Turning Good Ideas into Action

Honoring its legacy as a gathering place since opening in 1911, the historic Orpheum Theater welcomed about 150 attendees from Arizona and other states to the inaugural Downtown Matters conference, July 16 and 17.

Community leaders, downtown professionals, business advocates, planners and residents gathered to explore ideas, projects and partnerships designed to strengthen downtown districts and build more vibrant communities.

Hosted by the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance (FDBA), the conference reflected the organization’s nearly 25 years of work promoting and supporting downtown Flagstaff. The FDBA represents more than 250 businesses and property owners.

“Downtowns are often the heart of a community, and we believe there is tremendous value in bringing together people from different backgrounds, industries and communities to share ideas and learn from one another,” said FDBA Executive Director and CEO Hunter Hebert.

Speakers included Charles Marohn, founder of Strong Towns; Joe Minicozzi, founder of Urban3; Jon Jon Wesolowski, known as The Happy Urbanist; and Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown in Maine. Discussions focused on economic vitality, public spaces, placemaking, transportation, housing and long-term community resilience.

“Our focus has been on creating a professional conference environment,” said Hebert. “We had networking opportunities and spaces for attendees to connect between sessions. We also encouraged attendees to spend time exploring downtown businesses throughout the conference. We partnered with Mountain Line, Oeno, The Annex, Freaky Foot Tours and Lowell Observatory for special event promotions.”

“My hope is that two days of shared ideas, successes and honest struggles sends all of us home smarter, more energized and better equipped to succeed – in Flagstaff and in Arizona downtowns generally,” said John Vanlandingham, owner of Old Town Shops and chair of the Flagstaff Downtown Business Improvement & Revitalization District. “It’s rare to get this caliber of national thinking and this many invested local leaders in the same room. That combination is where good ideas turn into action.”

Lisa Lamberson, owner of Mountain Sports Flagstaff and an FDBA member, said the speakers offered practical lessons drawn from real-world experience.

“Cary Tyson from Portland, Maine, had this wonderfully blunt way of cutting through the noise. His whole framing around parking being a utility, not a revitalization strategy, was something I think a lot of us needed to hear out loud. And Charles Marohn from Strong Towns was just honest. His approach of finding the smallest next thing you can do and just do it – don’t hire a committee, don’t commission a study – felt like exactly the antidote to how cities usually operate.”

Lamberson praised the diversity of those attending the conference, noting the participation of Flagstaff City Council members and candidates, neighborhood commission representatives focused on parks, beautification and historic preservation, business owners, community organizers, city and county planners, and residents.

“It felt like a real cross-section of people who want Flagstaff to thrive, coming at it from different angles, but finding a lot of common ground,” she said. “That mix of voices is what made the conversation so energizing, and it’s what gave the event its credibility.”

Vanlandingham said another key takeaway was the importance of using reliable data to guide public policy.

“One idea kept surfacing for me: You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Data won’t settle the hardest issues, but it can give people a common set of facts to work from, instead of competing hunches and anecdotes.”

He added that one of the conference’s greatest strengths was the opportunity for attendees to learn from one another, noting some of the most valuable moments happened outside the formal presentations as attendees exchanged ideas and experiences with one another.

“Too often we work heads-down on our own, solving problems in isolation. It’s rare to lift your head up and find a whole room of people solving versions of those same problems somewhere else, all happy to tell you what worked, what didn’t and share their stories.”

Lamberson reflected on how the conference demonstrated the growth of the Downtown Business Alliance.

“What started with a handful of downtown merchants who just cared about this place has turned into a real, legitimate advocate organization with actual influence. Hunter (Hebert), Brooke (Phillips) and Manny (Hernandez) are doing something special – and doing it with a team that probably shouldn’t be able to pull off what they pull off. Bravo to them.”

Hebert said the conference reflects the organization’s larger mission of strengthening downtown Flagstaff as a gathering place for the entire community.

“Downtown Flagstaff is our community’s front porch,” he said. “It’s where neighbors, local businesses, students and visitors come together, while Heritage Square hosts many of the region’s favorite events.” FBN

By Betsey Bruner, FBN

Courtesy Photo: Hunter Hebert, executive director and CEO of the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance, welcomes attendees to the inaugural Downtown Matters conference at the historic Orpheum Theater, where about 150 people gathered to discuss strategies for creating stronger, more vibrant downtowns.