Branding and Birdhouses

Yesterday I was driving through the middle of North Carolina on a little two lane road for several, several miles. I always enjoy random off-Interstate travels like this, even though we were on them for a good 3 hours or more. As we drove from community to community, I perked up each time we'd hit a new little historic downtown area. Some were filled with banners, welcoming us to their community, others sat awkwardly on either side of a wide 5 lane highway, while others had brand new streetscape projects underway with signs in the windows saying "Looking good, ____(insert community name)___"! 

As we drove along one strip of this scenic highway that had filtered back down to a small two lane road, I noticed something.  There, sitting in the front yard of a home, was a large trailer filled with brightly colored birdhouses. Clearly, these birdhouses were being sold by the person who owned this property.  Driving by at 45 miles per hour, I quickly scanned the trailer with bright eyes at the beautiful, colorful birdhouses. We continued to drive along the scenic highway as I took note of the front yards of house and after house, all brightened by these colorful birdhouses!  

Every single house had one - no, not one, but several in a cluster in the front yard, on the front porch, in the side yard, wherever!  I wanted to pull the car over, drive back to that house with the trailer filled with birdhouses, and buy at least 3 myself to take back home with me.  I imagined they had painted somewhere on the side the name of the community I was in....and if it wasn't, I would ask that it be painted on the birdhouse.  Why?  Because this was a part of my road trip I would remember, and this was a community I wanted to remember and share with others.  It was a unique element to this town that would have otherwise remained nameless and quickly forgotten had I not noticed all the brightly colored birdhouses.

The uniqueness of a downtown is much like these birdhouses.  The look and unique character of each building and business is what sets it apart from others and what catches the eye of the random traveler.  The choice of paint; the unique architecture; the welcoming allure it has to the random traveler who wasn't intending to be welcomed into your town.  It is this look that causes the random traveler to stop and frequent the businesses within your downtown and enjoy the public spaces within your downtown.  

Equally important is the importance small business plays in the branding of your downtown.  I don't know who was making and painting the birdhouses, but I knew it was someone local - surely it was someone local. Perhaps this town had a lot of birds.  Perhaps this town had a famous bird story.  Or, perhaps this town simply woke up one day and wanted to attract as many beautiful birds as it could into its town and someone started a business around that model.  That approach may be a bit far fetched, but more likely could be that perhaps a person loved to paint, and loved to make birdhouses.  That person took his passion to the drawing board and began making and painting birdhouses and began selling them, one at a time.  As the fever caught on, more and more people started buying clusters of the birdhouses and putting them in their front yards and in front of their businesses.  Suddenly, one small business owners idea became a brand for a town that caused this traveler to want to stop and buy a birdhouse unique to this town. The small business owner branded the town to this traveler and made a profit in doing so.  And, I equally would hope to find this business, or these birdhouses, sold in a little shop (or the product scattered throughout many shops) downtown. That is where all things unique to your town come together and unite.

What is it about your downtown that makes someone want to stop and buy something memorable?  Why would a random traveler simply passing through your town want to take a souvenir of your town back home with them?  What can you do to encourage a spirit of entrepreneurship that welcomes this type of unique business type to come into your town?  If your town already has a brand and you're wondering how to launch it, what type of business could help do just that?  What - or should I say who - "brands" your town?    

A Journey of Hidden Gems

Today begins a journey of 10 hidden gems within the borders of the state of Tennessee.  Ten communities were recently selected to be a part of a brand new program the Tennessee Department of Economic Development rolled out a few months ago called "Tennessee Downtowns". (Read about it HERE).  This innovative program was designed to introduce and assist communities through the steps of launching a downtown revitalization effort.  This program was designed to dust off the jewels that have been hidden for so long in communities across the state of Tennessee. 

How many times have I driven through an old downtown that is dusty and old and run down and looked at the potential of the buildings but seen no signs of any "work in progress."  Many times it's due to a lack of local government support.  Other times it's due to a lack of private sector support.  But what is exciting about these brand new communities is that they have both the local government and the private sector ready to roll up their sleeves and do something about their downtown.  They are ready to move forward.  They are ready to blow off the dust and get to work.  They are energized with a love for their downtown and a will to succeed that will take them far.

