Design the Town as if it was a Park
Design the Town as if it was a Park. Character towns can be planned just like a park with shelter, food and beverage, circulation and beauty; think of the city as a large, complex park. The neighborhoods, centers and corridors demand design and development with the same care used to prepare the town’s finest park. […]
A Survey of Performance Management Systems
The model system for performance management draws on the experience of eleven well-known systems adaptable to the issues facing small cities and towns. [embeddoc url=”https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/A-Survey-of-Performance-Management-Systems-1.27.16.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”] FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
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Community Character: Principles for Design and Planning
Community Character: Principles for Design and Planning by Lane H. Kendig with Bret C. Keast, [Island Press, Washington, 187 pages, 2010] demonstrates that community character happens by design. Someone at some time had an idea for the essence of every character town and we are the benfeciaries of that forethought. Some towns that appear to be […]
Smart Microgrids for power, water supply and waste disposal
Smart Microgrids offer a small scale solution for providing power to remote areas and for serving as back-up systems for places with dependent populations such as hospitals and adult care communities. Adding modern technologies creates smart microgrids that offer adaptability, lower costs, flexibility and small scale solutions when appropriate. Microgrids also better utilize alternative sources […]
Small Towns as Global Cities
Small Towns as Global Cities is a happening trend. Small cities and towns have many of the attributes that appeal to businesses and entrepreneurs of the New Innovation Economy. The way small cities and towns envision themselves greatly influences their prospects in participation in the global economy. Broadband internet service and access to an international […]
The City’s Form and Function – 2016
The City’s Form and Function – 2016 is evolving based on global access to the new global economy. The annual essay about the form and function of small cities and towns builds on the two previous efforts. The 2014 essay discussed the importance of balancing the town’s economic, social and physical attributes to produce a […]
The Importance of Being the Best
The Importance of Being Best is an often overlooked economic development tool. The magazine listings of “the best city in America for whatever quality is the subject of the month” can be important. Small cities and towns of character fit this mold nicely and can exploit the circulation of the respective journals to advertise their […]
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The 5 Ideas Every City Should Steal from Singapore
5 Ideas Every City Should Steal from Singapore, by Meera Senthilingam for CNN, is a great guide for city planners. Singapore is a large and successful city-state, with ideas that can work in many small cities and towns. With the exception of :going underground” in parts of Florida, each idea is useful: Have a plan […]
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The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation is a great guide for those interested in high-tech economic development. Though the times have changed, the principles of industrial scale technology research and development still apply. Economic development programs of small cities and towns in the New Innovation Economy can benefit from a […]
The Downtown Infill and Redevelopment Process
The Downtown Infill and Redevelopment Process is useful in enticing vision-consistent developers to invest in the downtowns of small cities and towns. The process is a defined set of steps and activities used by successful small cities and towns to support private investment on main street or nearby. The concept is based on the idea […]