Edition 58

They say that “some like it hot”, and that’s exactly what we’re all in for. The mercury topped the lower 80s this week on the East Coast, which was an uncomfortably warm blip of spring and a foretelling taste of the summer ahead. As the planet heats up, so do the bright ideas around urban planning, sustainability and the tension between urban enclaves and ruralists. But it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact we’ve got some hot takes in this edition of the Bulletin including a round-up of recipes for downtown revitalization, (perhaps unexpected) growth in rural America, multispecies architecture and “office resorts”,  an urban design competition out of the Big D that inspires us as placemakers, a species of flower that can turn your parklets into nighttime economy powerhouses, and a hefty dose of adorable dogs, kittens and treats for humans alike, for good measure. Read on and share this with a friend, friend.

Stay chill,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

There’s a lot of postulation about the future of cities, reinventions of former Central Business Districts, and evidence-based best practices for how to go about revitalization. And while there are major differences in how things operate abroad, versus life in the United States, we can peek outside our own North American bubble to see what’s working and apply takeaways to our own approaches. Much is being written about where we live, shop and play, empowering streetscapes, 15- and 20-minute cities and more. Let’s start with housing. The U.S. is experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis, loss of missing middle housing, and as inflation and volatile interest rate changes greatly impact affordability, we can take a cue on public housing from Barcelona, Spain. Merely uttering the words “public housing” is groan-evoking in some American circles, but after years of ignoring the issue, Barcelona is now tackling it head on with a social housing revival. Then imagine stepping outside your sustainable, affordable public housing. How can we ameliorate our public realms to be more inviting, promote community and discourse, and develop a culture of intentional third places? Look no further than this round-up of the little things that can make big impacts in our streetscapes. 

Even though “some like it hot”, it’s a fact that it’s getting hotter for all of us, and the BBC takes a look at five standout cities that are models of sustainable practices in Europe. Governing gives us a peak at a profit-sharing play that may prop up commercial real estate here in the States, for brave mayors and crafty financiers, and it’s all about the dollars. San Francisco, which has been slammed with the overly dramatic “doom loop narrative” also offers insights into potential office conversations that aim to bring workers back — with a snazzy “office resort”, chock full of amenities like a private spa, rooftop bar & resto,  shops, skyline swimming pools, a golf simulator (stand up meeting, anyone?), and even an outdoor gathering space. The urban planning big thinkers at Gensler give us a look at a recipe for the NEW! CBD that promises the amenities, experiences and transpo options needed to lure more downtown. There’s so much to consider in terms of how we can positively influence our downtowns, convert to new models for housing, attractions and alluring amenities, and what the precise mix is to make impacts to our cities. At the end of the day, new sustainable housing should include more species than just humans. Fast Company shows us how we should be designing cities for increased biodiversity with multispecies architecture. Think you have all the answers now?  Give us a shout and let us know what’s working in your neck of the woods.

Photo by Danist Soh on Unsplash
 

We’re big dog people here at Bright Brothers, and we know we’re not alone. Man’s best friend is seemingly everyone’s best friend these days, and as pet ownership and cohabitation increases, so do the impacts on our urban fabric and culture. In the past several years we’ve seen the rise of cat cafés, doggy ice cream parlors, bars for humans and playful pooches, and even adorable puppy kissing booths at downtown events. But here’s a new one we haven’t seen before, and it literally made us howl (aroooo!) with joy. TD Bank in Philadelphia recently launched an ATM that dispenses — not cash — but treats for your well-behaved doggo! We ❤ this PR play and it’s a fun and engaging way to show the community that you embrace all kinds of friends, regardless of how many legs they have. Does your downtown bank need a dog biscuit ATM? We say yes, most definitely! Please send us your proud parent puppy pix and we may just feature them in a future edition! Now, who’s a good boy!??!

Photo by Andrew Schultz on Unsplash

… that it’s not just cities that are changing the way they do business (from former central business districts into modern, amenity-rich urban lifestyle centers), rural areas and suburbs are adapting and reacting to shifts in culture and lifestyle in the 21st century. Our nearby neighbors are growing and changing as well. This piece points to the fact that after a decade-long trend in loss of rural population, rural America has actually grown the past two consecutive years according to U.S. Census data. What is interesting about this article is that while it shows U.S. metros are returning to pre-pandemic population levels, several factors including migration are adding to the outward exodus to parts afar, outside of cities. While the article’s focus sits with rural growth, much of the data points to suburban growth. In particular, it lays out that, “…ninety-seven percent of the rural population growth happened in nonmetropolitan counties that are adjacent to metropolitan counties,” — meaning mainly suburban growth. Without splitting hairs on nomenclature, the article points to a trend of population growth outside of cities, that is making the biggest impacts in states like Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Interestingly, Governing recently published a piece on suburban growth that examines the increase of walkable suburban centers, attractive to younger demographics, and much of this growth is taking place in a wide southerly swath spanning from SoCal thru the Sun Belt to places like Montgomery, AL,  Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA. In some cases, these new-style suburbs offer housing in alternative formats, like the Culdesac project in Tempe, AZ — a car-free community that’s turning the traditional suburban model on its head. It’s not surprising that younger generations like Millennials and even Gen Z are looking at alternatives for raising families, and the suburbs have always been a safe haven for those with kids. All of this is ounctuated by the affordable housing crisis, missing middle, and apparently fingerpointing at Boomers for buying up all the houses and, (aghast!) …  living in them! Three articles this week covered the trend with the Wall Street Journal pointing to inflated interest rates keeping Boomers from downsizing, Business Insider underscoring the affordability narrative with a potential political twist for this year’s election, and Fortune prognosticating that the Boomers will eventually downsize within the next decade, glutting the marketing with a “silver tide” of nearly 9 million homes. Regardless of your age, we all need someplace to live, and while the pendulum always swings, one thing is clear — mixed-use, amenity-laden, walkable density is desirable at any age — whether that exists within the confines of an existing urban center, or the newly-realized, city-mimicking rural-suburban landscape. As urban place management practitioners, we are at the forefront of what people want, and we hold the power to change the narrative about the cities and communities we steward.

Photo by Max Böttinger on Unsplash

Get ready for a head-on collision between your nighttime economy, placemaking after dark, and operations because humanity just achieved something really brilliant, and your downtown should be the first to offer a fully illuminated … bioluminescent garden?!? Yep, in the past year the U.S. The Department of Agriculture approved the “firefly petunia” and orders started shipping out this month. These glow-in-the-dark flowers combine luciferase (which gives lightning bugs and and some corals their distinctive glow) with plants that result in a glowing garden. What may sound like science fiction has been in the works for decades, and is now commercially available. We know that many downtowns and districts do illuminated placemaking (everything from static lighting to dynamically illuminated skyscrapers to projection mapping festivals like Downtown San Francisco’s Let’s Glow SF, and light festivals like Georgetown’s GLOW — and others). Some districts have pulled off incredibly engaging floral events like Union Square’s In Bloom and Arizona’s first and only Tempe Blooms — but we’re dying to who comes up with the first biggest, most bad-ass, bioluminescent mashup with nighttime illuminated gardens, just glowing with potential for downtowns revitalization. May the best (glowing) petunia win!

Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash

We’ve all read about the loneliness and isolation felt by many since the pandemic, and most likely amplified by our pervasive use of fallacious social media perceptions. One city is taking a stance — and taking a design competition to the streets. Thanks-Giving Square, located in metro Dallas, TX held an urban design challenge to combat loneliness and revitalize this 1970’s sanctuary designed as an all-faiths respite in the heart of the city. But history has shown us that the space is underutilized, so to bring it some new life, the perspicacious placemakers from Better Block launched a design competition to reimagine the area as a community space and connecting point for the city’s denizens. Eight finalists have been selected, and some of the submissions are truly inspiring. Tapping into top-notch architectural and design talent, we can see how many aspects of the finalists’ submissions can potentially serve as takeaways for localized placemaking, as all entries are geared towards pedestrianism and connected communities. Krista Nightengale, executive director of Better Block is proffered, “The idea was to create a sanctuary in the center of the city where anyone is welcomed, no matter their faith, religion, what brings them there, or their backgrounds,” and that’s something we can all get behind.

