"Making Business Districts Work" is the essential desk reference for downtown and community business district professionals and board members. It is also a complete survey of all the skills and information students will need as they emerge from school and begin work in this challenging profession. The book covers nearly all aspects of leading and managing downtown and community development organizations, from planning and implementing programs and policies, to evaluating successes and failures. Charts, tables, photographs, chapter analyses, and Web resources make this vital text even more essential. "Making Business Districts Work" covers: organization - structures, governance, human resources, staffing structure, finance, and fundraising; operations - strategic planning, diversity, and advocacy; marketing and communicating - with downtown, shopping, and electronic applications; management of a downtown district - safety and cleanliness, urban design, hospitality, transportation, parking, social atmosphere, and hiring consultants; development secrets for downtown districts - economic and residential development, attracting the right retailers and a solid retail base, regional attractions, and political considerations; and a look at how the field has evolved - and where it is likely to go in the near future. It presents step-by-step instructions for performing a host of essential tasks in the business district revitalization field, but more than that, it clearly shows how even most experienced and successful downtown executives handle these responsibilities. Whether you are involved in practice or academia in urban planning, public administration, social work, architecture, international studies, public policy, political science, or business administration, this book provides tools, skills, and insights to help you - or your students - succeed.