ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the issue of Business improvement district (BID) performance measures with the goal of enhancing their capacity as diagnostic and prescriptive tools. It examines the different kinds of performance measures in the context of BID designation and evaluation, paying attention to the needs of the varied stakeholders invested in BID performance. The chapter aims to develop a typology of the different kinds of indicators that are most appropriate for the mission and land uses within BIDs and discusses ways to institutionalize the use of these indicators. It focuses on original research that was conducted in Chicago to determine the extent of performance measurement and to gather information on the appropriateness of specific measures used for tracking performance. The model of voluntary improvement associations that are funded through an involuntary assessment is an attractive middle ground between chambers of commerce and unpopular property tax hikes.
