• Improve Safety: Address homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance abuse while enhancing public safety.

• Improve Walkability: Connect key districts like the Historic Arts and Theatre District and Canal Park with walkable, well-designed spaces that unify downtown and make it accessible to all.

• Branding: Establish a unique brand that captures Duluth’s character. Improve wayfinding so residents and visitors can easily discover downtown’s local businesses, events, and attractions.

• Activate Public Spaces:
  Invigorate public spaces with year-round programming, including winter activities at Gichi-ode’ Akiing Park, the Lake Superior Plaza, and commercial clusters.

• Identify Redevelopment Opportunities: Revitalize underutilized buildings and spaces, turning them into housing and mixed-use developments that add vibrancy to the area and help address housing shortages.

Imagine Downtown is a vision for Duluth’s downtown. We envision a downtown neighborhood filled with opportunities, community connections, and more diverse housing. This plan intends to bring energy and life to downtown through public space improvements, mixed-use development, and exciting home-grown activations to bring community downtown for fun, work, and community building.

Explore the full Imagine Downtown 5-Year Work Plan, including data, community input, focus area strategies, and the Catalytic Projects designed to bring the vision to life. Read the full plan here.

Get the highlights of the Imagine Downtown 5-Year Work Plan — the community’s shared vision, top priorities, and key strategies shaping the future of Downtown Duluth. Read the Executive Summary here.

Here are the main goals we’re working toward:

The nationally recognized consulting team, MIG, is guiding our work. MIG is comprised of planners, designers, urban strategists, and storytellers who have helped revitalize downtowns across the country.