IDA

IDA Top Issues Councils bring industry leaders together to produce high-quality research publications on the top issues facing urban place management organizations. Top Issues Councils Briefs highlight emerging trends in the place management industry, and bring together member-practitioners working directly in these fields to share trends and case studies. The pandemic and its lingering effects have forced UPMOs and other downtown stakeholders to view the city in a different way. This year’s TIC Briefs focus on the innovations in programs and services that many UPMOs provide.

Over the course of 3 months, each Council, with no more than 6 members, will produce a research brief to be published by IDA that will include summaries of the key trends and case studies relevant to each emerging issue. Serving on an IDA Top Issues Council provides an opportunity for an engaged leadership role within IDA; to connect with fellow practitioners and expand your network; to learn more in depth about a topic relevant to your work; and to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the urban place management industry.
Each Council is led by a chair that has expertise in the issue area. The Council Chair is the key lead on the project, and responsible for pulling everyone together to meet IDA deadlines. IDA staff will work most closely with the Chair to refine the topic and guide on TIC expectations.

Council members are selected based upon the following application form, as well as by topic, expertise, diverse demographics (including geographic location, city size, IDA involvement, etc.). All Council members must commit to active participation from March – May 2023. All members are expected to contribute in all Council calls, conduct research, and contribute approximately 15% of the original writing to the briefs. Weekly 1-hour calls will be held with all Council members and IDA staff to check in and share findings and progress.
Council members must be IDA members. Each Council must be a majority of downtown or district management professionals, as this is not an avenue to outwardly endorse a particular service or company. One corporate member slot per council may be reserved for a sponsoring organization.

Questions? Email IDA's Research Manager, Clay Daneker, at clay@downtown.org