Download or read book Business Improvement Districts and the Shape of American Cities written by Jerry Mitchell and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerry Mitchell provides a comprehensive analysis of business improvement districts (BIDs)—public-private partnerships that shape city places into enticing destinations for people to work, live, and have fun. Responsible for the revitalization of New York's Times Square and Seattle's Pioneer Square, BIDs operate in large cities and small towns throughout the United States. Mitchell examines the reasons for their emergence, the ways they are organized and financed, the types of services they provide, their performance, their advantages and disadvantages, and their future prospects.