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

Edition 48

If you’re a fan of word games, memory games and ameliorating your vocabulary, you’ve come to the right place! In this edition of the Bulletin we’ve got vocab galore in store for you. We take a look at “bumpability” with an awesome placemaking piece by our buddy Phil Myrick, a crazy-sexy-cool cuffing season event in Virginia, imagining what it would be like to live in a parking spot in Brooklyn, the “ensewerd ghost rivers” of Baltimore, 31 official tech hubs around the nation, and a ratty-ass round-up from Orkin. With overviews of creative placemaking, intentional placemaking, public art, more re-purposing of parking, and cutting-edge events — this one’s for you. 

Welcome to November peeps,

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

Great minds think alike.  And that’s what we appreciate about this thoughtful and insightful article from industry luminary Phil Myrick. In this writing, Myrick explores the intentionality of placemaking — with a creatively illustrative analogy of blackbirds and sparrows to demonstrate how purposeful placemaking starts with two core tenets from our approach to planning; people and objectives. Myrick discusses how innovation districts (much like your downtown) have a goal of “bumpability”. This means we want thought leaders, innovators and problem solvers to “cross pollinate” ideas, tips, trends and solutions within the physical footprint of an innovation district. In designing a placemaking program, the goal of bumpability sits directly at the intersection of the district’s objectives + its intended audiences (of blackbirds and sparrows). Bright Brothers clients know we employ a guiding methodology and planning  framework we call POSTR (People, Objectives, Strategies, Tactics, Results) in every project we work on. This aligns directly with what Phil is saying about intentional placemaking and seeding the right environment for the People intended to use it, while matrixing that across the district’s (quantifiable) Objectives to produce the desired effects and Results. If you need help mapping and planning out your district’s programming, placemaking, events, activations, MarCom or even strategic plan — we’re to help. Hit us up to learn how POSTR and intentional placemaking can benefit your downtown.

Photo by sippakorn yamkasikorn on Unsplash

Cooler nights. Cozy fires. Sweaters or jammies. Netflix and chill with your flavor of the month? Yes, folks, it’s cuffing szn. If you’re not familiar with the decade old+ phenomenon, you should be. We have to give major props to the Rosslyn BID just outside DC for leaning into this social trend, and developing programming around it. Nearly every district has their vetted stanchions on the Wheel of the Year like Halloween activities, a holiday parade, St. Pat’s parties, Juneteeth & Pride…etc.  But we’ve never seen another district “embrace the cuff” quite like this! Kudos to Rosslyn for keeping tabs on trends, and developing activations and events that resonate with their core target audiences.

Photo by Anna Selle on Unsplash
 

… that building underground parking in new buildings costs about $67,500 per spot, and with the money used to construct four parking spaces, developers could build one additional apartment as housing for humans? Places around the globe are warming to the idea of abolishing or overhauling parking minimums in cities with reliable public transit infrastructure. For places with TOD incentives, this makes even more sense. While parking is ALWAYS a hot topic with districts, merchants and the public, the fact remains that, “…especially in transit-rich areas, people are making the choice not to own cars,”. We loved this coverage from Gothamist that featured a parking spot “residential pop-up” to illustrate the viability and affordability of housing for people over storage of machines. 

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

When you walk around town, do you ever wonder what’s lurking beneath your feet? Daylighting culverted streams and “ghost rivers” is a trend we’re seeing in lots of places today. When many of our cities were built, the predominant paradigm was that of “man over nature”, but we now see that attempts to bury, divert or re-engineer a place’s natural paths of waterways has myriad (and often negative) impacts on the environment and local ecosystems. That’s why we hear things like “…stories of buildings in Baltimore mysteriously getting six feet of water in the basement and then the water mysteriously receding,”. By bringing to light the stories of hidden underground waterways, this nine- and soon-to-be- twelve permanent installations of public art made from preformed thermoplastic (the stuff used to designate bike lanes) by Baltimore-based artist Bruce Willen — the Ghost Rivers project incorporated years of public engagement, as well as ad hoc interviews the artist conducted in bars with locals. The flowing blue pavement paintwork plus sculptural signs help visitors visualize buried streams, a map helps them navigate the installations and a QR code provides additional resources and information. We’re filing this one under placemaking, place keeping, public art, indigenous histories and environmental sustainability. 

