INNER CITY INVESTMENT
INITIATIVE SEMINAR
Common Denominators of Successful
Center City Revitalization
Donovan Rypkema
Heritage Strategies International
Washington, DC, USA
1
Category - Leadership
Is there an
individual who is
the Local
Champion for
center city
revitalization?
2
Category - Leadership
Is there a formal
or informal overall
vision or
comprehensive
plan that guides
the process?
3
Category - Leadership
Is there institutional
presence in the
center city?
4
Category - Leadership
Are stakeholders
responsive to
change?
5
Category - Leadership
Is there
institutional
support for
the center
city by local
government?
6
Is there
institutional
support for
the center city
by financial
institutions?
Category - Leadership
7
Category - Leadership
Is there
institutional
support for the
center city by
religious
institutions?
8
Category - Leadership
Is there
institutional
support for the
center city by
the local
newspaper?
9
Category - Leadership
Is there a
significant segment
of community
leadership
committed to
center city
revitalization?
10
Category - Comprehension
Is the importance
of the center city
understood by the
public sector?
11
Category - Comprehension
Is the
importance of
the center city
understood by
the center city
business
community?
12
Category - Comprehension
Is the importance of the center city understood
by the business community that is not in the
center city?
13
Category - Comprehension
Is the importance of
the center city
understood by the
community at large?
14
Category - Comprehension
Is the importance of the center city
understood by the local news media?
15
Category - Comprehension
Is there a clear,
broadly
understood
definition of where
the center city is?
16
Category - Management
Is there a
public/private/nonprofit organization
for the center city?
17
Category - Management
Is there a
comprehensive
approach to
management of
the center city?
18
Category - Management
Is the center city
organization
tracking and
reporting change?
19
Category - Partnerships
Is there a
widespread
understanding and
implementation of
interdependence
among center city
businesses?
20
Category - Partnerships
Is there a
widespread
understanding
and
implementation of
interdependence
among
properties?
21
Category - Partnerships
Is there interaction
with educational
institutions at
every level?
22
Category - Partnerships
Are there multiple
avenues of
participation in
center city
revitalization?
23
Category - Partnerships
Is there active
participation from
newcomers to the
community in
center city
revitalization?
24
Category - Partnerships
Is there active
participation in
center city
revitalization by
those with no
vested financial
interests?
25
Category – Public Sector Participation
Is there a
regulatory
environment
where
reinvestment in
the center city is
specifically
encouraged?
26
Category – Public Sector Participation
Is there a consistent public policy towards center city?
27
Category – Public Sector Participation
Is center city
treated separately
and differently in
planning, zoning
and other land use
regulations?
28
Category – Public Sector Participation
Are public
improvements of
high quality?
29
Category – Public Sector Participation
Are public
improvements
well
maintained?
30
Category – Public Sector Participation
Is mixed-use of
center city buildings
specifically
encouraged?
31
Category – Community Orientation
Is there a broad
sense of
ownership of the
center city by the
residents of the
community?
32
Category – Community Orientation
Are there
abundant noneconomic
activities in the
center city?
33
Category – Community Orientation
Is center city
the primary
place for
public
expression?
34
Category – Community Orientation
Is there
tolerance
encouragement
of diversity
center city?
35
Category – Community Orientation
Is there something for everyone center city?
36
Category – Community Orientation
Does the
center city
serve the local
market?
37
Category – Community Orientation
Is there a sense of public safety by having
minimal graffiti?
38
Category – Community Orientation
Is there a sense of public
safety by having good
levels of maintenance of
buildings, signs and
public improvements?
39
Category – Community Orientation
Is there a sense
of public safety
by having a
minimum of
dirty/unkempt
windows &
entrances
40
Category – Community Orientation
Is there a
significant
residential
component in
the center city?
41
Category – Diversity - Economic
Is the center city an
affordable place for
incubation,
experimentation,
creativity?
42
Category – Diversity - Economic
Is there a wide range of rental space
available by size, condition, and use?
43
Category – Diversity - Economic
Is the center city
made up primarily
of locally owned
businesses?
44
Category – Diversity - Economic
Are arts and
cultural activities
key elements in
the center city
strategy?
45
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center city a
business center of the
community?
46
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center
city the
government
center of the
community?
47
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center
city the arts and
cultural center
of the
community?
48
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center
city the
entertainment
center of the
community?
49
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center city a
housing center of the
community?
50
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is center city the
tourism and
convention center
of the community?
51
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center city an educational center
of the community?
52
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is center city a medical center of the community?
53
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is center city the
special events
center of the
community?
54
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is center city the sports events center of
the community?
55
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center city a retail center of the community
(serving those other “center” markets)?
56
Category – Diversity - Functional
Is the center
city the
Heritage
center of the
community?
57
Category - Differentiation
Are character defining resources identified,
protected, and enhanced?
58
Category - Differentiation
Is there an
appropriate
use of historic
resources?
59
Category - Differentiation
Does center city
compete on its
own strengths
rather than try to
compete with the
shopping center
and office park in
their strengths?
60
Category - Differentiation
Does the center
city maintain and
capitalize on a
sense of
discovery?
61
Category - Differentiation
Is heritage conservation a key component
of the center city revitalization strategy?
62
Is the center city
where there is a
concentration of
buildings with
meaning?
Category - Differentiation
63
Category – Pedestrian Orientation
Are there
people on
the
street?
64
Category - Pedestrian Orientation
Is the center city in
active use 18
hours a day?
65
Category - Pedestrian Orientation
Are automobiles appropriately accommodated
but not at the expense of pedestrians?
66
Category - Incrementalism
Is there
avoidance of a
“success only”
mentality?
67
Category - Incrementalism
Is there a
fundamental strategy
and understanding
that economic
change is
incremental?
68
Category - Incrementalism
Is physical change incremental?
69
Category - Incrementalism
Has the
center city
maintained a
sense of
evolution?
70
Category - Incrementalism
Are there multiple
catalysts for
change?
71
Category - Incrementalism
It there a “trickle-up” rather than a quick fix/big
fix mentality?
72
Category – Forward Thinking
Is center city capitalizing on
locationally indifferent
businesses?
73
Category - Forward Thinking
Is the center
city
capitalizing on
growth sector
businesses?
74
Category - Forward Thinking
Does center city have businesses
that are connected nationally?
75
Category - Forward Thinking
Does center city
have businesses
that are connected
internationally?
76
Category - Forward Thinking
Is there a center
city strategy for
economic
globalization?
77
Category - Forward Thinking
Is there a
conscious
effort to resist
cultural
globalization?
78
Category - Forward Thinking
Is there
technological
connectivity center
city?
79
Category - Forward Thinking
Is public
transportation
being
reestablished
with center city
as its nexus?
80
Is the center city a fun place to live,
work, shop and play?
Thank
you very
much
© Donovan Rypkema, 2011
Heritage Strategies International
01-202-588-6258
DRypkema@HS-Intl.com