After the Pandemic ‘Reset Button,’ Downtowns Reinvent Themselves

Downtowns across the US are undergoing a major transformation, years after Covid-19 disrupted local economies and changed the way people live, work and play. For many community leaders, the pandemic was “like hitting the reset button,” forcing them to rethink what purpose city centers serve and for whom, says Georgetown University urban planning professor Uwe Brandes.

After years of cities experimenting with ways to revive city centers amid ongoing office vacancies, lost transit ridership and a national affordability crisis, Brandes is putting some of the best practices from around the country on display. He’s the curator of “Coming Together,” a new exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, that charts how US downtowns have changed over the last five years and asks what their future may look like...

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RSK: Madison`s CBD has not revitalized in my opinion, but the main arteries around it have such as the East Washington Corridor, Johnson and Bassett St areas. More work to be done.