Photo by Gabriel Tovar on Unsplash

“A big part of our work is simply, how do you have these moments where people can go from being strangers to being neighbors?” — 

Krista Nightengale, Executive Director of Better Block, Dallas, TX

Edition 57

The days are getting longer, there’s more opportunity for outside activities, and perhaps a little summer vaykay planning is on your mind. If so, we’ve got multiple reasons to make sure Manhattan is on your bucket list this year, along with dollar homes here and abroad, reimagining the mall for the 21st century, and celebrating women in placemaking. Don’t spend too much time reading this week’s edition of the Bulletin, and make sure you get outside to get a little direct sunlight to your eyes (just not the kind that’s coming with the eclipse)! But in prep for the big April 8th solar eclipse, you may want to read this edition’s “Share What’s Good” section, and queue up the 1984 camp classic “Night of the Comet” on streaming, kids. It’s a crazy, fun romp for spring 2024. Now where did we store those eclipse glasses?!?

Here comes the sun  🌞😎🌞,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

As we close out International Women’s Month, we’d like to honor some extraordinary women who have put in the work, forwarded universal (and local) causes, and have the receipts to prove it. This considerate round-up of inspirational “femmes de pouvoir et puissance” include some of our fave names of pioneering women urbanists like Jay Pitter, Rosa Parks, Anne Hidalgo, Jane Addams and Jane Jacobs, natch — as well as some new names to us who have done or are doing impactful work in the name of us all, regardless of sex, gender, identification or orientation. #ladybosses

Photo by Lona on Unsplash
 

We ❤ a good placemaking campaign and this one takes the cake (ahem, er, the camera, as it were). A while back we reported on the Alliance for Downtown New York’s latest  residency program, as they put out a call for creatives to be named Downtown New York’s first Filmmaker in Chief. The inventive campaign serves and meets several objectives. It cements Lower Manhattan’s reputation as a palace to do business, and in particular, filmmaking. Case in point, (and full disclosure), when we were in Manhattan in December for client meetings with ADNY, we literally walked around (and amongst) the excitement of a film shoot taking place on location for what appeared to be an episode of some CSI-style TV drama. As the unofficial East Coast home to movies and TV, Manhattan has been the epicenter of visual and video media for decades. So this campaign “leans into local” and further cements that part of their brand. It also is an incredibly inventive approach to sourcing talent. Creating a residency with a “FIC”, as ADNY has done, taps into international talent and draws them to the epicenter of film and TV. And lastly, it sets the stage, as it were, to shone a spotlight on superior talent, while offering a dream set-up that includes: a generous $50,000 grant, a two-month stipend and two months of complimentary housing in a high-tech, luxury apartment Mint House, plus a professional editing suite to handle pre-production, filming on location and more. Its the chance of a lifetime, and the winners have been announced!  Drumroll, please… a HUGE round of applause for the Neymarc Brothers! This crafty fraternal duo will set up shop this summer in NYC and we cannot wait to see what they produce! Maybe it will be screened at Tribeca, Sundance or even Cannes — who can say? Collectively, this well-planned promotion is bang-on in furthering the Alliance’s branding, content strategy and placemaking efforts, and that’s award-worthy to us in any reality.

Photo by Donald Tong on Pexels

… that there’s a trend in revitalizing cities that could allow you to buy an entire house for a dollar? Whether your ideal forever home exists in Bolton Hill, Baltimore or Bella Italia — homes are on offer for a simple dollar (or a single Euro, if that’s your trading currency), and the trend has some evidence-based success stories to substantiate it. Last week, Baltimore City’s Board of Estimates voted to approve low-cost home sales as part of the city’s “Buy Into B’More” program which may now offer abandoned homes for as little as a dollar to individual buyers or community land trusts. There are over 13,000 vacant properties in Baltimore, with 900 owned by the city. And there are guardrails and requirements in place like renovating the property, moving in within a year, and staying for at least five years. But concerns about potential gentrification and pushing out existing residents also exist. Curiously, the best case use scenarios for this type of revitalization approach seem to be coming out of Europe (are you surprised?), where one-Euro homes have been on sale in depopulated towns for several years now. In one such scenario, in the picturesque mountain town of Mussomeli in the southwest of Sicily, the town launched a one-Euro program in 2017 and saw some surprising results. Not only did the depopulated town that had been struggling with outward migration since WWII sell 95% of its distressed housing stock within five years — they also experienced an astounding ten-fold explosion in tourism. So not only was the town able to stabilize and restore its at-risk housing stock, they ignited the Virtuous Cycle that now draws residents and visitors the world over. Is your city sitting on a land bank of unused properties that could be individually converted and retrofitted to foster a florid economy? Or do you think the risk of gentrification outweighs the benefits here in the US? We’d love to know your take.

Photo by Milivoj Kuhar on Unsplash

Close your eyes for a moment and see if you can imagine and remember the smell of fresh, chlorinated fountain water splashing, entrancingly down into a penny-filled pool at your feet. The hints of fragrance and aroma wafting from the GAP, Benneton or shops selling ESPRIT oversized sweaters and belts. Or the pungent whiff of “Bourbon chicken” samples being proffered up on a toothpick to passersby at the Food Court on your mission to spend, spend, spend your hard-earned teenage dollars (or parental allowance).  Now open your eyes. Where were you?  There’s a meme going around about reinventing “the mall” as senior housing for Gen X. And while we may laugh and consider which shops we’d love to live in (personally, I’d love to close my eyes at night to a virtual rainbow of glowing black light posters in the “back room” at Spencer’s Gifts circa ‘82), the mall holds a special place in American culture. Just press play on this video (and practice your upward infection while loudly exclaiming that, “Encino’s like so bitchin’!) while you read this piece about the initial intentions of the mall as the new public square (or at least a 3rd place where vital community conversations happen), and how the confluence of styles, trends and our changing relationship with retail upended those visions. It’s interesting to note that after 70 years, the mall holds new potential in many places. We’re seeing former castles to consumerism being reenvisioned to meet today’s needs. With an aging population, medical centers make sense. Adaptive re-use as centers of academia as college campuses make so much sense! And as America’s “missing middle” housing disappears, the ever-pressing need for more affordable and mid-tier housing makes so much sense for malls to find a second or third life. If your local mall contained amenities like a fitness center, pickleball, luxury apartments and an onsite hotel for your guests, would you be down?  At least install a Jamba Juice to replace that aged, dairy & egg-laden Orange Julius nastiness!

Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash

Unique, New York. If you love graphic design, history and NYC, you’re in luck. Poster House in NYC launched a gallery exhibition last week that runs through 8 September 2024, highlighting select vintage travel posters throughout the last 130+ years or so that trace the development of tourism marketing through the visual medium of travel posters from the late 19th century through to the US postwar era. As the now-perceived cultural capital of the world, NYC wasn’t always the top spot on the travel bucket lists of many in the early days. And through the curated assemblage of posters designed for airways and railways, attendees can visually trace the rise of the Manhattan skyline, along with other now-iconic attractions like Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and of course Lady Liberty herself. Nicholas Lowry, who heads up the vintage poster department for famed Swann Auction Galleries notes that, “This exhibition charts the course as New York grew into an international city,” and that’s something of interest for all arm-chair students of urban planning, tourism and placemaking, in our estimation!

