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