Photo by Greg Jewett on Unsplash

We had some interesting contenders for this edition’s “Focus on Local” section, and while not the main thrust of this week’s share, we had to give a shout out to Orkin (yes, that Orkin. The pest control company) for this round-up of the rattiest cities ranked in America.  But in all sincerity, please peep a look at the Biden Administration’s recent release of 31 named “Tech Hubs” to see if your city is designated for innovation. And if not, simply shout out “Rats!” and get on with your day.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Edition 47

We hope you’re now back, rested and ready to kick some autumnal ass after the IDA Annual Conference in Chicago! 🍁🎃🍂 We have to say how incredibly impressed we were with the conference and host city this year. Every single corner was activated, engaging and clean & safe. It was probably our favorite annual to date, so — well done you, IDA staff! And our hats are off to the Chicago Loop Alliance for putting on such an amazing event! That said, you’re probably now up to your eyeballs in Halloween and holiday programming, so hang on tight and take a few moments to read the delicious tidbits we’ve curated for you in this edition. Read on to learn more about the secret sauce for urban revitalization and recovery (including Paul Levy’s 26-downtown data studies from his IDA master talk), an influencer marketing primer for those looking to jump into the fray or refine their program, 11 cities that are adding value by transforming parking into parks and rec, a simple graphic to punch up your MarCom copy, and craveable, city-specific graphics that are guaranteed to amp your engagement.

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

Pundits and city-makers have proffered up a plethora of proposals and strategies for downtown renaissance, however digging through the myriad insights and solutions, one thing is clear — diversity is key to recovery. And we’re not just talking DEI in the sense of people. Monolithic downtowns, too narrowly-focused on one or two industries and/or offerings, aren’t making the cut. An activated downtown with a mix of industries, attractions, activations, experiences and a thriving bar/resto/hospitality scene are imperatives to lure residents, visitors and workers back. We need to think of our former CBDs as “lifestyle draws” now, instead of temporary housing for cubicle dwellers. The fact remains that WFH will continue to impact our districts, and demanding a return to office is not going to replenish the void in sales and receipts left by suburban commuters. Governing looked at how social districts (defined footprints with lax liquor and consumption allowances) may help your cause. Repurposing former commercial and office space as residential or even alternate uses such as life sciences, eds & meds and higher education can help reactivate unused spaces downtown. And of course, each city should leverage smart data strategies to empower their decision-making. If you missed Paul Levy’s substantive presentation at the IDA Annual Conference in Chicago this year, you can dive into all the granular data and details here for 26 major districts in 25 cities (note that NYC contains two areas of study; Midtown and Lower Manhattan). What’s working in your downtown and what’s not?  We’d love to hear from you.

Photo by Hood Hasan on Unsplash

Influencer marketing is big business, and should be a vetted component of your media mix today. Yet, we’re surprised by the number of downtowns that haven’t yet dipped their toes into the proverbial soup. If you’re just getting started, or need some guide rails, we’re sharing this quick-hit, 10-question list to launch, hone or refine your influencer marketing program.

Photo by Good Faces on Unsplash
 

… that on average 22% of land in a city center is dedicated to parking in U.S. cities with over one million people? That’s a lot of spots! And while your ratepayers, merchants and visitors may complain if they have to walk a block to their favorite destination, the amount of space allocated to parking in the States can be overwhelming, humorous or downright depressing. With shifts in peak times, traffic and usage all affected by the pandemic, some cities are looking to tap parking lots, spaces and structures to transform them from underutilized assets, into much-needed things like parks, public space and even housing. We loved this round-up of best practice projects from ArchDaily that highlights 11 case stories from cities around the globe, where parking transformation has added value and increased quality of life for stakeholders. 

Photo by John Matychuk on Unsplash

Looking to make a mammoth impact with your MarCom copy?  Then look no further, fam! This handy, dandy infographic will help you unlock revolutionary growth when drafting content. Don’t miss out —  click here for a powerful and practical tool for writing remarkable copy.

Photo by Mapbox on Unsplash

No matter how you slice it, dice it or consume it, there’s a foodie in all of us. And this ingenious illustrator breaks down the culinary culture in specific cities with visually inspiring overviews of local food scenes. From bagels and beer, to cocktails and coffee, to burritos, tacos, donuts, wings — and of course — pizza, Cities by the Slice brings inventively comestible compilations to life from dozens of cities. We talk to clients about “leaning into locavores “as a quick win for your content and social media strategies, so even sharing a post from their Insta feed is a surefire recipe for feeding those with a craving for engagement.

