ABSTRACT
A downtown organization or municipal government is usually necessary in order for a downtown plan to ever be instigated, and that entity is typically the primary party responsible for plan implementation. One of the first and most critical steps of any downtown planning process is the gathering and analysis of information relating to the study area's many facets. Market surveys conducted to gauge consumer preferences for downtowns reveal time after time that "historic character" is the number-one attribute identified for most downtowns. The highly successful National Main Street program uses historic preservation as the foundation of its nationwide downtown revitalization program. Many downtowns have used a master plan as a vehicle for successful revitalization, management, and sustainability. Downtown plans should never be prepared simply for the sake of planning. Instead, they should be commissioned only with implementation in mind.