Photo by Keith Walker on Unsplash

“The exciting factor about New York is the constant reinvention. Other major global cities have more tradition, but New York is the capital of dynamism,” — Nicholas Lowry, Swann Auction Galleries

Edition 56

The weather is picking up, DST is kicking our asses and spring fever is starting to set in. It’s an exciting time of year as we reemerge from winter’s wasteland, and prepare for warm weather activations, FY25 planning and the monumental tasks of engineering revitalized districts four years after the fact. While the landscape is still shifting, and we’re seeing even more trends that started before the pandemic continue to shake out in weird, wonderful and unexpected ways, we have to focus on the tasks at hand right now. To help inform your strategy, amp your placemaking game and drive more foot traffic to your district, we’ve got some chonky reads, and quick-hitting tidbits in this edition of our Bulletin. Meet Breänna Clapp who develops jaw-dropping “wow moments” with districts like yours, and Mike Berne who’s breaking down that office dweller spend data (that doesn’t pass the sniff test) and demystifying the secret sauce to modern retailing for districts, to the mayor of Miami Beach, who just wants you to STAY AWAY! You’ll also be able to determine if you and your neighbors are empirically stressed out, and we’ve got nine spicy podcasts for the urbanophile in you. It’s all here in this 56th edition of the Bright Brothers Bulletin.

✌💗☮,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

We ❤ good placemaking, and it’s even better when it meets strategic objectives and provides quantifiable impacts. We recently sat down with Breänna Clapp, Account Executive from A3 Visual to discuss how their company partners with downtowns, districts and DMOs on exciting and impactful placemaking and destination marketing campaigns. As a strategic and creative advisory partner with 53 years in business, A3 has a proven track record, and a dynamic and encompassing suite of offerings to “transform ordinary moments into extraordinary memories anywhere, anytime,” — and we love that!  We came to know A3 Visual through our joint work with the Downtown San Francisco Partnership on their Let’s Glow SF activations. As the country’s largest holiday projection event the past three years running, each December the Partnership has partnered with A3 to put their district on the map, support their ratepayers and constituents, counter negative media narratives, and ultimately provide solid, quantifiable economic impact for their stakeholders. And the impacts are nothing to sneeze at. Each year the Partnership’s metrics and impacts continue to grow with Let’s Glow, and December 2023 served up the BEST results to date with $8 million in economic impact for the district’s ratepayers in 10 days! So what’s it like to work with A3 Visual? Breänna explained to us that A3 Visual is in the business of “wow moments” and that got our attention. Bree specifically works with clients on designing and developing immersive experiences like projection mapping, extended reality, AR, interactivity, LED and audio engineering, and always with the client’s goals in mind. These aren’t your “simple, light, quick” types of programming like adding Adirondack chairs, giant Jenga pieces or a mural to an unactivated alley. A3 pulls out the big punches on large scale initiatives that pack a punch. And their work is scalable. They can activate one building or space, or literally illuminate an entire district or city. As you’d expect, there’s a months-long lead time in planning and developing larger scale initiatives of this nature, however A3’s differentiator is that they’re a one-stop shop — as both a tech house and a content creative agency, all in one. And the creative is all important with any kind of placemaking undertakings, (where we see some clients struggle). But problem solved. A3 works with a roster of globally-renowned artists like Yann Nguema, and ofc local artists, creatives and designers to bring that local flavor (and community support) home. In addition to their vast experience in immersive design and placemaking, we’d like to note that A3 also has a formula for fundraising events that any foundation should consider. We asked Bree about her favorite projects to date, (outside of Let’s Glow), and while it was hard to decide (because they do so much cool stuff), Bree shared a few of her personal faves, including a 10-night public art initiative to promote Napa’s tourism economy with the Napa Lighted Art Festival, a Visit Missouri destination marketing campaign that transformed NYC’s iconic Grand Central Station for three days with an immersive dome-projection experience featuring 360-degree footage of Missouri attractions, complemented with Missouri wine pairings, local MO musicians and more for tens of thousands of visitors, plus this kick-ass Roblox XR Stage at last year’s VidCon in Anaheim. If you need any more reason to check out A3 Visual, might we suggest this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration in Los Angeles that drew 35,000 attendees to ring in the new year in style, as well as this inventive heat mapping installation in San Francisco’s Civic Center that utilized moving “blobs” to circulate attendees through the space. As a one-stop shop with the experience, acumen and chops to knock your placemaking and tourism initiatives outta the park, if you want to learn more, feel free to hit up Bree and discuss how A3 Visual can bring your organization’s placemaking into the 21st century — with undeniable, quantifiable impacts to boot!

Photo by A3 Visual

Are you feeling the pressure? Do you live in one of the most stressed out states? More than a quarter of us are so stressed out we can’t function!  And that’s not a good place to be. So if you’re wondering if your fellow states people are feeling the pinch as well, check out the results of this recent survey to see if your state made the list. Spoiler alert, you can skip this link if you live in California or NY. Now breathe in, count to ten and exhale slowly. 

Photo by Leighann Blackwood on Unsplash
 

… that the average urban office worker spends roughly $8,600 per year on food, drink, goods and services within the immediate vicinity of their building, including $1,350 in clothing, shoes, jewelry and department stores? These oft-cited stats are part of the narrative around demanding that employees return to office, however the picture isn’t that simple. It’s much more complex, and our favorite retail analyst Mike Berne points out in his latest series that the data doesn’t pass the sniff test. We’ve long been suspect of putting all your recovery eggs in one basket with corporations and cities demanding employees come back into the office full time. The genie is out of the bottle and it’s not going back. We’ve been saying this for four years now, and pegging your district’s revitalization on one, singular audience does not add up. Berne adeptly indicates how the numbers are skewed, while also digging into his vast acumen with people and retail, Mike shows us the consumer realities of where those spends are taking place, as well as mapping out some modeling behind retail’s continued shift from dated 20th century models and leaning into progressive, modern brands that utilize entirely different strategies for success in the 21st century. As place management districts, we need to modernize our approach as well. Digging deeper into the topic of RTO/RTW, we stan Joy Huerta’s commentary on Linkedin with regard to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s recent mandate requiring non-exempts to return to city hall. Joy hits the nail on the head, and from our perspective, we say both “read the room” (genie/bottle much?) and “read the comments” on Joy’s post. In particular we side with comments around women in leadership roles and the associated challenges of pure office work, wasting X number of hours a day commuting; ruining the environment while grinding so much you have no time to go to the gym or do right by yourself first. “Please secure your own oxygen mask first, before assisting others,”. Rather than finger wagging at former cubicle dwellers in an ill-informed attempt to revitalize your district, lean into your transformation. We are reminded of a quote by the lauded thought leader, architect, futurist and systems theorist Buckminster Fuller, when he said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine your district as a 24/7 destination with verdant, walkable streets, a tantalizing mix of amenities, vibrant nightlife, and day-parted placemaking activations. We say, don’t shame workers. Rather, look inward and ask “what can we do to make people want to come, dwell and spend some dollars in our district?”. The fact is that we’re never going to see an urban scenario again, the likes of which Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin rule the roost from ‘9 to 5’ daily, and just spend, spend, spend all day long in your downtown. Stop looking at office workers as a meal ticket date, and consider getting your hair and nails did before “your date.” The more attractive the offering, the more qualified suitors you will find knocking on your day. We’d love to hear your take, and know what you’re doing to get ready for your date.

Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash

Do you love podcasts? For many, podcasts are an easily digestible way of consuming thoughts, inspo and ideation from the comfort of their earbuds, and we loved this little list of nine city-focused podcasts for place management practitioners, as curated by the fine folks over at Bloomberg SPARK. Give a listen and let us know if your fave urban-oriented podcast deserves to be included!

Photo by Christina Morillo

Too much of a good thing, keeping your house clean, or a pivot to rich NIMBYs? This year’s “Miami Beach is Breaking Up with Spring Break” campaign is fascinating for several reasons. While many traditional spring break destination hot spots around the States are taking a pointedly different stance this year (including curfews, bag checks and DUI checkpoints) in an attempt to manage the massive overswell of unruly spring breakers that flood into their municipalities — Miami Beach is simply saying “Do not come here,”.  Admittedly, the scads of tightly-wound college students sowing their wild oats after midterms is ritual for many. However in recent years, (another example of a pre-pandemic trend that was amplified over the past four years), many long-established spring break locales have struggled to manage excessively large gatherings, public drunkenness, violence and scores of sophomoric scofflaws associated with the annual rite of passage. While most spring break destinations enact special enforcement during the wild and wooly weeks in March, Miami Beach is putting its foot down. Recent years have seen stampedes, shootings and the expected excessive consumption associated with spring break — and that has residents and businesses on edge. But it’s also an opportunity for many businesses to haul in the revenues from spring breakers. Is Miami Beach simply facing too much of a good thing, with too many tourists? Are they simply sending a message that non-compliance with common sense won’t be tolerated? Or is it that Miami Beach has swelled in recent years with a sizable increase of affluent elite who don’t want the mess on their doorsteps? It probably depends on which side of the card you’re playing. While the city’s current mayor Steven Meiner was elected partially on a spring break reform pillar, the shocking tactics to be deployed this year (including a 6pm beach curfew, bag checks, DUI checkpoints, doubled tow fines of over $500 plus a $30 admin fee, and the closure of city parking garages) combined with a strongly worded $250K anti-tourism campaign all speak pretty strongly to the fact that the city doesn’t want you there. Additionally, the governor is sending in state police troops to assist with enforcement. Although some business owners say they’ve been locked out of the conversation. “It does not feel like we’re ever in this together,” remarked cocktail bar proprietor Dan Binkiewicz, who asserts that city officials have furthered a hostile rapport with small businesses regarding spring break initiatives, and further noted that, “it did not feel like there’s a place for small business owners,”. What’s your take?

Photo by Thiago Miranda

“We’re in the business of ‘wow moments’,” explains A3 Visual’s immersive account executive Breänna Clapp.

Edition 55

As we round out Black History Month and move (like a lion or a lamb, depending on where you are) into Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at some interesting female-forward content in this edition, plus tips on seizing the power of TikTik for your vertical storytelling, adaptive reuse coming of age, and how one city is “leaning into local” to advance the Virtuous Cycle. But if you read one thing in this week’s communiqué, please be sure to check out the new boss in town under “Did You Know” and share your congrats with one of our fave people ever! Bye bye February and hellooooooo Spring!

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

When you close your eyes and think of Philly, a lot of iconic imagery probably comes to mind; the Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks and hoagies, scrapple and “sawff pressles” (IYKYK) — perhaps even Hitchbot being unalived, and … ofc, Rocky! Sylvester Stallone’s seminal 1976 role as Rocky Balboa birthed a franchise that is now forever enmeshed in the city’s cultural DNA. So the city is leaning into its bellicose branding and fêting Rocky as a pinnacle of its tourism positioning. With some major events on the table (the city’s 250th Sesquicentennial celebrations, FIFA World Cup games in 2026 and more) — the Rocky play makes absolute sense as a tourism driver, while leaning into a local brand attribute to promote Philly as a destination. Sure Philly has some massive hurdles to overcome (as all cities do),  but like all places — Philly is a city of dichotomies. Just like humans, municipal concerns are not “black and white” issues. Like most things in life, we’re talking “shades of grey” (not the books and movies, you deviant!) — we’re talking nuance, context, balance and focusing on the positive (despite many potential negatives; real, perceived or part of a media narrative). “Good people” make bad decisions every day. Archetypal “bad guys” do good things for those they love sometimes. Cities, like their collective citizenry, are a big mixed up ball of contradictions. For all of our flaws, foibles and unattractive elements, we still need to focus on the good in the world. And if that means pumping up some Rocky jawns in Philly, we’re all for it. Bigger question — what’s an admirable aspect of your city’s DNA and how could you “lean into local” to promote your location’s sense of place, be more attractive to potential guests, tourists and visitors that drive that “Virtuous Cycle” of economic development?

Photo by Christian Lambert on Unsplash

Now here’s some functionality that puts people at the forefront of technology. Back in September, rideshare giant Lyft announced it was piloting a new program called Women+Connect in five initial cities, with plans to roll out nationally. While we don’t know how widely the roll-out has taken place, the program’s aim is to match women and nonbinary drivers and riders in an effort to provide more peace of mind during the rideshare experience. There are a host of reasons; ranging from safety to perception, as well as recruitment of more women drivers. The program was developed in part with organizations like the HRC, and anything that promotes equity, assurance and well-being for portions of the populace that are more at risk, is an inequivocal  win in our book.

Photo by Peter Fazekas on Pexels
 

… that there’s a new lady boss in town? That’s right! We’d like to take a moment to pause, applaud and celebrate one of our favorite industry leaders! Please join us in congratulating Lori Foster, LPM in her now-permanent role as CEO and President of both the Downtown Tempe Authority and its sister foundation, DTF. We’ve known and worked with Lori for nearly a decade and can guarantee you there is no individual more capable, experienced or attuned to the needs of the Tempe community to assume the mantle. We look forward to many more years of collaboration, florid events, impactful placemaking and ultimately supporting the Downtown Tempe business and residential communities. Applause, cheers and kudos to you, Lori!

Photo by Downtown Tempe Authority

If you’re not on TikTok, you’re missing out. Period. We’re still seeing dozens of districts wasting their time posting religiously to X (formerly Twitter) with marginal engagement, and yet many of you have not yet gotten on TikTok. Why? Are you intimidated by the skills required to use TikTok? Do you not have the time? Do you lack confidence? We want to share with you Sophia Smith Galer, one of our favorite “vertical video” storytellers. Sophia is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster from the U.K. and we initially discovered her Instagram series “Eatymology” where she wittingly explains word etymologies and the semantics and vocabularies behind food. We just eat it up! Recently Sophia shared this video and it struck a chord with us. Not because it’s a pitch for her Skillshare series. Because it simplifies the conversation and explains the potential with no words minced. TikTik is simply a storytelling platform that is perfect for downtowns, districts and DMOs. And to underscore why your org needs to be on TikTok, take it from Sophia, when she affirmatively (and correctly) states that, “…if you’re not platforming your content there, no one is going to hear about it.” Mic drop. 

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

Adaptive reuse is near and dear to our hearts. Our co-founder Josh lives and works in an 1893 former Morocco factory in Philadelphia, and volunteers to support historic preservation efforts. Repurposing buildings is not a new concept. It’s something we’ve done as humans throughout our entire existence. Within the last 100 years or so, the United States has been on more of a demolition kick, but the tides are changing. With the nation grappling with an affordable housing crisis, the void of “missing middle” housing and a pointed need to shift former central business districts into vibrant mixed-use, 24/7 communities — the time is now to consider adaptive re-use. Most major cities are diligently working to update code, provide incentives, remove or reduce minimum parking mandates (in an era of rideshare, micro-transit and multimodal transportation), and many CBDs are already perfectly situated for TOD with residents as the primary audience, replacing the pre-pandemic commuter onslaught that drove urban planning and transportation planning for decades. This all makes sense given our post-pandemic urban existence. This piece from Smart Cities Dive features five of the largest office-to-residential-conversion projects taking place in NYC, Arlington, VA, Cleveland, OH, Chicago, IL, and Scottsdale, AZ (of all places!). This all equates to 55,000 new residential units nationally, with more coming online locally around the country. What is your city or even your district doing to help save some of America’s most amazing architecture, while solving an essential piece of the housing crisis conundrum?

