September 2008

Enhancing Downtown’s Sense of Place

Why would a person choose your downtown as a destination with so many other alternatives available? Certainly many, if not most, of the goods and services offered there can easily be obtained elsewhere. Your main street probably does not contain the large national chains, deep discount prices, or acres of free parking that appeal to many customers. The answer is a strong sense of place, a characteristic rarely associated with regional malls, big-box retailers, or suburban commercial corridors. A strong sense of place is vital to the health and prosperity of a downtown, especially in smaller cities. What is a sense of place and what exactly does it mean to have a sense of place? To start, let’s take a look at eight key elements that are pivotal to a main street’s sense of place.

First, downtown is distinct from other commercial settings. A distinctive place embodies a character, look, flavor, and heritage that are not found in other locations, especially within the surrounding region. By being distinctive, a downtown or neighborhood business district can provide a viable alternative to its competition. Second, the downtown, and its sense of place, have evolved over time. A downtown’s sense of place was not created at a single point in time. It has evolved to represent multiple generations. Communities change over time economically, socially, and culturally, and downtowns are better able than most places to reflect that in their built environment. Third, downtown represents the unique heritage of the community. A sense of place is closely associated with the degree to which individuals can connect to a locale in terms of their own experiences and those of their family and community. The downtown, more than any other place in most cities, reflects much of the heritage and experiences of a broad spectrum of people, probably extending well beyond municipal borders.

Fourth, downtown is multifunctional. Downtowns provide a greater range of functions than any other location in the region. A single downtown may serve as a place for employment, shopping, worship, tourism, housing, government services, dining, entertainment, lodging, and cultural attractions. Moreover, in a small-city downtown, all of these activities are usually situated within a compact area that is easily walkable which leads to the fifth element of a downtown being pedestrian friendly. Sixth, human activity is vital to a sense of place. Regardless of its aesthetic qualities, a built environment requires the presence of people to produce a desirable, appealing place. The presence of human activity throughout the day is critical. Not only do people make a business district look more vital; they will in turn attract more activity since people are drawn to bustling, lively places.

Seventh, downtown encourages people to linger. A sense of place invites people to stay longer than is necessary to conduct their business. People will be tempted to linger if a place is comfortable, safe, attractive, and interesting. Last, downtown engenders a high level of community ownership. To what extent do citizens care about the future of their downtown? Does the community have much pride in the commercial district? If the downtown claims a strong sense of place, the likelihood of the answer being “yes” is significantly increased. In part, this question of community ownership is connected to the degree to which citizens actually use the downtown. The higher the number of stakeholders, the greater the level of ownership and interest and the greater the potential for downtown to be integral to the overall sense of community the idea that downtown is everybody’s neighborhood.

Most traditional business districts contain many, if not all, of the aforementioned elements. To take advantage of these amenities, which are not prevalent in the majority of newer commercial settings, main streets from coast to coast are redesigning their downtowns to incorporate the eight elements listed above. Furthermore, Main Street communities, through their adherence to the four-point approach, promotion, organization, economic restructuring, and design are ideally positioned to enhance the sense of place inherent in their commercial districts.

A strong sense of place cannot be created overnight, nor can it be the result of one major project or initiative. With the assistance of a vision and plan that incorporates the elements of place described in this article, a downtown can achieve a strong sense of place through the convergence of numerous projects and efforts, many of which are small scale. A distinctive main street becomes much more than a utilitarian place of business; it is a place where people can find meaning, enjoyment, and community pride.

Kent Robertson is Professor of Community Studies at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota.

To learn more about the Main Street Program, both locally and nationally, visit the following sites: www.mainstreetchillicothemo.com and www.mainstreet.org.