I'm excited to be a part of this adventure, and excited to be surrounded by a team that is all about encouraging and providing tools to help these communities succeed.  Here's to the journey, and here's to the historic sights and energized people that we will be seeing and meeting along the way!

Becoming an Economic Powerhouse

What is your definition of a great city? What do you think it takes to become an "economic powerhouse"? There are many different elements that make up a great city. While the list could go on and on, here are just a few concrete elements that are imperative to surviving and becoming a strong, economically vibrant city.

First, an economically vibrant city must have people. Ok, that's an easy one, but an element so easily taken for granted. It is the people within your city that either make or break it. It is those same people that determine the will and the strength of a community because they ultimately make up the leadership, the entrepreneurs, the customers, and the ambassadors - or bashers - of your city. They must be diverse in age. From young to old, a diverse age of people who are responsible for the care and growth of their city create an economically vibrant city. The people, the very people that live, work and play in your community, have the strength to make a city economically vibrant or bash the city into economic despair.

Second, an economically vibrant city must have strong neighborhoods - neighborhoods that are family friendly, welcoming, and create a sense of close community to those who enter its proverbial gates. Neighborhoods add distinctive characteristics to a city through its historical precedents and its ability to maintain its character and thrive as a safe, likable, and livable place.

Thirdly, an economically vibrant city must have a strong educational system in place. The cities must invest in their schools, priding itself in the teachers, the facilities, and the programs that make up the educational system. There must be opportunities not only for pre-k through high school, but also for higher educational and post-graduate opportunities. A strong educational system is an important key to any economically vibrant city.

Fourth, an economically vibrant city must have a strong health care system. In order to appeal to retirees and young families alike, there must be ease in access to good, solid health care facilities. The people that live and work within a city must feel confident in knowing they will be well taken care of not only for preventative health care measures, but also in the event of an unexpected emergency health issue that may arise.

Fifth, an economically vibrant city must be business friendly: from the professional business offices to the retail shops, the business environment must be friendly, and the businesses in abundance. The life of a city is dependent on its ability to foster and nurture opportunities for people to find jobs, stay in their own community to shop, or attract outside visitors to stay and shop. The economic impact of tourism and retail activity go hand in hand. A strong network of businesses and retail activity play a key role in a truly economically vibrant city.

But if all of these things make up an economically vibrant city, what creates an economic powerhouse? If a city has people, strong neighborhoods, a solid educational system, great health care options, and lots of businesses and retail, what makes that city truly unique? What makes it stand out from all of the other city's out there that have all of these same elements in place?

The last element ties all of these things together. An economically vibrant city must have a strong central core - a strong downtown. The key to creating an economic powerhouse lies in strengthening the central gathering place, the very place that defines everything that the city has now become. Without that central core, the city would have never been founded in the first place. And now today, the city will not thrive without investing in and fostering a strong environment in that central core. The downtown becomes the place where the people that live in those neighborhoods, go to those schools, find great health care facilities, and establish their own businesses and shop throughout the town all come together for cultural, historical, walkable and healthy opportunities. All roads within that community first stemmed out from the downtown. Therefore, all roads now lead to that downtown. It becomes the central gathering place for a people of a strong community and vibrant city. It becomes the place where visitors go to really check out the uniqueness of that city. Without strength in the downtown, it is impossible to become an economic powerhouse in an ever increasingly competitive location-driven environment.

A strong downtown becomes paramount to the ultimate success of your city. Thankfully, there are organizations such as our consulting business filled with individuals who have been in the trenches before and are dedicated to assisting communities become economic powerhouses. They do so by creating and implementing practices specifically catered to your town, that will ultimately improve and rebuild the downtown. Take advantage of those individuals out there that can help your community become an economic powerhouse for generations to come.

Visions of Sugar-Plums

"While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads...." - a line we all grew up hearing, and one that to this day, still gives us child-like feelings of giddy excitement. Dreaming of such vision played a prominent role in many of our lives and the reality of waking up to some sort of tasty candy, whether a "sugar-plum candy" or not, happened. It became proof at such a young age that if you had a vision of something, it could easily become a reality if you only believed.