Photo by Aleksandar Savic on Unsplash

“If you’re not platforming your content there [TikTok], no one is going to hear about it.” — Award-winning journalist and vertical video expert Sophia Smith Galer

Edition 54

Weird, wonderful February. We’re now closer to the Spring Equinox and springing forward an hour on the clocks than we are from last Xmas. The promise of spring is on the horizon, and hopefully soon we can stow away those snow boots and puffy parkas again. As we wander through the remaining weeks of Old Man Winter, we’re taking a look forward and backward at technology, participatory placemaking — with kids, the robot revolution (and yes, it was televised, back in 1984), and new way to walk (that may just save your hindquarters), plus America’s most walkable cities. So please read on for your twice-monthly dose of intriguing reads, and let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to dive into. We’re always open to new ideas and requests for research!

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

From Rosie the Robot (the endearing mechanical housekeeper from TV’s The Jetsons) to Blade Runner’s murderous Roy Batty — humans have a precarious relationship with automatons. On one hand, robots fulfill the creationist dreams of mankind, and also hold the potential to imperil our very existence. Which way will they go? No one knows right now, but the topic is hot on everyone’s mind with the exponential growth of robotics, generative AI and other technological advancements. In this section today, we’re taking a look at two very interesting sides of the coin. This piece from Fast Company takes a look at five essential types of robots that could make our cities better — within five years, no less! From mechanical task masters like street sweepers, traffic bots and curb coordinators to wildlife monitors and more, these benign buddies could make our lives simpler, easier and better. But how will humans react to them? This past weekend in San Francisco offers a bit of insight — when an autonomous Waymo vehicle was ravaged by angry human counterparts. The driverless car was attacked, graffitied and set ablaze with fireworks. Shocking images of the smoldering shell of the vehicle attest to the volatility and unpredictable nature of what it even means to be human. If there’s precedent in hindsight, the robotaxi incident may bring to mind the Luddites; a 19th century group of English textile workers who exercised their fears and anxiety about industrialization in similar ways to the robotaxi by the Bay. What’s your take, and do you see a near future in your district with robots just a bee-boppin’ along and helping us humans — or are we staring down the precipice of a literal clone drone war today?  Send us your hot take!

Photo by Irina Iriser on Unsplash

We’re admittedly technology nerds here at Bright Brothers, and while “all that’s old is new again” may pertain to many aspects of postmodern life, one undeniable change in our relationship with technology is user experience or UX. Aging in at 40 years, Apple’s Macintosh revolutionized our workplaces, homes and frankly the entire modern existence for those with smartphones. This sweetly nostalgic jaunt down memory lane from Technical.ly outlines how “satisfying and simplified” has irreparably changed the way we do just about everything these days. But the thing we loved the most about this article is Apple’s 1984 (yes, the actual year, not the dystopian, Orwellian classic that seems nearer to reality every day) Super Bowl commercial announcing the launch of the Macintosh computer. If we had to stick in a pin in a moment in time that jettisoned us into modernism, this has got to be it. Directed by Ridley Scott, this monumental piece of film only aired once, during the third quarter of the Super Bowl in 1984 and we’ve never looked back. We ❤ it.

Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash
 

… that you’ve probably been walking the wrong way on icy sidewalks your whole life? With the depths of winter at hand, and another round of snowstorms hitting week after week, winter 2024 is shaping up to be one wild walk! But we can take a cue from our cold climate kindred, the noble penguin. Who knew that aquatic birds, of all things, might be a model for locomotion? With over 800,000 people annually requiring medical attention from slips and falls on ice, HuffPost put out this piece promoting “penguin walking” to center our core of gravity and make better use of perambulation on ice. You may look like a smacked-ass doing it, but if it saves you a trip to the ER, you can thank us later.

Photo by Hubert Neufeld on Unsplash

Never underestimate the power of a child’s creativity. Boundless and unimpeded, children’s’ imaginations hold the power to create magical realms for their minds to inhabit. But what if we put and took stock in some of the ways kids see the world, and help them usher in an era of decision making of their own design? That’s exactly what’s been happening in the northern UK town of Aberdeen, Scotland, where children and youth play a participatory role in reimagining their city center through creative ideation, rooted in public realm enhancements. We’re sharing this heartwarming piece about placemaking from Aberdeen City Council that demonstrates not just flights-of-fancy involving two cartoon seagulls — actualization as a tool for channeling children’s dreams and desires for their own realm. Getting youth involved in placemaking may sound like a folly, but when we see the real-life impacts in terms of greenspace, cycling paths, street infrastructure and other vetted placemaking tactics, it makes our hearts swell with joy. Now let’s just hope that Dave and Sam don’t swoop and … ahem, ruin it for everyone. 

Photo by Karin Hiselius on Unsplash

In place management, we all love to boast about our “vibrant, walkable downtowns” — but some cities are actually far more walkable than others. Utilizing a mix of real estate and rental data, plus factors like proximity to amenities and “social equity”, Smart Growth America recently published its 2023 report ranking the top 35 US metros by their “walkable urbanism”. With some expected cities making the cut, there were also some big surprises and some accolades. Our friends in Ohio came out looking like absolute urban champeens with THREE of their cities making it in the top 25, alone! How well did your fair vale fare? Click to see the full list here or the full report here.

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

Edition 53

Has this January felt extremely long to anyone else? Naturally the colder temps make us want to hibernate, but there’s literally too much to do. And too much too read! Which is why we’ve combed through hundreds of sites, dozens of subscriptions and scads of news from the realms of MarCom, Placemaking and Economic Development to collate and curate the most impactful pieces for you. Please read on in this edition to learn more about AI and marketing automation, bottom line gamification and how districts can tap into human experience to amp their initiatives, the potential impacts of population decline and what it means for cities, a scintillating filmmaking campaign out of NYC, and another love note from the City of Baltimore to its most (in)famous filmmaking son (and Bright Brothers’ patron saint) John Waters. Keep warm, be cozy, and share your best examples with us!

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

Are you sick of hearing about AI yet? How about automation? For the MarCom folks in the room (and everyone else, ngl) these are topics we simply cannot avoid, and sticking your head in the sand is not going to change the world. Artificial intelligence and automation is. To that end, we’ve rounded up two interesting selections for this week’s newsletter that you should at least peep. First up here’s a strategic piece on social media automation from HubSpot, and while you may be aware of some of the tools, they’re growing and improving at the speed of … generative AI!  Which brings us to our next selection, an insightful dive into the world of AI from Dr. Anushika Babu Vadlamudi, an early adopter and daily user of AI for marketing. And you’re not wrong if you guessed — it’s all about the prompts. The pace of technological change is only going to hasten in our remaining years, so getting the jump on AI and automation now are going to propel you through the rest of your career, regardless of your position or responsibilities. Enjoy!

Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash

You’ve heard the phrase a thousand times about “It’s all fun and games, until…”.  Until what? Until you make money?!? And that’s precisely what the crafty content team at the New York Times has done in converting their online games into revenue-producing bottom line results. Our co-founder Josh Yeager pontificates more profusely on the topic over on his LinkedIn feed, and we wanted to dive deeper in this week’s Bulletin. At the heart of the issue is identifying the draw and connection of games to human nature. There’s something intrinsically encoded in our DNA that provides a proclivity towards gaming. It’s big business in and unto itself. In fact, according to Mordor Intelligence, “The United States Gaming Market size is estimated at USD 57.91 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 90.79 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.41% during the forecast period (2024-2029)”. And the concept of gamification has myriad implications and growth potential for many industries. Now naturally we’ve seen place management orgs adopt aspects of gamification in their efforts including traditional handheld or virtual passports at events, scavenger hunts, economic development platforms, to gamified shopping apps and more. Yet the implications and opportunities to gamify experiences offer seemingly boundless allure and potential for growing community, extending offline experiences online and connecting with your target audiences. We’d love to learn more about samples of games, gaming and gamification from a place management perspective from you. Got a notable example? Share with us!

