Civic Centers

Partnerships

Good buildings and good places require teamwork. By collaborating with other property managers, local businesses, and civic groups, you can get the help you need to solve problems, take advantage of opportunities, and coordinate activities so that they benefit the entire community.

The information in this section will help you to build partnerships that bring out the best in your building and the surrounding community. It includes links to aid in finding organizations to provide expertise and hands-on help; techniques for forging strong relationships; and case studies about a variety of successful partnerships.
  • A to Z of Business Improvement Districts

    A resource guide to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and their benefits, with links to info on how to locate, work with, and even create a BID.
    Project for Public Spaces

  • Activities and Concessions Turn Problem Park Into Town Square

    A success story about how programming and concessions helped the city of Sacramento transform a problematic area into a vibrant town square.
    Project for Public Spaces

  • Assets Management: Chicago Communities Find Hidden Strengths

    Most communities, even when money's tight, are sitting on unacknowledged treasures in the form of other assets - such as human capital. This article shows real-life examples of assets-based management at work.
    The Neighborhood Works Journal

  • Catalyzing a Waterfront Neighborhood

    A study about how the U.S. General Services Administration partnered with the Washington, D.C., Office of Planning to revitalize "Near Southeast," an isolated tract of federal land.
    Urban Development/Good Neighbor Program, GSA

  • Community Organization and Urban Democracy

    Essays and studies about grass-roots organizing and coalition-building, including congregation-based efforts, neighborhood associations, and citizens' groups.
    Civil Practices Network

  • Denver Federal District: Placemaking in Progress

    A case study about how the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is partnering with nearby property owners and cultural organizations to rejuvenate the public spaces in and around federal buildings.
    Urban Development/Good Neighbor Program, GSA

  • Effective Strategies for Negotiation

    Expert advice on how to set up negotiations that help you - and your partners - get what you need.
    Program for Community Problem Solving

  • Fort Worth: Building a Civic Square

    A case study about how city planners, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), civic leaders, and local property owners have joined forces to create a new civic square in Fort Worth, TX.
    Urban Development/Good Neighbor Program, GSA