As we've all grown, I'm perplexed at the number of individuals across this country that have lost that belief in visions becoming reality. Where did the child-like faith go? This morning I was reading about a town in Arizona that has visions of "tree-shaded walkways meandering to outdoor cafes and a farmers market" in their downtown. The article goes on to say "Perhaps most importantly, it could bring life to a listless downtown area."

This is a story written about so many towns across the entire U.S.A. The article could even be generically written with "Your Town, U.S.A." plugged into it many times over. However, the great thing about downtown development is that while the concept is familiar and readily read and spoken of in various cities, the outcome is always uniquely different for each city and town, each and every time. Why is this? Because of the vision. Because of the type of candy each town perceives that "sugar-plum" to be. Cities create their own "sugar-plum" made up of ingredients unique only to the town in which the vision comes from. Redevelopment in one downtown will never be the same as redevelopment in another.

So what about those that have lost that belief in visions becoming a reality? Surely no one out there has lost that belief. Unfortunately, in all too many cities across this country, the belief has been lost by those in leadership positions that have the full capabilities to make such visions reality. They've become so cynical of visions becoming reality that any dreams of a brighter tomorrow for an old downtown are too often downplayed and brushed off as an annoyance and waste of money. Should you ever wonder which cities have fallen prey to such a trap, visit a city that has had dreams of better tomorrows for their downtown only to be spoken of negatively for the fact of that long talked about dream never becoming a reality. It is not for a lack of ability of such dream to become true: It is because of a lack of believers in leadership positions of visions becoming reality. Once those in leadership believe, truly believe, things can and will happen. And that city with a listless, lifeless downtown will experience life breathed back into it with child-like enthusiasm and energy, and the visions of sugar-plums will again begin dancing in their heads, with giddy excitement.

Building a City

How many of us grew up playing Monopoly, or built mini-cities with Lego's or other construction-related toys? In adulthood, I often wonder what it would be like to truly build a city, starting from scratch. I wonder what it would be like to be given a huge parcel of vacant land, consisting of hundreds of acres, and with unlimited resources at my discretion, begin building a modern city, block by block. Would I start with the beautiful residential neighborhoods filling the hills on the outer parts of the tract? Would I start with the strip malls along a pattern of streets not necessarily leading to anywhere in particular?

No, a city, if built from scratch, would begin in the center and build outward. The city's strength would lie in its core foundation found in the very center of the entire parcel of land acreage. While the beautiful residences built in the outlining hilly terrain would be a great asset to the overall city, the strength of the community would lie in the abilities of such residents to descend from their hilltop homes and all gather together in a core shopping district, a core cultural district, a core entertainment district. And even better would be those living in the lofts and adjacent neighborhoods of the core district; those individuals who breathe life into the early morning and late evening hours of the city simply by being there around the clock. Basic public services would be provided in the core because of its ease of access to all residents in the entire community.

The strip malls and outlying businesses also breathing life into the community would only serve to assist the traveler with needs that may arise going to and from the vibrant core. This includes the gas stations, the drug stores, and yes, even the grocery stores that give reason for a traveler to stop and purchase that gallon of milk on their way home. But the core, the core of the community remains the heart and soul of the community. It would be the reason for such city's success, and without adequate planning, the reason for such city's failure.

If this seems like such a no-brainer when thinking of how to build a city from scratch, why is it that so many communities continue turning their back on the central core? Why do so many communities today think that by merely investing in the outer shopping areas, the community will thrive on baseless, scattered foundations? Oh they may thrive for a short time, but the next time a new shopping area is built on another random tract of land, the city will be left with vacant boxes of no significant value to the community, in no significant geographical location to the community. Instead, communities need to get back to their roots. They need to appreciate the central core for the inherent value it provides. After all, it is the reason for the rest of the city thriving and the reason for the city's very presence today.

What's in Your Toolbox?

