Entrepreneurial Urban Revitalization

Abstract

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in north-America were used during the last two decades as instruments capable of making communities more attractive for residents and visitors. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the application of this revitalization mechanism in downtown Stockton (California). The argument is that BIDs can provide an answer to many of the livability problems faced by city centers (Balsas, Planning Practice and Research 19(1):101–110, 2004). The key finding is that the proactive implementation of this urban revitalization mechanism can increase the livability of communities and their economic development opportunities in part because of its entrepreneurial perspective. The chapter closes with a series of recommendations for the successful implementation of an entrepreneurial urban revitalization strategy.