September 30, 2020
DowntownDC To Receive IDA’s Highest Award That Recognizes Innovative Achievement in Urban Place Management
Washington, D.C. – The International Downtown Association (IDA) will recognize the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) with two Downtown Achievement Pinnacle Awards at its 66th Annual Conference and Marketplace being held virtually from October 6-8, 2020. Two Pinnacle Awards will be presented to the BID for its work in support of people experiencing homelessness (the Downtown Day Services Center) and the development and deployment of technology to improve the BID’s response to defects in the public space (311 to Salesforce Integration).
Each year, IDA recognizes outstanding projects as winners of the Downtown Achievement Awards which identify improvements to urban centers by dedicated organizations around the globe. The industry’s highest recognition, the Pinnacle Award, represents the most creative and inspiring innovations in urban place management. During a comprehensive review, this year’s projects were awarded by a jury of IDA members in the following categories: leadership development; organizational management; economic development; marketing, communications and events; planning, design and infrastructure; policy and advocacy; and public space management and operations. Both the Downtown Day Services Center and 311 to Salesforce Integration Project won in the category of Public Space Management and Operations.
“We are honored to be recognized by IDA with not one, but two Pinnacle Awards for our latest projects and initiatives,” said BID President and CEO Neil Albert. “Innovation and compassion are two pillars of our success and these awards validate the priorities our board and leadership have invested in recently.”
The Downtown Day Services Center (“The Center”) offers services to individuals experiencing homelessness. The Center utilizes a housing-first model and offers on-site support by providing a multitude of services within a single point of access. These services include food and beverages, restroom facilities, showers, laundry, housing services, non-driver identification, employment assistance, case management, legal services, vital records, healthcare, disability application, harm reduction services, computer access, social activities/entertainment.
“The DowntownDC BID’s innovative projects received the IDA Pinnacle Award for setting the new standard for improving cities worldwide,” said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “Both the Downtown Day Services Center and 311 to Salesforce Integration Project have made an impact on its city and the people who live, work and play in the community, and demonstrates the continued commitment to champion livable, vital and thriving urban centers.”
The DowntownDC BID worked with its contractor, Cube84, to integrate the BID’s Salesforce database with the District of Columbia’s 311, non-emergency hotline. The BID works to monitor elements of public space such as sidewalks, streetlights, and street signs to help ensure they stay in a state of good repair. The BID reports defects in public space to 311 (referred to as cases) and works directly with the city agencies to ensure repairs are made in a timely manner. Before this project, there was no organized system to report and track these cases outside of an excel document. The project has increased efficiency in the process by well over 100 percent. Managing and reporting on cases has never been easier. The project has improved the efficiency, organization, and efficacy of tracking public space defects in DowntownDC.
Washington, DC-based IDA is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. The DownttownDC BID is the urban place management organization representing the interests of property owners in downtown Washington, D.C.
IDA will convene virtually this October for a three-day conference themed Forward Together to discuss topics facing downtowns and city centers. [Insert name, title and organization] will present about their award-winning project during [session title] at the 66th Annual Conference & Marketplace, October 6-8, 2020. For more information about the session and conference, please visit the event webpage.
IDA’s members have a proven track record of creating collaborative public-private partnerships to tackle weighty issues. More than 2,500 downtown management districts exist in cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Place management organizations affect significant change in every major metropolitan area throughout North America in an industry that is growing rapidly around the globe. Place management work touches every discipline of city building, including economic development, leadership, marketing, events, public space management, policy, planning and infrastructure.
The 2020 Downtown Achievement Awards are sponsored by Grow with Google. Additional information on the Pinnacle award winners can be found online at downtown.org in early October.
IDA’s Annual Conference & Marketplace is the premier gathering for professional placemakers and urban champions creating vibrant and healthy cities around the world. The conference features educational sessions, Master Talks (short keynotes from industry leaders), marketplace exhibitors and online opportunities for members from around the world to network. Additional conference information is available here.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Narrean Marsden
Marketing & Communications Assistant
DowntownDC Business Improvement District
(202) 290-5178
narrean@downtowndc.org
Allison Shashok
Director of Membership & Marketing
International Downtown Assication
(202) 798-5926
allison@downtown.org
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About the DowntownDC Business Improvement District
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was founded in 1997 and is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research that keep the BID area clean, safe, economically and environmentally strong and accessible. The DowntownDC BID is a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader in diversifying the economy, promoting public/private partnerships and enhancing the DowntownDC experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 520 properties from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. For more information, visit DowntownDC.org or follow us on Twitter @downtowndcbid.
About IDA
IDA is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. Our members are city builders and downtown champions who bring urban centers to life, bridging the gap between the public and private sectors. We represent an industry of more than 2,500 place management organizations, employing 100,000 people throughout North America and growing rapidly around the world. Founded in 1954, IDA is a resource center for ideas and innovative best practices in urban place management. For more information, visit www.downtown.org.