Is Abingdon on the brink of a new renaissance? That was the title question of a front page Bristol Herald Courier story this week connecting new businesses in the Washington County town to a strategic investment in Southwest Virginia’s cultural heritage. This little town might be the next Asheville, at least according to the buzz downtown,” opens staff … More Growing a success narrative
When a financial crisis arrives, it is too late to try to make the case for all the services your downtown organization provides to the community. You need to be spending that time engaging your support base and selling the future. To do that, there has to be a broad based system of support throughout the … More Tell us what you think.
While reviewing some of the great action movie stunts of all times, I was steered (get it: steered?) to this short film by French New Wave auteur Claude Lelouch. While you probably don’t want to recreate this famous and wildly reckless driving scene, take eight minutes to focus on the beauty and layout of Parisian streets. … More How to lay out a city…in eight and one half minutes
Virginia Main Street communities incorporate historic assets as the foundation of their design, promotion and economic restructuring strategies. By fostering vibrant, economically viable downtowns, they serve as stewards of traditional commercial districts. And it can pay off. Staunton was recently listed as number 42 in the New York Posts’ “Top 100 places for New Yorkers to visit,” calling … More The resurrected and the lost
The July Virginia Main Street electronic update is now available. Stay current with upcoming trainings, events and announcements relevant to the Virginia Main Street community. Read it here, and sign up to have it delivered to your inbox by emailing Douglas.Jackson@dhcd.virginia.gov.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will be moving its office location on July 9 – 10. Due to this move, the agency will be closed to business on these days. Computer services may not be available during this time; however the agency will resume business as usual on Monday, July 13. … More DHCD change of address effective July 13.
The natural beauty of Virginia’s diverse landscapes is a major quality-of-life factor for commonwealth residents and a strong draw for tourists. In 2008, Virginia’s 35 state parks alone welcomed more than 7.25 million visitors with an estimated economic impact of nearly $170 million dollars. (Fun fact #1: Virginia State park trails stretch more than 500 miles.) When you add Virginia’s National Parks, site, … More Making the most of your natural assets
Many communities conduct monthly or seasonal art walks. The events can create an evening vibrancy downtown, encouraging foot traffic. But in even the most successful events there are still opportunities to broaden the reach and impact. This season, consider working with your partners to tie an outcome measure or two to your event as a … More The downtown artwalk: Measure your event for better outcomes
Forty-five community leaders and volunteers attended the latest Virginia Main Street (VMS) training at Cally’s Restaurant and Brewing Co. in downtown Harrisonburg May 27, 2009. This year’s VMS Spring Feature focused on the public realm in downtown, the space between buildings which includes all public spaces, streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, and open space. The theme … More Recapping Spring Feature Training in Harrisonburg
Those of you who made it to the “Livable Downtowns” training held in Harrisonburg a couple of weeks ago know that just building upper story housing or rehabbing an old warehouse into loft apartments is not quite enough to get people living downtown. It is important to have the amenities people need (dry cleaning, corner … More How to attract Gen “Y”
Virginia Main Street 