Cities across the country are taking great strides towards making their downtowns exciting, attractive and competitive in today's marketplace. While the public sector is usually the motivating force behind downtown improvement projects, it frequently lacks the resources necessary to make downtowns a special place. Projects which go beyond what a city can provide must be initiated by the private sector. Merchants, businessmen and property owners have the opportunity to develop their own revitalization strategies and manage downtown on a day-to-day basis. Improvement programs ranging from increased maintenance, to retail recruitment, to store facade treatments can be managed on a daily basis by the private sector to ensure a downtown's continue growth and prosperity.

PPS's downtown management and design program can motivate the private sector into taking such action through a carefully structured community involvement effort. An action plan identifying the improvement strategies, organizational structure and funding sources is developed with the assistance of the community to ensure visible results.

PPS has been working for over twenty years to help improve downtowns with both public and private sector groups across the country. In addition to providing technical assistance, PPS has also produced training manuals and films and conducted workshops and seminars on downtown design and management and frequently collaborates with such nationally renowned organizations as the International Downtown Association, the National Main Street Center, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

click here for Project Experience