At a glance

Michael Burayidi’s research is further explored in his recent book, Resilient Downtowns: A New Approach to Revitalizing Small- and Medium-City Downtowns (2014) and he will be a featured speaker at Ball State’s Primacy of Place conference on October 16 in downtown Indianapolis.  For more information about the conference and additional placemaking resources, visit the Primacy of Place website at www.bsu.edu/bbc/primacyofplace.

Sharon Canaday is the Associate Director of Economic and Community Development in Building Better Communities at Ball State University. Her column appears in Indiana newspapers.

Small communities struggle with creating a sense of place through which people can connect with their community, its history, and one another.  Once vibrant hubs of commerce and social interaction, many of these downtowns suffer from economic downturns caused by population and business loss, and a lack of resources. 

What should these communities focus on to build healthy downtowns? How can they approach placemaking and quality of life in their city core?  What is it that contributes to successful economic and community development and builds a downtown that is a vibrant center for people, culture, and business?

In the November 2010 issue of Downtown Idea Exchange, Michael Burayidi, chair of the Department of Urban Planning at Ball State University, references the Mainstreet Four-Point Approach, which he describes as the “mantra for cities and towns seeking to revitalize their downtowns.” These strategies include organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring. 

Burayidi’s own research has pointed to four additional strategies of successful downtown revitalization:

  1. Attracting and engaging Baby Boomers who are retiring and seek places to live that are walkable, celebrate diversity, provide amenities and recreational opportunities, and have lower taxes.
  2. Attracting and welcoming recent immigrants seeking small communities with a lower cost of living and a quiet atmosphere where they can afford to live downtown, be part of, and contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of the city.
  3. Celebrating and incorporating the community’s historical and cultural heritage as part of authentic placemaking that creates identity and fosters passion for residents for their downtown, while building a tourism and economic base through sharing the city’s or town’s story, buildings and people with others. 
  4. Maintaining and enhancing the community’s downtown as the nexus of its cultural and civic life through downtown revitalization that includes investment in and preservation of buildings, spaces, and services that enhance walkability, support local entrepreneurs and business owners, and create a mix of civic, business, cultural and recreational services and amenities.