BY MIKE MOORE
The Bridgeport DSSD is the Business Improvement District for downtown Bridgeport. DSSD is charged with supplementing municipal services to ensure a safe, welcome and attractive environment within the Park City”™s central business corridor. Downtown Bridgeport serves as both a local and regional center for commercial, communal and cultural activities. Downtown Bridgeport is home to a variety of land uses and includes the headquarters of Peoples Bank, Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport City Hall and residential development. Downtown is also home to 27 parks/open spaces.
DSSD has adopted a strategy of “creative placemaking” to achieve its mission of revitalizing downtown Bridgeport. A central tenet of creative placemaking is to leverage the value of parks/open spaces to improve make the physical setting, increase cultural activity and drive demand and increased patronage to businesses within the central business corridor. DSSD is embarking on a multiyear effort to first beautify then activate each of these spaces pursuant to the principles of creative placemaking.
The DSSD has begun the “Downtown Champions” campaign in order to increase participation and financial support of downtown Bridgeport”™s many cultural offerings ”“ such as the Downtown Thursdays Free Concert Series, annual ArtsFest and Downtown Farmers Market. The Downtown Champions program will further brand downtown Bridgeport as a local and regional destination.
Urban municipalities throughout the nation seek to revitalize their central business districts by fostering well-maintained, cultural centers that are pedestrian friendly and home to transit-based development. DSSD”™s open-space beautification effort and implementation of cultural activities are a pivotal to the implementation of this strategy in downtown Bridgeport. Open space beautification will add value to the environment in downtown Bridgeport by cultivating a sense of safety and appreciation for open-spaces. Cultural events will help drive demand to downtown businesses and market downtown Bridgeport to visitors from other Bridgeport neighborhoods and residents from surrounding communities.
Mike Moore is president and CEO of Bridgeport DSSD, a member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
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