Downtown revitalization and urban space: A case study in downtown Bryan, Texas

• Explores impacts of downtown revitalization through the case study of Downtown Bryan, Texas
• Methodology is based on indicators, before and after the revitalization at different spatial scales.
• Results show an ongoing process of recovering downtown Bryan with many issues remaining.
• Growth and decentralization tensions play an important role in downtown revitalization.

Many cities worldwide are making efforts to revitalize their downtowns. However, limited attention seems to be given to the evaluation of these redevelopment processes. The objective of this paper is to analyze the main impacts of downtown revitalization on urban spatial structure. Our case study is Bryan and College Station, two small-cities comprising a continuous urban area in central-east Texas, and we focus on downtown Bryan revitalization process. The evaluation is addressed from socio-economic and spatial perspectives, and the methodology is based on a comparative analysis of some key indicators. The performance of the indicators is compared in time (before and after the beginning of revitalization efforts) and also in different spatial scales. The results show an increase in land values, reversing the depreciation of downtown properties; however the effects on population and local economic activity indicators showed mixed results. After 15 years of efforts, downtown Bryan is undergoing a process of recovering its centrality but the resulting development pattern is spatially uneven until now. The paper ends with some recommendations regarding the evaluation of the revitalization efforts.