Click here to skip to main content.
scenic picture from Washington state
Subjects › Economic Development › Central Business District - Downtown Development
Updated 04/2012

Central Business District - Downtown Development

Contents

Introduction

The vitality of a city's downtown is an important element in a community's economic development strategy.  Goals such as promoting the revitalization of downtown to create a vital commercial core as the center of the community, or to revitalize and increase the economic vitality of downtown, are frequently articulated in city and town comprehensive plans. These goals are further developed by strategies that focus on traffic, transportation links and parking, visual appearance including signs, pedestrian improvements, safety, locating businesses, and marketing.

This page provides links to resources and illustrates some of the strategies Washington local governments have used to develop these characteristics. As with other economic development strategies, downtown development should start with a community vision and be executed as a cooperative process between the local government and the local business community. Capitalizing on assets that attract tourists is a viable option for many of Washington's downtowns.

Resources for Downtown Development

The following are general sources of information regarding downtown development and revitalization.

Selected Statutes Applicable to Financing Downtown Development

These statutes and related MRSC webpages address financing of downtown development. See also Economic Development Laws and Statutes, MRSC

    Program and Plan Descriptions

    Many communities have websites to market their downtowns that include information on how their downtown vision is being carried out.  The marketing of downtown  is often done by the local chamber of commerce or other downtown association and may appear on a visitor information website.

    Downtowns Developed Around Themes

    Each community has a unique identity that can serve as the basis for downtown development. It might be the preservation of a cultural heritage, such as Poulsbo's Scandinavian roots or Lynden's Dutch heritage. In some communities, the existence of historic structures from a different era provides a central focus, as in Port Townsend and Snohomish. For many smaller towns, the preservation and enhancement of the small town or village atmosphere may be the primary theme on which to develop. Caution should be exercised if a community chooses to pursue a theme that does not have roots in the community or is not related to the community's architectural character or physical location.

    • Theme Towns: The Pitfalls and Alternatives of Image Making, (Adobe Acrobat Document), by Mira Engler, Small Town, January-February 1994 - Older but still useful
    • Leavenworth - "The Bavarian Village"
      • Leavenworth Municipal Code Ch. 14.08 - Old World Bavarian Architectural Theme
      • Leavenworth Design Review Board - Includes sample designs for sign code and architectural theme
      • Leavenworth - Chamber of Commerce site
    • Toppenish - "Where the West Still Lives" and "City of Murals"
      • Toppenish Municipal Code Ch. 17.26 - Design Review District
      • "City of Murals" - Toppenish has over 70 murals bringing to life scenes from the Old West: railroading, rodeos, farming, aviation events, Yakima Indian Nation scenes, and various historical events. Every mural is an historically correct depiction of the area's history. See Mural Gallery on Toppenish Chamber of Commerce web site.
    • Winthrop - "Gateway to the North Cascades"
    • Langley - "Washington's Most Beautiful Waterfront Town"
      A community with a small town atmosphere defined by a beautiful natural setting, a distinctive downtown commercial area, and pedestrian orientation. The downtown area is located on a high bluff overlooking Saratoga Passage and Camano Island to the north. It contains primarily retail and commercial services for residents and tourists.
    • Walla Walla - "Cradle of Northwest History"
      Successful public-private partnership revitalized this historic downtown and attracted new businesses. A Main Street community
    • Zillah Tuscan Design

    Downtown Historic District

    These communities have capitalized on their historic character to attract tourists.  For more information, see MRSC's page on Historic Preservation.

    Downtown Streetscape

    This section includes links to related MRSC pages and sample downtown streetscape projects and plans from Washington jurisdictions.

    Central Business District - Downtown Development Related MRSC Resources
    MRSC Index – Central business district development, downtown revitalization, commercial development zones