Photo by Dan Mall on Unsplash

Edition 46

‘Twas the week before IDA and all through the office, people were scurrying about — like chickens with their heads cut off! And that’s a fair assessment, considering many of us are about to visit a city built on butchering; supplying the nation with processed livestock. Regardless of your penchant for slaughtering and stockyards — #IDACHI23 is gonna be an all around bang-up good time! And if you have a few moments to read our e-blast before the conference — THANK YOU! In honor of this year’s event, we’ve done our own “Top 6” round-up for Chicago, and also snuck in a few tidbits in this edition of our bulletin. Read on for must-see sessions and vendors at the conference, the formula for successful “hero events”, data-driven dayparting for you placemakers, some early-morning egg sessions in Texas, and a putt-putt pop-up in a town known for its pickles and condiments. Safe travels and see ya in Chicago!

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

Everyone’s excited for the biggest week of the year in the urban place management realm — IDA in Chicago!  According to David Downey, the 69th Annual Conference and Marketplace in Chicago is going to be (one of) the biggest yet! We’re super stoked to reconnect with all of you in person, so we decided to do a round-up of the “Top 6 Things We’re Most Excited for in Chicago”!!  In no particular order, here’s what’s got us pumped:

• First and foremost, huge props to Carolyn Dellutri for sharing the conference program BY DOMAIN! It makes identifying your favorite topics, speakers and sessions a snap!
• Our friends from Montréal’s LeMonde Studio (who we interviewed a few editions ago) are activating the corner of State & Monroe in Chicago starting October 1st with a larger-than-life Giant Boombox, the Banc-Nana, interactive Birdhouse, and human-powered light-up music boxes! Check out their recent handiwork in Gilbert, AZ!
• Our partner Jenny Starkey of Starkey Strategies fame is moderating a Breakout Session called “GLOWing Downtowns — Light Art Experiences that Shine” on Thursday morning at 8:30am with our client Robbie Silver (Downtown San Francisco Partnership), plus Nancy Miyahira and Debbie Young from the Georgetown BID in DC. Can you say “award-winning placemaking with economic impact”, you guys?
• If you’re looking for the gold standard in place-based websites, do not miss Geocentric (Booth 308 in the Marketplace), and tell Jim Blakeslee we say hi!
• Pizza. Deep dish, thick, chewy delicious Chicago-style pizza!
• Lastly we’re gonna toot our own horn for our  Breakout Session on “Neurodiversity & Your District” with both Bright Brothers co-founders on Friday afternoon at 3:45pm!

Next week is shaping up to be one amazing gathering of the minds, hearts and souls that power our industry.  See you there!

Photo by Aveedibya Dey on Unsplash

We ❤ good placemaking, and keep tabs on the latest happenings, freshest ideas and newest industry benchmarks on the topic. It’s a broad topic, and as we’ve been discussing, placemaking is the hot keyword du jour in many realms including property management/development, real estate and civic circles. We found this piece interesting by British CEO Nick Morgan who references “hero events” (but doesn’t exactly  define what  makes them heroes). In reading the article, it refers to the vetted underpinnings of placemaking as we know them — and shrewdly expands into the pivotal role that social media, app usage and other channels play in successful, sticky, long-term placemaking. Growing from a background of MarCom, events, data and KPIs — Bright Brothers can assure you that a solid marketing and media plan are a must for every district looking to do placemaking and this is a topic we could write entire books about. Long story short, stick with best practices for your “hero events’ and make sure you have a rock solid MarCom and media budget as crucial stanchions of successful placemaking.  Need help with your placemaking strategy or MarCom superiority?  Give us a shout!

Photo by Kate Trysh on Unsplash
 

… that it all comes down to dayparting? As this piece from Planetizen points out, mass transit authorities around the country are rescheduling transit operations based on actual use. And our post-pandemic traffic patterns are radically different than before. What’s the takeaway? You need to program your placemaking around different dayparts now. Even with back-to-office incentives like free donuts and coffee, there’s still a sizable chunk of the population doing WFH or hybrid schedules, while using our central districts at different times and for different purposes than before. So rather than slate lunchtime concerts in the plaza for cubicle-dwellers, consider night markets in the park, after-hours activations like silent discos, or alternate interventions based on your district’s foot traffic, demographics and timing considerations. Most districts are using some sort of data intelligence to determine street usage patterns, so before making assumptions on how, when and where to activate — analyze your local traffic data to program around these at different dayparts to get the most bang for your buck!

Photo by Neil Bates on Unsplash

You know we’re big fans of crowdsourcing knowledge, ideas and insights from the community, so it’s no surprise we stan what the Downtown Austin Alliance is doing with their revamped “Issues and Eggs” series of community intake events. The breakfast sessions are intended to bring together intel, prerogatives and perspectives on the various challenges and opportunities facing the rapidly changing downtown. Community engagement is a critical component very often overlooked in many types of planning, and invariably that leads to push-back and animosity when the public is not given a voice. Yes, it adds extra layers and levels of complexity — but you “only know what you know” — and we very often see brilliant ideas bubble to the top when the community is consulted for solutions. So rather than keeping your cards close to your vest, invite the community to the table and you’ll be rewarded with ideas — but even more so — incalculable trust is built by breaking bread with your neighbors and stakeholders. Kudos to Downtown Austin on their smart and self-informing approach!

Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash

Downtown Pittsburgh (PA) has been on our bucket list for ages now, and one day we swear we’ll make it out there for “Picklesburgh”.  A fascinating case study of resurgence in the middle of the supposed “Rust Belt”, Pittsburgh has a history of innovation that continues today. We’ve seen hella fun community activations globally, like ice- and roller- skating, pop-up markets, and even interactive A/R murals. But how about a $5 round of putt-putt? The Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership has partnered with the local parks conservancy to activate a new nine-hole pop-up mini-golf location called “Mulligans in Mellon Square”. The activation appeals to us because it’s not exclusive to families or wine drinkers or dog owners. Minigolf has broad appeal, and we just love that the “home of Heinz 57” is serving up a downright tasty placemaking event! 

Photo by Jason Abrams on Unsplash

Edition 45

The countdown is progressing and before ya know it, we’ll all be reconnected with our international fellowship of movers, shakers, doers and makers — making sh*t happen at the IDA conference in Chicago! Mark your calendar now for our Friday 10/6 breakout session at 3:45pm on “Neurodiversity & Your District” when our co-founders look at ways that districts can be inclusive to the neurodiverse. With a few weeks left to go, we wanted to slip this into your inbox and get you thinking about industry issues, trends and insights. In our forty-fifth issue, we explore winning food truck policies that work, how nonprofits are leading the charge doing what others cannot, an influencer marketing checklist, a South Florida safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community — and a quick shout out to our fearless ULI-leading co-founder. Cooler temps are just around the corner, so …

Have a ball this fall,

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

The topic of food trucks can easily devolve into a hairy ball of wax for BIDs and those of us in place management. While the public in general love food trucks, and they’ve continued to grow in popularity for decades now — your restaurateurs and ratepayers may not be big fans. We’ve heard issues ranging from parking complaints to “food trucks are my competition” and business NIMBYs can be downright brutal in their efforts to defeat them. But ultimately, a thriving food truck culture starts at the top (or is it the bottom of the barrel?!?) with local government. This insightful piece from Streetsblog outlines what makes for a successful street purveyor policy by studying the effects in Texas. If you’re looking for ammo for your next big food truck conversation, look no further fam.

Photo by Isaac Benhesed on Unsplash

We ❤ recognition where recognition is due. That’s why we’re thrilled to share that our co-founder Josh Yeager was recently appointed as co-chair of the TAP committee for ULI Philadelphia. If you’re not familiar with the TAP process, there’s a great overview here. In a nutshell, a Technical Assistance Panel assembles an interdisciplinary team to define, analyze and study challenges or issues for a specific place-based organization, whether that be a BID, a place management district, a local nonprofit, educational institution or other. The panel dives deep during a two-day caucus; performing community engagement, intelligence gathering and best practices to solve the issue at hand. The findings are presented to the sponsoring organization, and then published as a white paper for general public consumption. As co-chair of the local ULI Philadelphia council, Josh will work alongside local leaders and the incredibly crafty and experienced ULI staff in the coming year to bring community-based solutions to their challenges.  A big round of applause for this humbling and noteworthy accolade and committee chair appointment! 
 

… that nonprofits employ about 7 percent of U.S. workers, a workforce larger than either state or local government? While this article focuses on many different kinds of nonprofit organizations, and not necessarily just UPMOs — the trend we’re seeing crosses boundaries. In our last newsletter we looked at how placemakers have been paving the way for recovery, and now politicians and policy makers are taking note — and a page out of our placemaking playbook to revitalize and enhance urban environments. Our industry wins, successes and learnings can all be applied at macro levels to support, nurture and rebuild vibrant communities. The same can be said here, in that place management nonprofits offer unparalleled insights, experience and know-how when it comes to activating physical spaces and creating a sense of place within and for local communities. And very often we are tasked with “doing what others can’t”. For years, nonprofits have not gotten their due recognition, so we were thrilled to read this insightful piece from Governing acknowledging the power of nonprofits to make change.

Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash

As influencer marketing continues to grow, you’ll want to make sure it’s part of your media mix. Depending on what you’re promoting (a community celebration, restaurant week or a beer festival, a public market, doggy yappy hour, fundraiser or more), you’ll want to connect with the right type of influencer to tap into their audience. And it’s so much more complex than that, however results of a recent survey show that investment in influencer marketing continues to grow — and is actually on track to surpass traditional media by more than threefold this year. Yet many districts haven’t yet tapped into the power of influencers, so we wanted to share this 8-point checklist infographic to fire up your influencer campaigns. If you need help developing an influencer marketing program, or even just want some pointers — give us a shout!

Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

Florida feels like a hot mess right now. From outbreaks of leprosy and malaria, to multiple pieces of derisive anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ legislation, a massive pullback by insurers at a time when the climate crisis is majorly impacting a state with an estimated 120,000 at-risk properties based on sea-level rise, to an all-out war with one of its largest employers and attractions (Disney) — the Sunshine State is feeling pretty dark & gloomy these days. That’s why we loved this beacon of hope shining out of Fort Lake Beach, Florida, which is positioning itself as an LGBTQ safe haven. City Commissioners voted this week to declare the Atlantic outpost a sanctuary for the community. Located about an hour north of Miami, Fort Lake Worth reiterated its commitment to “protecting human rights for all individuals.” And that’s something we can get behind.

Photo by Done By Alex on Unsplash

Edition 44

We’re nearly in the clear with summer’s unofficial end upon us, and the actual equinox a mere three weeks away. With many of us taking advantage of the upcoming long holiday weekend, we implore you to read and share this week’s bulletin with your ratepayers. We just dropped a hot Holiday 2023 Trends Report; replete with top trends, tidbits and helpful planning info for the indie businesses in your district. Also in this issue is a “first-come, first served” invite to our annual, unofficial MarCom dinner at the IDA Annual Conference in Chicago (headcount is limited!), a hot take on healing monuments, and some brilliant Smart City infrastructure we’d love to see deployed stateside. Here’s to wishing your mercury drops and your tax revenues rise!

Happy Labor Day,

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

As we head into  Labor Day Weekend, daydreams of crunchy leaves beneath our feet, a brisk breeze and layers (OMG yes, layers!!!) may be at the forefront of your thoughts. However we implore you to take things one step further and focus on Holiday 2023, which is right around the corner. To help prepare your ratepayers, merchants and stakeholders, we’ve developed a quick and straightforward guide to help your downtown prep for the coming season. For many bricks & mortar, the holiday season offers a once-annual opportunity to drive significant revenues and “make or break” their year from a P&L perspective. The time to plan is literally now, so please feel free to download and share our Holiday 2023 Trends Report for Ratepayers, which is chock-full of helpful hints, tips and trends to keep your downtown business community one step ahead of the competition — and spending in your district. May seem premature, but we’re sending you a little holiday cheer early this year, so please share the love, and let us know if you need help with merchant marketing sessions. 

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

We ❤ connecting with our fellow UPMO MarCom peeps, and we’re continuing a tradition that we started years ago during the IDA Annual Conference and Marketplace. If you’re in marketing and communications for a place management district, join your peers and hosts for another fabulous dine-around this October in Chicago! Our annual Marketing Dinner takes place Thursday evening after the day’s official events, and it’s tons of fun! The plan is to meet up at the host hotel and walk to a nearby food hall for pay-as-you-go drinks, dines and talking shop with your peers. It’s casual and offers an opportunity to connect with folks to discuss common challenges, successes and strategies for killer MarCom. This year’s hosts include us, and our partners and pals from Starkey Strategies and Geocentric. Tickets are FREE but headcount is limited, so don’t delay and sign-up today to reserve your spot!  Please note that this event is not an IDA sanctioned or sponsored event in any way (just a bunch of cool peeps & peers doin’ our own thing). Catch ya in Chicago! 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

… that 40% of Gen Z users prefer using TikTok and Instagram for search over Google? It’s true, and many of the major social media companies have been reengineering themselves as social commerce platforms. With so much emphasis on social, and nearly unlimited opportunity — a small business’ social media presence is more imperative than ever before. That’s one of the reasons why we loved this primer on social media specifically for small business — and on which ones, where and why. But beyond knowing which social media platforms you should be on, the article points out two core tenets of Bright Brothers’ approach, which are defining your target audiences and creating marketing Personas. All in all, it’s a fantastic resource to share with the independent businesses in your district, which is why we included it in the toolkit for merchants we just dropped in the latest Trends Report for Holiday 2023. Scroll back up if you missed it!

