From "magic" mushrooms to a celebration of the stars, the 11th annual Wisconsin Science Festival, held October 21-24, will feature over 170 virtual and in-person events.
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SHELLEY K. MESCH
In its effort to make streets more pedestrian-friendly, Madison and other cities around the country have long relied on âmixed-useâ developments, which combine offices and retail space on the first floor with apartments or condos in the stories above.
But the pandemic has exacerbated the already soft demand for some of these spaces, leaving more empty storefronts.
To address the problem, experts say, cities need to get creative in how they view those spaces, including converting some to apartments or private offices, promoting more pop-up stores and encouraging new businesses to use the space.
Even for existing businesses that have thrived in leased locations in Madisonâs popular commercial corridors such as State, Monroe and Williamson streets, owners will need to stay nimble as new shopping habits have been baked into consumersâ expectations, said Thomas Fisher, director of the University of Minnesotaâs Design Center.