Photo by Nik Korba on Unsplash
 

… that population decline may actually be good news for cities? While it may not feel like it for those of us in ever-growing cities and suburban enclaves — the global population is at a precipice and expected to peak soon, then decline. Patterns of population growth, outward migration and inward urban return have continually shaped life on our planet, and in our cities —  and a decline may not be a bad thing at all. We really loved this piece from Technical.ly that puts the impacts of population growth into perspective, and provides some salient thinking and talking points around what it means for cities. With tangible examples from nine U.S. cities that have experienced radical population changes in the past few decades, there’s wisdom to be found in the article. One of the most prescient pieces we took away was this quote from Diana Lind, who authors a Substack newsletter called “A New Urban Order“, who said, ”I would vote for how to make your city as attractive as possible to immigrants, because that’s where the population growth is,” and that’s dead ass facts. 

Photo by Scott Evans on Unsplash

Filmmakers can make an outsized impact on your local economy, (see below under Local), and not ones to miss a trend, the savvy placemakers at the Alliance for Downtown New York (one of the largest BIDs in the country covering almost all of Lower Manhattan) have launched an inventively incentivized grant program for aspiring filmmakers! The ADNY has launched a campaign to find their new “Film Maker in Chief” that includes a fantastic bundle of bennies with a cineastic twist. The winning filmographer is awarded a $50,000 grant to create a short film within the district, two months rent-free in a snazzy metropolitan pad, $2K/month stipend for living expenses, access to a professional editing suite and more. This is literally a dream come true for any novice filmmaker — but the deadline is looming soon! Submissions are due February 16th 2024, so share and share widely with your wannabe filmmaker friends and family! And kudos to the BID for continued out-of-the-box thinking and strategic undertakings. We’re filing this under Pinnacle-level placemaking.

Photo by CineDirektor FILMS on Unsplash

We all know that “….Baltimore loves a good pit beef sandwich,” (thanks Memama!) — and their hometown antihero, the radical, outrageous and off-the-hook “Pope of Trash”, filmmaker John Waters is once again venerated in his hometown. The city celebrates this iconic celebrity in many ways with numerous homages to Waters himself as their favorite hometown son. Case in point this mural of Waters’ main leading lady Divine in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, just six blocks from the infamous dog doo eating sequence from his 1972 cult classic “Pink Flamingos” that rendered Waters and his outlandish cast of unconventionals from Dreamland Studios a repulsive and unforgettable hit. You literally can’t unsee it! The Baltimore Museum of Art even dedicated a gender-neutral public restroom to their favorite purveyor of filth. The city’s newest love note to Mr. Waters comes in the form of the hotel Ulysses downtown on Read Street; a kitschy, vintage romp of respite in “Smalltimore’s” tiny-but-mighty downtown. When we talk to clients about “leaning into local”, it can come in many forms, from food to tourism to placemaking, art, activations and more. And as any Baltimorean can attest, their city would never be the same without the lasting impact of its own unorthodox prodigal son. What’s your city’s best known local quirk, and how could you market it to further develop your sense of place?

Photo by Brittany Baksa

Edition 52

Welcome to 2024, and what a doozy of a year it has been! So far we’ve seen wild weather; record-breaking lows and the 2+ year snow drought in the mid-Atlantic bit the dust this week as the first measurable snow hit Baltimore, DC, NYC and Philly, effectively ending 700+ flakeless days. Awards season has officially commenced, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are right around the corner — and you need to get your Submitables on if you’re hoping to speak at IDA this fall in Seattle. In this edition we bring you a round-up of interesting and noteworthy articles, arts and inspo, including socialist supermarkets, neurodiverse arts grants, a mass transit optical illusion, and lots and lots of trends to ponder from the thoughtleaders at Gensler. We hope your January is off to a good start, and if you need to break your resolution, eat some pie or tipple a toast after a long hard week, it’s okay! This a resolution-breaker safe space. To quote the Go-Go’s (or Fun Boy Three), “our lips are sealed”. 

Happy New Year from,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

In neurodiversity news, the stakes are getting higher as municipalities become certified in being more welcoming to neurodiverse populations. Bright Brothers spoke about “Neurodiversity and Your District” at the 69th Annual IDA in Chicago last fall, and while the topic sits slightly left of our typical MarCom talks at IDA — the session was phenomenally well-received, and we’ve gotten a lot of interest from downtowns and districts looking to up their ante when it comes to neurodiversity. The trend extends when you consider these recent civic accolades celebrated around the country. Recently Visit Mesa (the Mesa, AZ CVB) was recognized as the first-ever Autism certified city in the States, and with their mobile-exclusive digital passport, you can navigate local businesses, attractions and establishments that are inclusive, as well as certified sensory guides, autism-friendly itineraries and additional resources. In December, the City of Philadelphia received Sensory Inclusive certification; another national first. And we recently learned that the Renée Fleming Foundation has joined forces with the NeuroArts Blueprint initiative to establish the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Awards. The awards support both basic and applied research that expands the evidence base in the emerging field of neuroarts — with $80,000 available for research grants. The deadline for submitting proposals is February 1, 2024. What is your town or district doing with regard to autism tourism, sensory exploration or accommodations for the neurodiversity community?  We’d love to hear from you!

Photo by Steven Libralon on Unsplash

Have you ever stumbled upon something magical amidst the mundane? This one made us squee with delight, when we discovered this enchanting zoetrope hidden in a subway tunnel underneath Brooklyn, NYC. The visually enthralling, subterranean piece is called “Masstransiscope” by artist Bill Brand, and dates back to 1980! The 300 foot long piece of lenticular love was designed specifically to be seen though 228 slits in the wall and illuminated for the enjoyment of subway passengers. We absolutely ❤ it!

Photo by kwan fung on Unsplash
 

… that session proposals for IDA 70 in Seattle are now open — and close in two weeks?!? September may feel like a world away, but those busy beavers and ardent planners at IDA want your submissions now! One of the greatest strengths of the IDA community is our willingness to share. In many other industries, your fellow place management orgs would be perceived as direct competition. But since entering the industry nearly a decade ago, we’ve observed such good natured and wholehearted willingness to share with peers! We share what worked, what didn’t and what we could do better next time. It’s this culture of transparency and knowledge sharing that helps float all the boats, so we highly recommend you define your topics, rally your squad (or speaking partners and panelists, as it were), and get your submissions in for the next IDA annual by Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 11:59 pm ET, peeps! #IDASEA24

Photo by Luca Micheli on Unsplash

We’re fans of the design powerhouse Gensler. Founded in 1965, the firm works globally with more than 3,500 clients across 33 practice areas spanning the work, lifestyle, cities, and health sectors. And while a lot of their work is focused on architecture and design, much of it is transferable or directly relevant to the place management industry. More than just a shop or a global firm, Gensler boasts an admirable research team, and as a think tank — Gensler directionally guides city makers,  planners, placemakers and urbanists alike. Their research and insights enthrall us, and we’re particularly chuffed with their Design Forecast series that delves into current and fomenting trends; looking at 2024 and beyond. Check out what Gensler has to say with regard to The Future of Cities and Multiuse Districts, how entertainment impacts the built environment, the Future of Hospitality, and how technology is impacting the built environment. We guarantee you’ll uncover gems to share with your board, staff and ratepayers, as well as imaginative and aspirational insights for your district directly. Kudos, enjoy and let us know what your take is on Gensler. 

