an east-west line,  intersecting with the Southern Railway, a major east coast corridor.  The Lane brothers, realizing the commercial opportunity, purchased 2,000 acres at the junction, and proceeded to build Altavista and the Lane Home Furnishings from a fledgling cedar chest … More Altavista’s first historic district