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

A wise friend once said, “We memorialize everything, yet remember nothing”, which sadly may be true, and a disparaging commentary on our collective culture in today’s fast-paced world of 15-second clips and miniscule media cycles. Monuments are meant to enshrine, honor and pay homage in perpetuity to something significant in our collective heritage, yet as we’ve seen over the past few years, some can be downright offensive in today’s paradigm. That’s why we love this round-up from Next City that calls attention to five specific monumental installations from around the country that speak to acknowledgement, healing and strength for future generations to come.

Photo by Vincent Chan on Unsplash

We like to think that the U.S. is thoroughly modern, and often hear claims of “that won’t work here”, but we happened upon this one from the Kashmir region that we think makes absolute downright sense. In today’s world of advancing logistics, within-an-hour deliveries and even tried and true stalwarts like wayfinding — a set of Smart City planners have just finished rolling out an initiative designed to “improve and modernise [sic] public services’ plan and delivery system…” — that includes the installation of unique QR codes that serve as digital door numbers for Srinagar’s shops, institutions and housing. They used Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, GPS satellite tech, and physical verification of households and commercial establishments to assign unique IDs to each. The QR codes are on metal plates attached to the entrance of the location, and the plates also contain the address and a QR code which one can scan to share as an address.  Brilliant! The project has myriad upsides including service delivery, emergency and social services, and more. Srinagar municipal commissioner Athar Amir Khan said, “On this basis, sanitation monitoring is done, drainage systems are planned, ration ghats distribution is decided. This will become a modern way of service delivery. Even emergency response by the institutions and departments like in case of fire would be quick. Through an app you can create an incident and the location of the place will fetch automatically. And the location’s nearest fire station, hospital, police station, tehsildar — all these will get information about the incident within seconds. The work which would otherwise take hours, that response would now take minutes,” and we think that’s really cool.

Photo by arif ubayy on Unsplash

Edition 43

Moving on from “Hot _____ Summer” (insert whichever word you choose), we’ve entered that bizarre liminal space when it’s suddenly #pumpkinspiceverything (even though we’re all still roasting to death), back to school, and the unofficial end-to-summer is still weeks away. August is a curious, hot and cumbersome beast for many, and even though the mercury is still up, up, up – yes, it’s time to finalize your district’s plans for Holiday 2023! We’re working on a new Trends Report to help guide this year’s festive season, and we’re also bringing you some helpful, insightful and funky bits and tips in this week’s e-blast. Read on to learn more about hip hop coming of age (and economic impact), upcycled placemaking efforts, recovery lessons from Detroit, the oldest bar in every state, and learn WTF is digital twinning, friends!  Keep it cool with something chilled and frosty until your body can actually stomach something pumpkin spicy (coming soon to everywhere you turn). 

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

Okay, admittedly we were sucked in by the title of this article, but we’ve been following the digital twinning trend from urban design and planning perspectives for a while now. Digital twinning has real world applications for use for place-based organizations as well with regard to major events and activations. And there are a few ways to slice and dice the twinning with regard to your district. With the growing impact of AI on our MarCom and placemaking doorsteps, the sooner you explore it for your org, the better.

With hip hop officially turning 50 years old this month, this piece offers added relevance from an unlikely source. We know this wouldn’t fly in every district, and many downtowns may ignore the opportunity — but taking a page out of the economic development handbook with an eye on the world’s most popular music genre that generates jobs in multiple sectors, and represents 4% of the global GDP — it’s too big to ignore. With myriad examples of the power of hip hop in the Governing article, what stood out to us most is this “unapologetically Black project” out of Cali — as the DNA of the new Destination Crenshaw organization celebrating 1.3 miles of Black art and culture in Los Angeles. In terms of placemaking, the district is underpinned by stanchions supporting place keeping, econ dev and cultural permanence. Destination Crenshaw is an inspiration to us all in place management, and we ❤ to see it! 

While the mainstream media love to crap on San Francisco right now, and indeed the city is far behind the pack in terms of localized recovery, there are lessons to be learned, and perhaps from an unlikely source. We appreciated this article from the San Francisco Standard detailing a spring trip to Detroit by the nonprofit public policy organization SPUR — not only because it shows some of the comparative methods by which San Francisco is looking for solutions-based inspo, but because many of the lessons can be applied locally by place management organizations as well. Detroit is a special case study in revival through a series of interconnected policies and plans funded by a combo of philanthropic, private and public dollars. Success has been seen in addressing issues including budgeting, economic development, entrepreneurship, placemaking, pedestrian zones, housing, tax reform and addressing draconian levels of bureaucratic red tape. We can all look to Detroit for some renaissance inspiration in this fantastically informative piece. 

