Though cities have been cognizant of the threat posed by short-term, calamitous events, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a natural threat that is altogether different from past disasters.
Long-term uncertainty, coupled with major disruptions in business practices and government operations, has resulted in a number of short-term changes to the urban fabric in order to combat the spread of COVID-19. Some of these practices, such as the use of sneeze guards in retail establishments and deploying floor decals to maintain social distance protocols, have become common features of urban living in 2020. A number of cities, though, have implemented further alterations to the urban fabric to give local businesses additional leverage in maintaining routine operations.
Downtown Alive expands dining space
Chief among the alterations employed is the use of public right of way by local businesses in order to move some of their operations outdoors. One coastal community that has embraced this concept is the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, where local leaders launched an initiative known as Downtown Alive.
From June 25- Sept. 7, the city has closed a number of downtown blocks to vehicular access so restaurants can add outdoor seating. Since its inception, the initiative has proven to be a popular one with downtown restaurants, so much so that a new proposal has been floated to expand the program till Nov. 29 and give downtown businesses the option to install “parklets.” Under the parklets proposal, a business can opt into the Downtown Alive program by being assigned a public parking space; the space can then be used to add additional outdoor seating.
Small grants program offers help
Granting public right of way to private business needs is not the only policy initiative Wilmington has implemented to weather the pandemic. Recently, Wilmington’s Downtown Business Alliance has partnered with the Longleaf Foundation to provide small grants to businesses in order to keep their operations viable during the pandemic times. As of May 15, the small grant program had awarded $110,000 to downtown businesses and attracted 148 applicants to apply to the program. The addition of such a program will go a long in way in ensuring that downtown Wilmington maintains a viable business environment.
One measure businesses have embraced during the pandemic is the use of the remote work and teleconferencing to maintain normal work hours. For Main Street retail though, the loss of in-person traffic is something that cannot be easily rectified by expanding online operations.
Large retail companies, which operate on economies of scale, which are vastly larger than your typical Main Street establishment, have ways of getting their product before a wide audience that a small business generally lacks. In order for city downtowns and Main Streets to thrive in an era where in-person business is constrained, it is important to bring the full array of the main street experience to the world of online shopping.
Some cities use Streetify app
One e-commerce platform that is distinctly tailored to Main Street retail is Streetify. Through Streetify, local shoppers can interact with a virtual approximation of a city’s main street. Popular retail corridors, such as Fifth Avenue in New York or Oxford Street in London, are using the app, and the app is offering free access to retailers during the pandemic.
One unique feature of the app is the use of geo-referencing. Through geo-referencing the app can approximate the real world conditions of a Main Street shopping district in a virtual construct. For example, streetlights on the virtual Main Street turn on and off according to what time of day it is and the weather conditions of the retail corridor will be displayed in real-time. This app serves as a powerful reminder that there is a physical component to the firm’s retail operations and practices.
If cities are to attend to the health of their urban neighborhoods, they must employ new approaches to adapt the urban fabric to public health protocols and needs. Some of these approaches may involve direct physical interventions in the urban fabric, such as expanded outdoor dining and the use of parklets. In other instances, city policy proposals may take the form of direct financial assistance, such as grants, or technical assistance that expands the online capabilities of urban retail districts.
The goal of all these efforts should be to subtly reinforce the financial and cultural value a vibrant urban fabric provides to a city, even if the full experience of urban living is not available to residents at this time. A city’s urban core is more than just a collection of small businesses and shops, it is a living testament to the collective history of a city or town, which is why it is important to give Main Street businesses additional tools to weather the economic uncertainty produced by the pandemic.
Meet the author
Stephen Deal
Extension Specialist (Land Use Planning)
Stephen works with floodplain managers, building officials, city officials, scientists and Sea Grant partners to provide information and training related to flood and storm resilience. He holds a... Read more
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