Our Work
Design Wisconsin: Reedsburg
July 2017 — Assisted by the Community Vitality & Placemaking Signature Effort, on May 4, 2017, a group of 21 planning and design professionals found their way to Reedsburg, Wisconsin. These planning and design professionals worked with community members to help the community discover their shared vision for the future.
Five Keys to Downtown Success (Issue 183, December 2015)
December 2015 — The gut reaction most civic leaders have to a loss of business or population is to focus on growth strategies. It may be a better strategy to first focus on resilience rather than growth strategies. Resilience is how we maintain vitality in the face of adversity such as population decline, loss of […]
Design Wisconsin: Baileys Harbor
November 2015 — On November 5, 2015, a group of 20 volunteers found their way to Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin to donate their time and expertise in hopes of helping the community discover their shared vision for the future. Assisted by the Community Vitality & Placemaking Signature Effort, community members and volunteers came together to identify […]
Measuring Success in Small City Downtown Revitalization Efforts (Issue 182, September 2015)
September 2015 — Various words are commonly used to describe successful downtown revitalization efforts. Three words that are often used, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, are: Vitality – the capacity to live and develop Vibrancy – having or showing great life, activity, and energy Resiliency – the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful […]
Businesses that Open or Expand After the Opening of Walmart Supercenters (Issue 181, June 2015)
(Image Source: Caique Morais / Unsplash) June 2015 — The University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality recently studied the retail market of 13 Greater Minnesota cities where a Walmart Supercenter opened between 2000 and 2008. Their research explores which types of retail and consumer services businesses have coexisted with the retail giant, as identified […]
Downtown Storefront Improvements Analyzing Return on Investment (Issue 180, March 2015)
March 2015 — Do downtown storefront improvement projects provide an adequate return to the property owners, outside investors, or public funding entities? If so, what are the returns in both economic and other terms? This article summarizes findings from 24 case studies of storefront improvement projects in Wisconsin over the past 15 years. While not […]
Design Wisconsin: Grantsburg
May 2014 — On April 10 -13, 2014, a team of nineteen volunteer planners, design professionals, and community development educators volunteered their time and expertise to assist the community of Grantsburg, Wisconsin in discovering their vision for the future. This was a pilot program of the Community Vitality & Placemaking Signature Effort and completed in […]
Downtown Internet Connectivity Summary of Survey Results (Issue 179, October 2013)
October 2013 — Embracing the internet can help downtown businesses grow and compete. This article summarizes the responses to a survey concerning access to and use of broadband in downtown districts. The sample consists of the 35 responses received from downtown development and Main Street professionals in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio. This was not a […]
A Profile of Wisconsin’s Small Town Downtowns (Issue 178, August 2013)
August 2013 — Downtown districts in Wisconsin’s small cities and villages have significantly different demographic and economic characteristics from those in larger cities. These differences can help us understand their particular issues and opportunities for downtown revitalization. This article profiles small town downtowns from the perspective of who lives downtown, who works there, and what […]
Importance of Buying Local (Issue 169, September 2010)
September 2010 — A growing body of evidence suggests that the businesses most beneficial to a community are those that are independent and locally owned. This article provides an introduction to the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits provided by local business. Economics Perhaps the most compelling reason to buy local and independent is economics. […]
“Buy Local” Campaigns and Economic Research (Issue 168, August 2010)
August 2010 — Incorporating good economic data and research into your “Buy Local” campaign can have multiple benefits. This article outlines how economic data can strengthen the development, implementation, and evaluation of a buy local campaign. It will focus on economic data related to demographics, “what-if” economic impact scenarios, and evaluation data. The first step […]
Revitalizing Downtown Retail: Finding the Right Tenants in a Changing Market (Issue 161, January 2010)
Summary of a presentation by Carol Gies* January 2010 — As a result of the economy and changes in the retail market, it is important that downtown tenant recruitment efforts recognize changes in consumers and competition. A generic retail recruitment formula does not work downtown. Carol Gies of 4Insights, Inc. shared her perspectives on this […]
