Fresno’s BID for downtown revitalization: an analysis of a business improvement district

In the mid-20th century a migration took place taking residents of American downtowns to the newly-developed, master-planned suburbs.In the wake were abandoned urban cores that evolved into poorly-perceived conditions.One of the many responses to correct these deteriorating central districts was the establishment of Business Improvement Districts (BID), a public-private partnership that develops complementary services to what a city already provides and is paid for by assessments collected from property and business owners in a defined area.With more than 1,000 BIDs in existence in the United States as of 2010 (Becker, Grossman, Dos Santos, 2011), the concept has caught on as a tool utilized to bring downtowns back to life.However, despite the popularity of BIDs and their nearly 50-year existence as a planning tool, the question of how successful they are in improving the conditions of safety, cleanliness, and business growth in the districts over time needs continued analysis.