Meet the “Doula of Discarded Things”, a self-styled appellation by textile artist Julie “Juicebox” Woodard, who recently had her work installed by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation in Philadelphia, PA. We’re big fans of upcycling, recycling and reusing things — and the way this doula weaves cast-off, post-consumer waste like take-out container lids, tarps, pedicure flip flops, corks, and “lots of broken umbrella pieces” into verdant, magical placemaking markers is both endearing and clever. Part alchemist and part artist, Woodward’s installation comprises a treasure trove of trash repurposed as indigenous wildflowers — and visitors are encouraged to experience an immersive and gamified  “portal” promoted at point-of-installation with digital content developed by experience designer Eric The Puzzler. (We love these sassy sobriquets!).  This brilliant intersection of public art, placemaking, technology and consumer education and engagement all speak to us, so we had to share “Pockets of Light” with you.

There are (at least) two sides to every coin, and perspective informs reality. When we travel for work we like to check out the local dive bars, where you’ll get the raw, real, and unfettered down low from a local. Ask the same questions of a board member, and you’re certain to get a different response. That’s why we’re big fans of street intel and ad hoc surveying when we’re in your town working. And while dive bars can take many forms (but are often cash-only), the oldest bar in every state holds an appeal all its own. We loved this round-up that includes drinkin’ holes as old as 1673! And while you’re at it, if you wanna represent your state and show your pride of place — consider a cool, quality patch made by one of our fave indie suppliers, Oxford Pennant. 

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

“That which gets measured, gets done,” as the famous business quote goes. And that’s why we find so much meaning in the results of the first-ever UPMO email survey. What began with one district asking about industry-specific benchmarks has blossomed into a community conversation. So much so that our co-founder Josh Yeager has been invited to speak about the insights gleaned from the survey analysis at an upcoming District360 roundtable in a few weeks. If you’re not familiar, District360 is a pioneering CRM designed specifically for place management practitioners. Built on top of the powerful Salesforce platform, District360 combines all of your property, business, and stakeholder information into one system giving your team a 360-degree view of all operations in your District. As business- and thought-leaders, the savvy folks at this CRM have been hosting industry roundtables to explore themes and topics relevant to place management — and this discussion stands to be insightful, interactive and a solid investment of your time. Sign up for FREE for this one-hour industry sesh taking place virtually on Wednesday August 16th at 2pm EST.  Hope to see you there!

If you’re an IDA member, you’re most likely familiar with the authentic and insightful letters included in the e-blasts from org leaders like David Downey and Kate Borders, current IDA Board Chair and President of University Circle, Inc. in Cleveland, OH. In particular, we read Kate’s kind words with relish. Kate is a proven leader in the industry, and an absolutely amazing one at that. In last week’s IDA e-blast, she opened up about some of her experiences with listening and community engagement that really spoke to us. Kate has mastered the craft of relatability by being open, present, listening — and also sharing her undiluted experience and insight when you engage with her. She allows herself to be vulnerable by sharing, and we find this incredibly appealing, raw and real. And she leads by example. In last week’s piece, she shared an anecdote, about a very real life situation that took place earlier in her career, and wove it together with caring, sensibility and the ability to openly admit and own her missteps. It’s this essence of openness, transparency and candor that’s so pervasive in our industry, and we ❤ the lessons learned and shared with the entire UPMO community. Kudos to Kate for her passion, pervasiveness and constant focus on improvement that influences, inspires and permeates all of us in place management. 

… that Planetizen wants you to vote for and rank the top urbanists of all time for 2023? We thought we were pretty well versed in the likes of Jane Jacobs, Richard Florida and Anne Hidalgo but this fairly comprehensive list reaches far and wide. It not only includes grassroots community organizers, urban planners and architects, but also widens the lens to include cultural pioneers like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, as well as contemporary voices we love like Jay Pitter and Oscar Perry Abello. Some of our faves from history are on the docket, including William H. Whyte, Buckminster Fuller, the Olmsteads and Hippodamus of Miletus. There are some curious inclusions as well, with names we’re not necessarily fond of, such as Robert Moses and Edmund Bacon (who, while revered by many, are equally culpable of racist-driven “revitalization” under the guise of “urban renewal”), as well as Elon Musk (who, in our estimation doesn’t deserve even being on the list — unless it’s to weed out fake responses somehow). With a fairly comprehensive cadre of 200 nominees, we’re curious to see who makes the grade, once the winners are ranked and tallied. Read the intro article here and then cast your votes here.

