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It happens all the time: there are certain things entrepreneurs and commercial property owners know they need in their business district to really thrive\u2014a relentless approach to maintenance, a high level of cleanliness, increased public safety, splashes of beauty, physical improvements, etc.\u2014yet their town or city can\u2019t afford to provide them.\nHow to fill those gaps? For an increasing number of places, the answer is to form a business improvement district. Business improvement districts are designed to help close the gaps in communities without the tax base to provide the services and improvements essential for economic development.\nToday\u2019s guest on the Strong Towns podcast is an expert on business improvement districts. Chris Bernardo is president and CEO of Commercial District Services, a Jersey City-based firm that manages business improvement districts in New York and Bernardo's native New Jersey. In this episode, Bernardo and Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn talk about why many cities don\u2019t have the resources to keep a place looking good and working well, how that hurts businesses, and why business improvement districts are a powerful and flexible solution. They contrast how cities usually approach maintenance with how Disney theme parks approach maintenance. And they talk about why the business improvement district is a pragmatic and practical model more cities should be utilizing.\nAdditional Show Notes\nCommercial District Services\nChris Bernardo (LinkedIn)\nChris Bernardo (Twitter)\nCharles Marohn (Twitter)\nBecome a Strong Towns member\nRelated Strong Towns content on economic development and maintenance\n\u201cIf We\u2019re Not Going to Maintain What We Have, Then Why Bother Building Anything New?\u201d by Charles Marohn\n\u201cWhat we can learn from Disney's Main Street,\u201d by Michael von Hausen\n\u201cAmid COVID-19, Local Governments Are Coming Through for Local Businesses,\u201d by Daniel Herriges\n\u201cHow should my town be doing economic recovery right now?\u201d by Rachel Quednau\n\u201cHow Paul Stewart Inspired His Neighbors to Revitalize Their Declining Neighborhoods\u201d\n\u201cChris Gibbons: This Is How You Grow a Local Economy\u201d (Podcast)\n\u201cHow Does Your (Economic) Garden Grow?\u201d (Podcast)