The ADRR

Our esteemed editor, David Milder, has been using the term “the new normal” for some time about the changes taking place in the retail environment: and as he predicted that idea became even more broadly applicable. In the post-pandemic era, we are staggering our way towards a new normal – but your prediction as to what that might be would be as good as mine. We don’t and can’t know. What we do know is that secular trends tend to revert to the mean. Stuff changes over the medium term less than we generally predict or expect.

But sitting on our haunches waiting to see how things are going to shake out isn’t a very palatable prospect. With respect to commercial corridor, downtown and public space revitalization, and local economic development there are some tangible actions that I’ve been thinking about that might assist downtown managers to make the best of it and accelerate economic and pedestrian activity. This is my proposed tool kit of ideas for the next several months. It’s going to be a process of iteration: trying things. Seeing what works and what doesn’t. Ending the things that aren’t working and expanding the things that are.

These ideas are very New York City-centric, but they are likely to also be more broadly applicable to towns and cities of all sizes. Very few good concepts about improving public spaces aren’t applicable in most places. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE