Throughout the Midwest, there are examles of thriving central business districts. Through a literature review, conducted in partnership with University of Illinois Department of Urban and Regional Planning graduate research assistant, extension educators and specialists were able to identify common strategies and attributes of successful downtowns in small cities.
The indicators for successful downtowns were broadly classified into ten categories. Getting more people into downtowns is the core principle present in all of the indicators, as bringing people into downtown areas contributes to expanded use of business and services. While some of the indicators are director focused on economic return, other indicators recognize the importance of providing unique visitor experiences and illustrate strategies directed towards residential development, leadership, promotion, and the opportunity for new immigrant business development can all contribute a great deal to a vibrant downtown.
These indicators define both traditional and contemporary perceptions of success, providing communities of all sizes an opportunity for community assessment, identifying benchmarks and establishing new directions needed to strengthen downtowns. Downtown Success Indicators report can be found: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/downloads/59491.pdf