How many times have the words "What's in your wallet?" been pounded into your mind by the Capital One commercials as you watch television? Through the repetitive advertisements, Capital One works hard to make you, the consumer, feel as if it is an unsafe world out there if your wallet does not contain their credit card. It is, in the minds of Capital One, an essential component of all wallets carried by consumers today, with a promise to bring financial peace and security to those who carry it.

For those striving to achieve a resurgence in the development of their downtown, "What's in your toolbox?" is a question worthy of being pounded into the minds of economic developers, public leaders, and citizens within that community. Just as stock portfolio's are stronger when diversified, a financial incentive toolbox is stronger when diversified - not to mention simply available - to those interested in investing in downtown. With all of the challenges that truly do arise when investing in a historic building or opening up a small business in a struggling downtown, "What's in your toolbox?" becomes a credible question to those city leaders interested in seeing their downtown succeed.

What are some things that should be in your toolbox? Tax increment financing, downtown redevelopment loan programs, facade grant programs, Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) programs, and other investment programs are just a few of the tools that could help your community achieve a marketable incentive toolbox. While such tools may not deliver financial peace and security to all involved in downtown development, it will bring the promise of the community's commitment to public-private partnerships created to exhibit a true dedication and effort into the overall success of the property and businesses within the gates of its historic downtown commercial area.

So, what's in your toolbox?

"Yes We Can"

In light of this year's ever increasing presidential campaigning (and we're not even yet to the general election part of it yet!), I found it most appropriate to capitalize on one of the presidential candidate’s slogan: "Yes We Can" and relate that to downtown development practices today.

You see, the importance of this statement -this slogan, this concept - is simple. Without a positive attitude, a dying downtown in need of resurgence will not move forward. It will sit there, in all its imperfections and failings, and remain just that: An imperfect downtown that has failed. The community will continue to talk about how awful their downtown is in its current state, how unsafe, how unfriendly, and they will simply walk away. They will continue to watch buildings further deteriorate, streets and sidewalks continue to crumble, weeds blossom in their unsightly splendor, all the while joining together in their triumphant (peer pressure driven) union of being the community that is offended by the obscenity of "that" downtown. Oh they will triumph together that they live on "the upper side of town" and they will bond together over their high society, most noble living that is far, far away from "that" downtown.

But what happens when an out of town guest comes to visit. What happens when that friend from Franklin, Tennessee comes to visit? Or, what about the friend from San Antonio, Texas? Or the niece from Athens, Georgia or Asheville, North Carolina? The first thing they want to do is do something unique. They want you to show them your town, take them out to dinner at a restaurant you can't find in their town, and go shopping in a boutique you can't find anywhere else in the country! Those that step into your community may soon bring to light that neglecting your downtown may not have been such a "community bonding" experience after all.

So what's next? "Yes we can" is next. The best possible thing a community can do for its town is reshape the negative attitudes into a "Yes We Can" attitude. "Yes We Can" make downtown great again. "Yes We Can" rebuild the old fountain square. "Yes We Can" bridge the broken partnerships within the community. "Yes We Can" make downtown a destination rather than an avoidance. "Yes We Can" showcase the things that made our town what it is today. "Yes We Can" celebrate our past and show it off to the world. "Yes We Can" bring life back to our downtown. We can start with flowers. Green plants. Banners. A fresh coat of paint. A window washer. For Sale signs. For Rent signs. Events. And, a few bold leaders willing to stick their necks out and take bold decisions that show their belief in "Yes We Can". They can start with renovating a building to house City Hall. They can start with setting $500,000 aside to redevelop a small strip of land into a small park along the waterfront. They can find matching grants to leverage that small investment. They can build a sports facility downtown. They can build a performing arts center downtown. They can make downtown now the place where community bonding sentiments continue. Instead of a community bonding over the negatives of their downtown, the community will begin to bond over the positives of their downtown and yes, be given bragging rights to those who come to visit!

One bold step after another will lead to bold success. One bold step after another will lead to the kind of success that we read about in the papers, in magazines, in classroom textbooks. One bold step must begin with "Yes We Can". Because after all, where would this country be today if our forefathers had not carried with them "Yes We Can"?