Photo by Victor on Unsplash

While we typically focus on one particular locale in this section, for this edition we’re looking at two VERY different cities through the lens of one of modern man’s most important commonalities; the supermarket. Every community needs to feed itself and in many areas, urban supermarkets can be dull, gross or arduous experiences, while also underpinning the heart of the community. In places with food deserts, a supermarket of any kind can feel like a luxury while being a necessity. Take Chicago, for example, where the city is contemplating “supermarket socialism”, in that they are considering a trial whereby the city itself could potentially own grocery stores operated as public utilities. A fascinating concept, although we all may groan at the thought of your loaf of bread, gallon of milk and a stick of butter turning out more like the DMV than the Piggly Wiggly. Ugh! Conversely, across the pond we’ve seen the citizenry rally around a small-format Tesco Express — because in this district, you can readily purchase premium coffee beans, a hand-crafted cocktail or luxury import items at fancy shops and boutiques — but nailing down the essentials for a meal, or necessities like TP — you’d be hard-pressed to find them for sale in London’s toney Soho neighborhood. So much so, that London’s Westminster Council ruled recently that the Tesco Express on Dean Street had been approved as an Asset of Community Value (or ACV) — a property afforded some legal protections because it has been recognized as being of special worth to the community. What’s your take on either scenario — and if you shop in the city, we’d love to know what the experience is like near you.

Photo by Nathália Rosa on Unsplash

Edition 51

The calendar is down to just one page, and we’re wrapping up 2023 while we wrap presents, sip (spiked) cocoa and generally make merry this time of year. It’s event season for many of you and we’re sure you’re ready to peace out for the year and enjoy some well-deserved R&R with your fam, friends and fave peeps.  But before you head out to meet up with Baby New Year (diapers and a stogie — that’s a vibe and a half!), please take a few moments to read our annual wrap up — tied up with a pretty little bow and a gift tag that reads Y-O-U! 

Instead of our usual format, we’re mixing things up for the holidays in this edition. Please read on and we’ll catch up with you in 2024!

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

2023 proved to be one of our brightest years yet at Bright Brothers Strategy Group, so we’re taking a contemplative moment to pause, reflect, and share some of our fave highlights of the year. It was a banner year in terms of new things, new clients, new challenges, new projects, new wins and new learning. One of the coolest aspects of the place management industry is the people. It’s YOU! We’ve never felt more like one big family, and we’ve developed some extraordinary friendships; both personal and professional along the way. So we decided to dispense with the standard eblast format to “open to kimono” and get real with y’all.

From the agency’s perspective, we worked with some REALLY fun, smart folks this year including our tried & true partners at the Downtown Tempe Authority, Downtown Norfolk Council, Downtown San Francisco Partnership and IDA. We kicked off new and exciting projects with the Alliance for Downtown New York, the City of Chandler, AZ, Downtown Fort Collins, Downtown Iowa City, and wrapped up a long-term brand and Persona Development project with our good friends at the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District in San Francisco — the world’s first city-recognized LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.  We’re so grateful for each and every one of you!

TEAM FAVES
Our co-founder David Romako noted, “In 2023, AI was everywhere. I’ve been proud of creating new data analysis tools that BIDs couldn’t even dream of in 2022. For the first time ever, I could help districts connect with their communities on an almost personal level… and see, in real time, how they’re helping those communities thrive”. Love to see it!

Our Lead Creative Brandi Walsh said her favorite project this year had to be the Big Belly re-wraps we did for the Downtown San Francisco Partnership. Their hilariously tongue-in-cheek “Trash Talk” campaign got a refresh that leaned into the visual identity we did with them last year. The new wraps featured the same snarky sayings, like “Talking trash is our business” and “Give us your trash, we can take it” — with a visual refresh that combined historic black and white photos of old San Fran juxtaposed in pop art colorways that align with the district’s vibrant brand palette.

Bright Brothers co-founder Josh Yeager marveled at the number of milestones this year including being nominated Committee Chair for the ULI PHL TAPs Committee, once again being an awards juror, speaking at the IDA Economic Development Summit in Norfolk, VA in April, and a slate of memories from IDA 69 in Chicago including our session on “Neurodiversity and Your District” with Dave. We had our first-ever in-person with the Agency Mastermind Group, and got to hang out with some cool-ass Canadians (both the teams at LeMonde Studio and ShopLocal2Win are doing AMAZING placemaking work here in the States), and we’re proud to consider them partners. But hands down, downing my introductory shots of Malört at the MarCom Meet-up we hosted in Chicago with our strategic partners Geocentric and Starkey Strategies was an experience I’ll never forget!

We hope 2023 goes down in the books as a landmark-studded year for you and your teams to boot!

In case you missed it, here are a few Insta pieces that hit our radar recently, and we literally can’t stop laughing — so please enjoy a chuckle on your way out of 2023:

“Slap Yo Mama!” — your ratepayers know the struggle is real. 

“Harry Baals” — when community engagement goes off the rails.

“Joan v. Mariah” — actual footage of Josh this year (and every year, if we’re being honest).

Photo credit Photo by Walls.io
 

Edition 50

Welcome to your special holiday installment of the Bright Brothers Bulletin — and it’s extra special, as it’s our 50th newsletter since we re-branded it as the bulletin. Before that we’d published 35 previous newsletters under the former moniker of “COVID NOTES”. We started back in March of 2020, in response to the shock of the pandemic, as a way to keep in touch, and share the best of the world of urban place management. It’s been a wild ride, and the world is remarkably different than where we came from. So much has changed since those early days of unchecked infection, lockdowns, and toilet paper shortages. One thing remains the same — our commitment to bringing you the best the industry has to offer in the worlds of MarCom, placemaking and economic development. We invite you to read on for urban planning with college campuses, more painted crosswalks (and the stats that support them), midnight pierogi drops, the best damned annual report and annual meeting video we’ve ever seen, plus a new, not-to-be-missed public art podcast!

Happy Holidays,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

While a big to-do for our staffs and stakeholders, to be frank, annual reports and annual meetings can be as dry as last week’s turkey — without a little secret sauce to spice things up! So we’re headed to Flavortown (sorry Guy, not your “cuidad de sabor”) in this week’s newsletter, to feast on some truly avant-garde, engaging and spicy takes on annual output. First up, big props to the creative talents just exploding out of Hudson Square BID in NYC. Not only was their 2023 Annual Report an eye-catching piece of district storytelling, the real star of the show is their hilarious, tongue-in-cheek Annual Meeting Video, which literally had us in stitches for days. Kudos to President/CEO Samara Karasyk and the BID’s creative agency SIX+ONE for nailing it!  (The ever-growing hair-do, the multiplying bangles, the interviews — it all flows like sweet cream icing in MacArthur Park, if ya know what we mean). And then back to that bang-up gem of a CVB out of Cali with Visit Modesto. In our last edition, we gave them props for their Spotify holiday playlist as part of their MoCheer campaign. We’re once again giving credit, where credit’s due — this time for their ingenious take on their Annual Report for FY22/23. If every district pulled out the punches like these impressive placemakers, the world would be a lot more fun!

Photo by Hudson Square BID

We ❤ seeing a good guy win, and this guy sure deserves it. If you attended IDA’s inaugural Placemaking & Place Branding Summit in Huntsville, AL in 2019 you may remember this whip-smart street art documentarian out of Philly who we tapped to speak at the conference named Conrad Benner. A Philadelphia native, Conrad began chronicling his passion for street art, tactical urbanism and placemaking in 2011 with his groundbreaking  Streets Dept. blog. Fastforward 13 years, and “ya boy” Benner has now added an NPR podcast to his lengthy list of accomplishments, accolades and impressive curriculum vitæ. In collaboration with Philly’s pioneering public media channel WHYY, Conrad recently launched “Art Outside“ an exciting new foray into the world of public art (both sanctioned and guerilla), adding yet another noteworthy footnote to the artistic list of Philly firsts. Benner’s intrinsic understanding that, “the art we share is essential to who we are,” is a guiding principle of the podcast, and it’s sure to inspire, make you smile and find something meaningful in todays’ world. Give a listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and NPR One, of course!

Photo by Peter Murray c/o Conrad Benner, and Davide Baraldi
 

… that college campuses are the perfect microcosm for model cities? With so many parallels to the 15-Minute City, higher ed campuses emulate many of the attractive aspects of self-sustaining neighborhoods, including “bumpability” (ad hoc interactions fomented by proximity), access to amenities and much, much less reliance on cars and their carbon footprints. We found this quick piece from Planetizen fascinating, and as many of our peer cities are “college towns”, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from campus life — even for those of us who thought our college days were behind us. From accessibility and inclusivity to open spaces and bustling local economies, urban planners and placemakers alike may want to take another look at their alma mater’s underpinnings and apply that knowledge to improving cities for all of us.

Photo by  Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

Painted crosswalks are all the buzz in placemaking circles, but not just for their aesthetic value alone. While colorful crosswalks definitely add an element of urban vibrancy to select intersections, they serve as material detractors from car crashes and pedestrian accidents. This piece from PhillyVoice features a new painted crosswalk in the city’s poppin’ hot Fishtown neighborhood, while highlighting statistical evidence pointing to a “…50% decrease in crashes involving pedestrians and 37% fewer crashes that led to injuries,”.  And there’s money there for your community’s safety and placemaking initiatives. Bloomberg’s venerated “Asphalt Art Initiative” doles out up to $25K in funding for painted infrastructure projects that, “…improve street safety, revitalize public spaces and engage residents,” and you can check out seven of this year’s undertakings in this round-up from SmartCitiesDive.

Photo by Didier

You gotta drop it like it’s hot! Every year as the last few moments of the calendar expire and the new year is ushered in, there are a litany of things dropped to celebrate new beginnings. But where you are may dictate what gets dropped, and as an extension of local culture, all manner of things are “let to fall” in the name of Janus. We’re all familiar with NYC’s famed Times Square ball drop, a tradition that began in 1907. However, have you ever seen a pickle go down at midnight?  How about a pinecone, or perhaps even a pierogi?!? To get to the bottom of who’s best at ringing in the new year with regional representations, USA Today is running a readers’ choice poll to see what resonates the loudest on New Year’s Eve. From cheeseballs to chilies, to grapes and potatoes, to carp, giant crabs and more — you can vote for your fave here though noon eastern on Monday December 4th. 

Photo by Anthony Quintano

Edition 49

We are now officially headlong into the holidays, and with Thanksgiving next week, most likely your team is now busy with holiday plans, preparations, community events and activities galore. But fear not, oh faithful placemakers! We’re sharing a succinct round-up of current events, evidence-based best practices and inspiring insights from around the globe. In this edition you’ll find a delicious dollop of holiday cheer from Modesto, CA, a gym concept for the neurodiverse, a new intercity program launch from Bloomberg Philanthropies, authorized Parking Benefit Districts generating funds for local neighborhoods, and the world’s largest trash dump turned park space. Scroll down for five quick hits to amp your placemaking acumen!

Happy Turkey Day,

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

File under Best Practices. The holidays are an incredible, once-a-year opportunity for us to drive exponential foot traffic to our footprints, engage with local communities and most of all — direct business to our ratepayers and members. And we’re BIG fans of experiential campaigns that touch on as many of the five senses as possible, so it’s no surprise we’re calling out the inventive efforts of one tourism bureau in California. Tiny but mighty Modesto, CA is known for its agricultural underpinnings including almonds, grapes, peaches, walnuts and wine — and the Modesto Tourism Marketing District (TMD) at Visit Modesto did a bang-up job this year of rounding up all the local holiday activations, events and offerings on a landing page, under an umbrella campaign called “MoCheer”. What we love most about this campaign is the companion playlist the org curated to get you in the holiday spirit. Available on Spotify the MoCheer playlist contains a festive mix of 80 holiday standards and party jams with some seasonal country faves mixed in. So even if you’re not in the district — perhaps at home, baking cookies or wrapping presents — the sparklingly festive town is top of mind. We’ve seen other districts create playlists, but this shining example inspires us to get in the holiday mood — from all the way across the country! Well done, Visit Modesto and keep up the good work.

Photo by  Tima Miroshnichenko, Unsplash

If you missed our session in Chicago on “Neurodiversity and Your District”, fret not. We’re happy to share the deck along with other resources, like this piece from NextCity that highlights a movement in creating spaces where neurodivergent kids can be themselves. We Rock the Spectrum is a pioneering concept in “gyms” born out of necessity back in 2010 in Tarzana, CA — where founder Dina Kimmel stated the first gym to meet the needs of her son who had been diagnosed with moderate-to-severe autism, as well as her daughter who isn’t on the spectrum. While the gym itself specializes in autism-friendly experiences, the thing we like about it — and that was the point of our preso at IDA  — is that by augmenting spaces and experiences for the neurodivergent, you’re not taking away from everyone else. You’re being inclusive to more of the community. Additionally, there’s a workforce building component with We Rock that offers jobs and skills training for neurodivergent folks and that’s a win all the way around. Check it out and let us know if your district is undertaking any initiatives aimed at neurodiversity inclusion locally.

Photo by Hiki App on Unsplash
 

… that last week Bloomberg Philanthropies launched a new program called the Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange designed to drive innovation in cities? With a $50 million investment, the program is built to leverage over a decade of cumulative, evidence-based knowledge-sharing among its partners, including grants to 40 cities, ongoing technical assistance and support. The overall aim of the program is to offer viable models for challenges facing cities on topics ranging from climate change to affordable housing to mental health and more. The website will eventually include tools and trainings for cities, as well as information about upcoming grants and opportunities for up to 3,000 cities. Sign up here.

Photo by Alejandro Luengo on Unsplash

In 2016 the Massachusetts state legislature authorized the use of new Parking Benefit Districts that funnel parking fees from meters directly back to the neighborhoods and districts that generated the income. And while the City of Boston has yet to test the model, several metro municipalities have run trials that prove hopeful for districts looking to fund localized initiatives. Now, a Boston City Councilor has requested a hearing to run a pilot in a popular shopping and dining district within the city limits. Of the three locales that have already taken advantage of the legislation, they’ve noted additional benefits beyond the bottom line, including freeing up limited, in-demand curb space and keeping traffic moving. But the most attractive aspect of the PBDs would be reinvesting the parking profits to their own communities — rather than going into a city’s general fund where the dollars may be divested elsewhere. And to us — that’s a good thing!

Photo by Josh Newton on Unsplash

Imagine kayaking through a landfill, or taking a pleasure hike through the city dump. Sounds gross, right? But that’s exactly what the City of New York has pulled off with the renovation and revitalization of Staten Island’s “Freshkills” — formerly the world’s largest dump. Initially intended to support a housing initiative after three years of life as municipal waste repository, the growing city needed a place to dispose of its groady byproducts and the housing plan went the way of rising methane gas. Today the area has been repurposed as a public park, complete with a system of pipes and pumps to remove, process and sell the smelly resource, which is then re-sold for cooking and heating. This former “Mount Trashmore” has been re-sculpted into a serene space including walking trails, and even a tidal creek suitable for kayaking. This is but one of myriad evidence-based solutions that can be adopted and adapted by other cities as we re-envision the future of urban life in-and-around our population centers.

Photo by zibik on Unsplash