From office conversions to bonding programs to unconventional approaches, cities are testing different ways to revive their downtowns.
City officials are trying to revive their downtowns in myriad ways, whether it’s through office conversions in New York City, bonding programs in Chicago, or sports-related development in Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City.
Recovery Rates Vary
COVID-19 turned many once-vibrant city centers into ghost towns. Shops and local eateries closed, and office buildings sat empty as employees worked from home.
The fates of downtowns since the pandemic have varied significantly, said David Stanek, a research fellow at the Penn Institute for Urban Research, author of a forthcoming report for the Volcker Alliance about those recoveries.
ROUTE FIFTY
by DANIEL C. VOCK
MAY 31, 2024