c114-Reasons for Revitalization

Reasons for Revitalization

With revitalization, downtowns could once again serve prominent and important roles within their communities. There are many important reasons to revitalize, including the following:

Existing infrastructure: Downtowns already have streets, existing sewer and water lines and other utilities, and a central location. It is very wasteful for American cities to discard this built-up infrastructure and pay again for new intrastructure at the city's edge which largely duplicates what already exists. From both an economic and environmental standpoint, it is a poor decision for our society to "throw away" our downtowns rather than recycle them.

Community focus: Downtowns have traditionally provided a focus for local communities, giving a sense of identity to its residents. By going downtown, one could associate a place with the concept of community, and this did much to create a common sense of purpose.
Without this focus, the community's center is gone and, as Gertrude Stein once said, "There is no there there." As a result, it becomes difficult to get local support for projects and activities. As our society becomes more mobile, the need for a place with which to identify becomes increasingly important.

Greater diversity: Downtowns have greater functional diversity than many of the newer centers being built on the city fringe. In many communities downtowns still serve as a center for retail stores, financial institutions, public agencies and local government offices, local public transportation, historic areas, and cultural and educational institutions. This diversity gives to downtowns a long-term strength.
By contrast, many newer developments are unifunctional, devoted only to specialty retailing, quick-stop shopping, or single-size residential developments. As a result, these areas are much more vulnerable to changing times, and indeed will likely make them obsolete long before downtowns. Many suburban developments from the 1950s and 60s already have become abandoned, to be replaced by more recently built fringe developments.

Employment: Statistically, downtowns are still the greatest employment sectors within cities, with many people coming to the downtown district on a daily basis for their jobs. This provides the potential for a regular and continuing user base for functions located in downtowns.

Distribution center: Downtowns continue to be the center of distribution of goods and services. Although for many decades there has been a pattern of dispersion of businesses locating in other sections of cities, downtowns still retain an inordinate share of these functions, and this gives potential for many other things to happen around these centers of distribution.

Residential: Since the 1970s there has been a definable trend of people moving back to central cities. This population tends to be educated, professional, and without children. This group can form the critical residential component of revitalized downtown areas.

Downtown programs: A number of programs have been instituted which have been directly beneficial to downtown revitalization efforts. They include the Main Street Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Downtown Development Authority program and Tax Increment Financing Act, and various local programs established by city governments or merchants' associations. These have given a particular focus to the needs of downtowns, and have successfully addressed the unique needs of downtowns in their program orientations.

Downtowns: Their Background	Rivertown: Its Background

Downtown Organizations	People in Rivertown

Problems in Downtowns	Issues in Rivertown

Revitalization Strategies	Rivertown Strategies