Downtown Boston Retail Activation Program
Image courtesy of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID)
Welcoming emerging and BIPOC entrepreneurs into downtown Boston
Downtown Boston is postcard-perfect: highrises and cobblestones, luxury retailers and street vendors, pop-up concerts on summer afternoons, cozy coffee shops on winter nights. Yet, like many of its peers across the U.S., Boston’s central business district is facing new challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Working alongside the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, Public Sphere Projects is positioning downtown Boston as an active and radically welcoming district. In partnership with entrepreneurs, policymakers, and property owners, we are piloting a ground floor activation program that promises to reshape the retail landscape — and the public realm.
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Client
Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID)
Partners
City of Boston, retailers, property owners
Year
2023
A visual theory of change, co-created by PSP and a steering committee of stakeholders from throughout downtown Boston, reveals the three intertwining strategies that are being deployed with the ultimate goal of positioning downtown as an active and radically welcoming district.
In recent years, as commercial rents soared, ground-floor vacancies have become more common; the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this trend. Now, nearly a third of ground-floor retail spaces in downtown Boston await tenants. With federal funding pledged to support prospective tenants with funds that can be used to offset rent, contribute to buildout costs, or develop inventory and marketing, we are working to intentionally tenant vacant spaces with emerging, BIPOC-led businesses. Using a mix of financial incentives and active outreach to property owners, we are welcoming an inclusive and creative cohort of tenants to the district.
According to PSP research, 19% of Boston businesses are located downtown, compared to just 7% of minority-owned businesses.
PSP’s Sean Webster connects with a visitor at 3rd Space, a temporary activation of a storefront for downtown visitors, workers, students, shoppers, and residents. PSP helped program the space with cultural exhibitions and live performances, building on the BID’s vision of 3rd Space as a public amenity.
Our team conducted a national field scan of best practices equitable retail, and convened an influential and dedicated steering committee. At the same time, we identified a roster of vacant spaces and conducted targeted outreach to potential tenants. Using the BID’s network and resources, we put together a package of technical assistance that makes it easier for businesses to secure space and funding — and to support them once they are ready to launch new ventures downtown.
Our team is also collaborating with the BID on temporary activations of vacant ground floor spaces that bring new audiences downtown and generate interest in permanent tenancies. In the longer term, this initiative is building critical mass for a permanent shift in downtown retail dynamics.
“Our ambition is nothing less than to transform downtown Boston. PSP has brought to this complex initiative a spirit of optimism and an approach rooted in equity.”