Downtowns Can Save The World!

Passion.  It's what gets me out of bed every morning.  Passion for life and passion for the job I feel lucky to have every single day.  I wanted to take everyone on a slight detour for this blog, away from technique and best practices for downtowns.  Rather, I want to focus on why we do what we do, and why we can save the world.  Downtowns can save the world?  Yes, I do have a flair for the dramatic, but hear me out.  I have three completely random points to make my case:  a trip to New Orleans, Facebook and my 3 year-old. 

So I was watching an episode of Chopped on Food Network (yes, this is what I do when my daughter is napping).  The theme was "Pride of New Orleans", featuring four chefs from The Big Easy.  In the introduction, each chef talked about how Hurricane Katrina changed their lives and how they found their path again.  It took me back to 2006 and the National Main Streets Conference that was held in New Orleans, less than a year after Katrina.  Our first dinner was at Emeril's.  Coincidentally, this was the first day that Emeril's was open since the hurricane hit.  The restaurant was packed, the food was incredible, but it's the people that stood out in my mind.  They were all so genuinely excited that we were there.  But more importantly, that they were back where they belonged.  This trend continued as the days went on, with every business owner and resident that we encountered.  They were happy to share their Katrina stories and where the journey had taken them.  Across all the stories, the same message kept coming through.  They couldn't give up on New Orleans, it was a part of their lives, their identities, their souls. 

As many of you know, we are undergoing a complete reconstruction of our Main Street this year.  We had built an entire web site designed to be the clearing house for information about the project.  In reality, it is our Facebook Page that has been the superstar of our communications efforts.  This is where people are asking questions and looking for project information.  Our interaction numbers are off the charts.  We have capitalized on this opportunity to engage our community by not just providing standard updates, but telling the story of our project through photos, historic finds and more.  It has become a great resource for our community and given them a voice in this historic project.  It has enabled us to take what undeniably could have been a great negative and turned it into not only a positive, but an asset.  We have been overwhelmed by how our community is inspired to not only come out in support of our project but to take ownership by making the effort to spend more time and dollars downtown during this challenging time. They see value in what we do and who we are and want to do their part to make sure that downtown continues to thrive.

My daughter, Eden, is my little mini-me.  Our first 3 year-old volunteer, she does everything with me from dropping off posters to businesses, to checking The Big, Bright Light Show every evening in December.  She attends every event possible and loves every one of them.  This past weekend, we were driving around running errands.  From the backseat, I hear, "Go downtown momma, I want to see friends."  And in that comment, I found the piece to pull it all together.  My 3 year-old had identified her "third place" and it is downtown. 

So let's get back to downtowns and how they are going to save the world.  The common thread between all my stories is community.  It's what brings us together, inspires us to try new things and gives us a place to call our own.  And it is that sense of community that will define our future.  The spotlight is on downtowns once again.  People are talking small business, thinking local and searching for their place to belong. I'd like to say that it's because all of us are doing such a great job of hammering our downtown messages home.  But it's bigger than that.  The economic downturn has forced people to look at the world differently.  And in that new perspective, you find downtowns.  We've always been here, but what we represent is exactly what everyone is looking for - hope. 

Despite the economy, we are out there making it happen every day.  Our Main Street foundation has allowed us to continue to attract new development and businesses.  We provide a place for people to call their own.  A place where they can meet their neighbors, get things that they need and enjoy life.  And that, my friends, is community.  So are downtowns on track to save the world?  Maybe. Maybe not.  But it's one hell of a good start. 

Kristi
The Downtown Geek