Main Street Disaster and Resilience Toolkit
This publication is designed to help Main Streets and commercial district organizations better prepare for and respond to more frequent and severe disasters.
Marion, IA © Uptown Marion
Downloads
- AARP Brief 3 Public Amenities (PDF) 5.1 MB
The quality of infrastructure and amenities is not only important to a district’s basic functioning, but also has a direct impact on whether it is a great place. In recent years, entrepreneurs and employers alike are increasingly prioritizing place in their decisions on where to locate. Though Main Street commercial districts generally offer many of the qualities and amenities that attract small businesses, there are infrastructure elements that can dramatically increase their performance from an economic, health, and community perspective.
In this brief, we focus on three small-scale infrastructure elements that bolster the creation of great places, particularly in this time of COVID-19 response and management: digital enhancement (e.g. wifi and broadband), sanitation stations (e.g. handwashing and hand sanitizer stations), and moveable furniture (e.g. tables and chairs). Learn about the benefits of these public amenities, considerations for success, as well as examples from around the network.
Commercial District Design Series
Produced in collaboration between Main Street America and AARP Livable Communities, Commercial District Design: COVID-19 Response and Management is a series of design-centered briefs developed to equip community leaders with safe, equitable, age-friendly strategies to support economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.
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Metuchen, NJ © Lauren Beischer
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