On June 27, Governor Jack Markell and the Delaware State Housing Authority announced that Wilmington, Dover, and Seaford will receive $4.5 million in grant funding for 11 downtown revitalization projects at part of Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts program.
Check out this GIS Story Map, which highlights the history and success of the program thus far.
Benefits of Downtown Development Districts
The Downtown Development Districts Program seeks to revitalize the downtown “Central Business District” in selected city, town, and county areas through the use of economic incentives.
Downtown Development Districts aim to spur capital investments, stimulate job growth and improve commercial vitality, improve housing opportunities, and strengthen neighborhoods. The Delaware Annual Report on Downtown Development Districts is available on the Delaware State Housing Authority’s website.
Visit the Downtown Development Districts section of the toolbox to learn more about how these districts align with complete-community planning principles.
Story Map Development
This story map is produced as part of the Delaware Complete Communities Planning Toolbox with funding support from the Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability Center-Region 3 University Transportation Center.
The story map was developed by Savannah Edwards, Public Administration Fellow, University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA) under the direction of IPA Policy Scientist Marcia Scott.
Special thanks to Connie Holland (Office of State Planning Coordination, OSPC), David Edgell (OSPC), Miriam Pomilio (OSPC), and Karen Horton (Delaware State Housing Authority) for featured content and assistance.
How to Utilize Story Maps in Your Community
Visit the GIS Story Maps section of the toolbox to learn more about how you can use this tool to promote local government initiatives to support market-ready (re)development in your community.
Contact IPA’s GIS Specialist Nicole Minni, at nminni@udel.edu, to obtain information on contracting her services to develop story maps.