Director's Take

Together

06-14-2022

Dear Friend of Downtown,

Think about every small town you know. They are usually centered around a town square, or in rural areas, it’s where people need to go “into town.” It’s always the place where necessary services are provided, where commerce is conducted, where community/county events are held, and where people gather.

That is “downtown.”

Some cities are bigger than others, but they all have a city center. Some cities have a different balance of uses. Some cities have suburban neighborhoods, but there is no ‘sub’ if there is no ‘urban’.

You’ve heard me say it before; humans are social beings and we need each other. We also need a place to which we belong, where we identify ourselves as being from. Without a downtown, a city really doesn’t have a heart or a recognized sense of place. And there’s nobody I know who doesn’t want or need that.

Downtown is the original town square. We need it to be vibrant and successful for the rest of the community to be successful. Your actions do make an impact… I hope to see you on the streets soon!