Photo credit: Wikimedia

Youth is squandered on the young. A while back we looked at an adult roller skating event that activated a mall in London, ONT, Canada, where retro rollers wheeled and whizzed the night away in a castle of corporate consumerism. Sounds like a load of feel-good fun, right? Nostalgia runs deep for the carefree days of our youth, so if you’re looking to activate a large space, check out this big adult bounce house experience that’s traveling the U.S. right now. There are family sessions, adults-only sessions and a whole lot of inflatable fun!

So far summer 2023 has been characterized by brutal heat, sweltering triple-digit temps and a heat dome that’s baking half the continent. So we were thrilled to see that five cities are participating in a three-year project to adopt smart surface technology to combat urban heat. The program is based on a successful pilot out of Baltimore, MD, that showed a 10x value on investment in smart surface tech like cool roofs and pavement, green roofs, trees, solar panels, porous pavement that reduces flood risk and carbon-sequestering concrete that is more reflective. Currently Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New Orleans and Columbia, SC have joined the program — with room for at least another five to sign on. Could your city be next on the list?

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

We’ve been watching this since last fall when Google actually admitted that they were seeing a flee from traditional search to TikTok and Instagram among younger demographics. It’s a fascinating evolution of the internet, and one that cannot be ignored by districts, downtowns and DMOs — especially not for your retailing ratepayers. New stats and data are out that tell a more comprehensive tale of TikTok’s pivot to a shopping platform. Even if you’re not selling products directly, we are all tasked with selling our downtowns as vibrant, walkable districts popping with lifestyle amenities, attractions and points of cultural interest. If you haven’t yet dipped your toes into the proverbial pool, make sure it’s part of your media mix for the new fiscal year.

Street art is a draw for many downtowns, and while the mural craze may be reaching its zenith, public art can contribute to your district’s economic impact in terms of tourism, foot traffic and building your brand online (ex: see story above). USA Today’s “10 Best” recently did a round-up of the top U.S. destinations for street art, (based on a readers’ poll), and the winners are in! From art-bedecked biking trails to public plazas and more, readers ranked regions for public art, with Philadelphia taking the top spot. With over 4,000 public murals, and the oldest mural arts organization in the country, it’s no wonder the City of Brotherly Love ranked so high. But what we love most about Philadelphia Mural Arts are the complimentary programs supporting restorative justice, environmental justice, community wellness, art education and more. The organization has been pioneering social aspects of public art for decades now, rendering Philly more than just “one giant open air museum”.  Did your city make the cut?  Check the list of winners here.

Photo by Daniel ODonnell on Unsplash

…that the average open rate (OR) for a place management organization’s e-blast is 37%? Yep! And the average click thru rate (CTR) is 7.22%. That’s what we gleaned when we conducted the first-ever research into industry-specific performance of email marketing for UPMOs. From A/B split testing to advertorial and beyond, we learned all kinds of cool things about how place management districts stack up compared to their peers. If you haven’t yet seen or downloaded the report, you can do so for free, right here on our website with the latest and greatest Bright Brothers Trends Report for 2023.

Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash

Nowadays, it seems everyone’s a placemaker. We see the term “placemaking” being bandied about in real estate development realms frequently, along with cities looking to capitalize on revitalization and incentivizing economic development and investment. So with the push for all of us to attract more visitors, increase ped counts and lure those pesky WFH workers back downtown, you need something extraordinary to make an impact. Enter LeMonde Studio. HQ’d in Montréal, CA, NYC and Austin, TX, these inventive wunderkinds are making big waves in the placemaking world by transforming natural environments and commercial spaces with installations that amp your streetscapes and public realm. We recently sat down with COO and managing partner Nick Synnot to discuss the company, and we were impressed with their approach that combines “interactive art with sensible technology”. More agreeable than Nick himself were the company’s price points compared to other providers we’ve seen, so we promised to give them a shout out. If you’re planning to activate a space this year, definitely add these guys to your short list, and tell them Bright Brothers sent ya!

Photo by LeMonde Studio

No offense to the sporty types out there, but we’ve heard enough about pickleball to last us awhile. And while “picklers” may be the newest kids on the block, other types of in-person gaming can mean big business for cities. We were tickled when we saw this round-up of the “Geekiest Cities” come across our radar. Tabletop gaming, LARPing (live action role playing) comic shops, costumes, meet-ups and more went into the methodology for determining which cities run the geekiest. ComiCons draw thousands to specific cities each year with a chance for fans to stan their faves and meet up with fellow geeks in the flesh, so don’t knock the nerds in the room. Being a geek can bring positive impacts to your town. Did your city make the list?  Either way, we hope you “live long and prosper”. 

Photo by Geeky Shots on Unsplash

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