Revitalizing what makes a community special – its downtown. 

Your downtown is only as successful as the entire city and the region it serves. Through customized data analysis and community outreach, RPI Consulting develops a detailed roadmap for revitalizing downtown hubs in the context of their surroundings. We can help make your downtown more vibrant and prosperous by articulating your community’s vision, identifying opportunities for business growth, encouraging new investment and engineering more points of interaction between the public and downtown businesses.

These broad strategies are backed up with real-world tactics, such as changing regulations to spur residential infill; improving public gathering areas, landscaping, sidewalks and wayfinding; targeting types of business that enhance downtown’s character and offerings; and expanding property rights to increase business investment.

Past Projects:
City of Douglas, WY; City of Gallup, NM; City of McCall, ID; City of Victor, CO; Nucla and Naturita, CO

CASE STUDIES

RPI Consulting crafted a master plan that won both the Idaho Chapter APA Outstanding Plan Award and Best Plan by Idaho Smart Growth. Our analysis focused on creating actionable economic development strategies to build business activity downtown and on clearly defining downtown’s role in the regional economy. Our strategies better connect downtown to nearby neighborhoods, the lakefront and commercial corridors, plus improve pedestrian safety along the busy highway through downtown.

Services provided:

  • Strategic Economic Development Plan
  • Regional Market Study
  • Downtown Marketing Strategy
  • Strategies to Connect Downtown with Adjacent Neighborhoods, Transportation Corridors and Natural Amenities

Spanning a 15-block historic district, this plan focuses on public realm improvements such as widened sidewalks, irrigated plantings, street furniture and signage. RPI Consulting worked closely with the downtown business community to establish strategies for building a customer base and enticing motorists to walk around downtown. The local and regional market analysis identified economic opportunities, which formed the basis of design recommendations. We investigated changing the zoning code to allow second-floor residential units, shared parking and street closures for special events. We also proposed strategies to better connect downtown to the adjacent neighborhoods, the river and commercial corridors.

Services provided:

  • Local and Regional Market Analysis
  • Downtown Marketing Strategy
  • Street Design Plan
  • Downtown Walkability Strategies