It's right there in our mission.
REV creates vibrant commercial districts.
Why? Because vibrant business districts are hubs of cultural commerce. They create a cool factor that enhances our lives and helps attract and retain talent and business to our region.
REV focuses our work in two main areas within the city of Birmingham.
Woodlawn
REV’s work in Woodlawn is designed to propel equitable entrepreneurship. By working closely with community facilitators and volunteer groups, REV is empowering and supporting engaged residents on projects like facade improvements in the Woodlawn business district that reduce blight and improve design.
Since 2014, Woodlawn’s 55th Place has been the site of Woodlawn Street Market, an event that creates a platform for budding entrepreneurs and that brings new audiences to Woodlawn to experience its renaissance.
Oh — also, REV’s office is in Woodlawn; come see us at SocialVenture!
Downtown
With lots of input from downtown Birmingham stakeholders, REV is driving vibrancy in Downtown with a refreshed CAP Clean & Safe program, enhanced design of public spaces, the filling of vacant spaces and coordination of downtown branding.
REV manages the CAP program, whose Safety Ambassadors are downtown for you to keep things clean and safe. They help improve your City Center experience, from picking up litter from your sidewalks to helping you find parking or the perfect place to eat.
REV consults with developers who are adaptively reusing downtown’s buildings, as well as many small business owners who ultimately fill vacant spaces (both in the City Center and in neighborhood business districts). Our team provides context for specific districts and connects people with the resources and incentives they need to realize their dreams.
News
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Magic City Mural Festival brings five new murals to ‘The Way’
Filed Under: Front Page, Woodlawn
The Magic City Mural Festival returned to Woodlawn with five female muralists from across the country from November 5, 2022 to November 12, 2022. Led by Blank Space BHAM and REV Birmingham’s Woodlawn community facilitator, Jason Avery, the festival brought new murals to the alleyway between 55th Street North and 55th Place North – affectionately called “The Way”. Read more to see and learn all about the new beautiful murals!
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More than just looks, the role 20th street plants play during winter
Filed Under: Downtown Birmingham, Front Page, Get Involved, Yaysayers
With winter approaching, most plants on 20th are entering dormancy. These plants provide more than just a pretty landscape they also support native wildlife. The plants chosen for the Birmingham Green refresh were strategically placed to offer low-maintenance options and add a sense of place. Plants play a much larger role than just looking attractive.
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The ultimate 2022 guide for your downtown Birmingham holiday plans!
Filed Under: Birmingham Food & Drink, Downtown Birmingham, Front Page, Get Involved, Yaysayers
Downtown Birmingham has more — ways to celebrate the holidays! The Magic City is the heart of the community and offers many fun, unique, and family-friendly activities for all to enjoy. From the Alabama Theatre’s Holiday Film Series to The Nutcracker – make your plans to experience the Birmingham Holiday Magic downtown! We created an interactive calendar of all the holiday events happening in downtown Birmingham. Choosing the Magic City to celebrate Christmas time has never been easier.
How do we do place-based revitalization?
At the forefront of all of our place-based work is this core value: community leads, design feeds. That means we appreciate that each district is unique, with entirely different personalities, needs and definitions of impact. We examine every little piece of a community and work with stakeholders from business owners to neighborhood associations to government (and many more) to agree on a vision and design strategies that fuel it.
Based on the National Main Street Center’s best practices, REV’s place-based approach to revitalization in Birmingham can be applied differently based on what communities need. Here’s our recipe for creating for downtowns with a cool factor.
WHY WE WORK IN THESE DISTRICTS
REV’s approach works best in districts that have what we call the three P’s: Place, Partners & Payers. Geographies where REV works must have:
- A historic commercial fabric with a spark to build around;
- Willing community partners who are ready to roll up their sleeves;
- Resources to sustain the work – whether government partners, foundation grant funding or property owners banding together to form a business improvement district (BID).
Would you like your community to work with REV?
Send us a message and we’ll talk strategies.