FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWNBEN MULDROW

Ben Muldrow Arnett Muldrow & Associates

Worked with 450 communities in 35 states & 3 countries

Coined the phrase Community Branding

Has made a place before

@benmuldrow

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100% OF DOWNTOWNS HAVE A PARKING PROBLEM

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Welcome to Downtown

State College.

We’ve noticed that you

have run out of time on

your meter. We are glad

that you have discovered so

much to enjoy downtown!

As a courtesy, this ticket is

on us, but when you join us

again, you should check out

one of our four parking

garages, and feel free to

stay all day.

There is nowhere to park downtown.... except for our 2037parking spaces.

FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

STATE COLLEGE, PA

30% revenue increase in lots with multi-space pay stations, paying off the investment in just 10 months

$30k/year revenue increase by eliminating piggybacking

Distribution of 1,400 hangtags has been eliminated—saving $2,500/year

Pay station collection cycles were cut in half with the implementation of pay-by-phone from Parkmobile

200% increase in online sales—dramatically reducing in-office traffic

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FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

PARKING PROBLEM

▸ Mobile Payment Platforms

▸ Enhanced Parking Signage

▸ Ride Sharing

▸ Autonomous Cars

RETAIL MATH

$1986.00 Retail $674.00 Utilities $218.00 Phone,Fax, Internet $28.00 Supplies $168.00 Processing Fees

$3972 $1378

$436 $56

$336

$6,178 Monthly Sales

$1986.00 Retail $674.00 Utilities $218.00 Phone,Fax, Internet $28.00 Supplies $168.00 Processing Fees $3000.00 Salary

$3972 $1378

$436 $56

$336 $6000

$12,178 Monthly Sales

Sales + Ending Inventory - Beginning Inventory=

Open to Buy

S TA N D A R D S T O R E F R O N T S

1800 Sq. Ft.

$1986.00 Retail

Just Say No to Incubators

E M P O R I U M S

• Good solution for like-minded and similar product vendors:

• Artists, makers, and antique vendors

• Good solution for businesses who are not interested in making a retail store their full-time job

• Good solution for creative co-working space

E M P O R I U M S PA C E

• NOT the best for typical retailers

• NOT great for maintaining autonomy.

• NOT ideal when being unique is more valuable than being dense.

E M P O R I U M S PA C E

R E T H I N K I N G S PA C E

National Average Office

$23.23National Average

Retail

$13.24

1800 Sq. Ft.

$1986.00 Retail

1800 Sq. Ft. 600 Office 1200 Retail

$1986.00 Retail$1161

$825

1800 Sq. Ft. 900 Office 900 Retail

$1986.00 Retail$1742

$242

1800 Sq. Ft. 1600 Office 200 Retail

$1986.00 Retail

$3097

FREE

• Multiple shallow retail fronts create retail density and thriving retail image on the street front.

• Office backs allow small business service providers more affordable space in an active and thriving environment.

• Both businesses benefit from an increase in foot traffic.

• Both businesses maintain autonomy.

• Property owners are able to spread their financial risk across multiple tenants.

D Y N A M I C S PA C E

Just Say No to Incubators

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• Giving an entrepreneur the ability to get their feet wet without massive amounts of debt and investment allows the great ideas to thrive and the bad ideas to die quietly, without giving off the impression that “no one can make it” downtown.

Giving entrepreneurs a realistic place to start says: We want to help you.

We welcome you. Downtown is the place for the next

big idea to be born.

TINY SHOPS™

TINY SHOPS™

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FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

RETAIL MATH

▸ Business Reality

▸ Micro-Retail Storefronts

▸ Retail Excubators

▸ Tiny Stores

FOR THE NERDSFUTURE OF THE

AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

GOOGLE GLASS

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FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

FOR THE NERDS

▸ Digitized POS

▸ Contactless Sales

▸ Hoteless Hotels

▸ Dinner for Two

▸ Loyalty Cards

▸ Amazon for Mom & Pop

▸ Org for the Org

PLACEMAKINGTHE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

PLACEMAKING TACTILE URBANISM CO-WORKING

and every other buzzword

PLACEMAKINGmust be economic development

Tall Canopy Trees

Traffic Calming • Crosswalks • Lane Narrowing • On Street Parking

Park adds value to new development

Development activates park

Moveable tables and chairs

Gateway Park

PLACEMAKINGmust be public sector catalyst

G R E E N V I L L E , S C

2 1 M I L E T R A I LE C N O M I C I M PA C T

6 . 7 M I L L I O N I M PA C T

PLACEMAKINGmust enthrall

people

SUSTAINABLESmust create vibrancy

C H I C A G O , I L

PLACEMAKINGmust make people fall in love

L O S A N G E L E S , C A L I F O R N I A

PLACEMAKINGmust intrigue

people

TACTILE URBSmust draw people in

M O N T P E L I E R , V E R M O N T

CO_WORKINGmust inspire

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FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

BUZZWORDS

▸ Placemaking for People

▸ Tactile Urbanism

▸ Co-work Space

FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN DOWNTOWN

THANK YOU!