Clean Streets, Empty Blocks: Converting the CBD to a CSD?

The State of Downtown , according to its boosters, the various downtown BIDs, is always good. To many residents, however their downtown is a rather sad affair, at least since the pandemic. The BIDs continue to clean and sweep with their uniformed "ambassadors" which are a familiar site in many US cities, but the clean streets are largely empty. Retail sales are down, hotel and office occupancies…