The Downtown Assessment Checklist

Before a downtown needs another plan, project, or program, it needs clarity. 

Most downtowns do not struggle because they lack ideas. They struggle because decisions are made before the current conditions are fully understood. When that happens, even good ideas land poorly. 

A downtown assessment is not about grading performance or pointing out flaws. It is about seeing what is actually there, without rushing to fix it. 

This checklist is designed to help communities pause, observe, and make better decisions about what should come next.

What a Downtown Assessment Is (and Is Not)

A downtown assessment is a snapshot, not a verdict. 

It is not:

  • a comprehensive market study

  • a planning document

  • a list of projects to launch 

It is:

  • a structured way to notice patterns

  • a reality check on readiness

  • a tool for sequencing decisions

Assessment creates alignment. Action comes later.

How to Use This Checklist

This checklist works best when:

  • observations are shared honestly

  • no one feels pressured to solve everything immediately

  • patterns matter more than individual examples

You are not looking for perfection. You are looking for signals.

1. Business Environment

Start with the businesses that already exist.

Ask:

  • Are businesses open consistently?

  • Are hours predictable?

  • Are owners reinvesting, even modestly?

  • Is turnover increasing, decreasing, or stable?

  • What do they need to perform at higher levels?

Consistency matters more than novelty. A downtown with fewer businesses that operate reliably is often healthier than one with constant churn.

2. Vacancy and Space Readiness

Vacancy tells a story, but only if you listen carefully. 

Observe:

  • How long spaces have been vacant

  • Whether buildings are functional or constrained

  • If certain blocks turn over repeatedly

  • Whether temporary uses are filling time or masking issues

Vacancy is information. Treat it as a signal, not a failure.

3. Property Ownership and Investment Signals

Property owners shape downtown more quietly than any single program. 

Look for:

  • maintenance patterns

  • small but consistent improvements

  • willingness to engage in conversation

  • realistic expectations about rent and timing

Even modest investment can signal confidence. Total inactivity often signals uncertainty.

4. Organizational Capacity

Downtown work is limited by who carries it.

Assess:

  • staff workload and clarity

  • volunteer energy and follow-through

  • whether projects finish or linger

  • how decisions are made and revisited

Capacity is not just about headcount. It is about focus and structure.

5. Governance and Role Clarity

Unclear roles create invisible friction.

Ask:

  • Do board members understand their role?

  • Are staff empowered to execute?

  • Are decisions revisited often?

  • Is responsibility clearly assigned?

Role clarity reduces burnout before it becomes visible.

6. Programming and Activity Patterns

Activity can be useful or distracting. 

Notice:

  • how often events occur

  • whether they support businesses or operate alongside them

  • how much capacity they absorb

  • if they repeat because they work or because they are familiar 

Activity should reinforce function, not replace it.

7. Physical Environment and Experience

Walk downtown as if you are new to it. 

Observe:

  • sidewalks, crossings, and lighting

  • wayfinding and visibility

  • cleanliness and maintenance

  • how welcoming or confusing the experience feels 

Small physical barriers often create outsized friction.

8. Partnerships and Alignment

Downtown does not operate alone.

Assess:

  • how well partners coordinate

  • whether goals are shared or siloed

  • if communication is consistent

  • where duplication or gaps exist 

Misalignment increases workload without increasing impact.

9. Momentum and Carry-Forward

Look backward before moving forward. 

Ask:

  • What was started last year?

  • What was finished?

  • What quietly stalled?

  • What lessons are being carried forward? 

Progress compounds when learning does.

10. Community Expectations

Finally, listen carefully to expectations. 

Notice:

  • what people want downtown to be

  • how realistic timelines feel

  • whether pressure is internal or external

  • where urgency is coming from 

Expectation gaps are often where frustration begins.

What This Checklist Tells You

Taken together, these observations help answer three essential questions:

  • What is working well enough to build on?

  • What is fragile and needs stabilization?

  • What is not ready yet, even if it sounds exciting?

This clarity protects both momentum and morale.

What Comes After Assessment

Assessment does not produce a project list. 

It produces sequence. 

Once conditions are clear, it becomes easier to decide:

  • what comes first

  • what should wait

  • what requires preparation

  • what should stop

Good assessment slows the beginning so progress can speed up later.

The Takeaway

Downtown revitalization does not start with action. It starts with understanding.

A clear assessment replaces urgency with intention and replaces pressure with perspective. 

Before asking what to do next, make sure you understand what is already happening.

Continue the series:
Next: How to Fund a Downtown Organization Without Living Grant to Grant

Or, if you want to see how RAD helps communities apply these ideas in real situations, you can explore how we help and our services here.