Business Improvement Districts in Southern California: Implications for Local Governance

Abstract:

This article provides an assessment of the nature and functioning of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the metropolitan area of the Southern California region. While modern BIDs date back to the mid-1960s, the emergence of BIDs is a relatively new phenomenon. The increasing numbers of BID in metropolitan areas have governance and jurisdictional implications. These implications are the central concern of this article. The governance and jurisdictional issues are examined with four research questions: Why and how were BIDs established? How do BIDs function? How are BIDs held accountable? Are BIDs effective? This article relies on case study research of five BIDs located in various areas of Southern California. Interviews were conducted with BID managers and local government representatives. Contextual information was gathered from state laws, official documents, and websites.

Keywords:

• business improvement district
• collaborative public management
• local governance
• public-private partnership
• special districts

Acknowledgments

Originally presented by the authors at the American Society for Public Administration Conference, Portland, OR; March 27–30, 2004. The panel was entitled “Business Improvement Districts: Local Government and Interjurisdictional Implications.” Appreciation goes to Gabriela Hurtado Gutierrez, doctoral research assistant, for her editing of this manuscript.

Notes

3. City of Los Angeles. Citywide Business Improvement District. Los Angeles City Clerk, Administrative Services Division, Special Assessment Section, Business Improvement Program: Los Angeles, 2002.

4. Meek, J.W.; Hubler, P. Southern California BID Interviews, 2003–2004 (Unpublished Notes). Interviews were conducted with Donald Spivak, Deputy Administrator, Community Redevelopment Agency/Los Angeles in the summer of 2003; Gail Stewart, Downtown Manager, City of Burbank on July 22, 2003; John A. Lambeth, President, Downtown Resources on July 22, 2003; Kent Smith, Executive Director, LA Fashion District BID on October 6, 2003; Kraig Kojian, President and CEO, Downtown Long Beach Associates on November 3, 2003; Maggie Campbell, President and CEO, Old Pasadena Management District on November 12, 2003; Robert Montano, Business District Coordinator, City of Pasadena on March 10, 2004 and Travis Brooks, BID Liaison, City of Long Beach on March 11, 2004.

5. Meek, J.W.; Hubler, P. Southern California BID Interviews, 2003–2004 (Unpublished Notes). Interviews were conducted with Donald Spivak, Deputy Administrator, Community Redevelopment Agency/Los Angeles in the summer of 2003; Gail Stewart, Downtown Manager, City of Burbank on July 22, 2003; John A. Lambeth, President, Downtown Resources on July 22, 2003; Kent Smith, Executive Director, LA Fashion District BID on October 6, 2003; Kraig Kojian, President and CEO, Downtown Long Beach Associates on November 3, 2003; Maggie Campbell, President and CEO, Old Pasadena Management District on November 12, 2003; Robert Montano, Business District Coordinator, City of Pasadena on March 10, 2004 and Travis Brooks, BID Liaison, City of Long Beach on March 11, 2004.

6. Meek, J.W.; Hubler, P. Southern California BID Interviews, 2003–2004 (Unpublished Notes). Interviews were conducted with Donald Spivak, Deputy Administrator, Community Redevelopment Agency/Los Angeles in the summer of 2003; Gail Stewart, Downtown Manager, City of Burbank on July 22, 2003; John A. Lambeth, President, Downtown Resources on July 22, 2003; Kent Smith, Executive Director, LA Fashion District BID on October 6, 2003; Kraig Kojian, President and CEO, Downtown Long Beach Associates on November 3, 2003; Maggie Campbell, President and CEO, Old Pasadena Management District on November 12, 2003; Robert Montano, Business District Coordinator, City of Pasadena on March 10, 2004 and Travis Brooks, BID Liaison, City of Long Beach on March 11, 2004.

7. Meek, J.W.; Hubler, P. Southern California BID Interviews, 2003–2004 (Unpublished Notes). Interviews were conducted with Donald Spivak, Deputy Administrator, Community Redevelopment Agency/Los Angeles in the summer of 2003; Gail Stewart, Downtown Manager, City of Burbank on July 22, 2003; John A. Lambeth, President, Downtown Resources on July 22, 2003; Kent Smith, Executive Director, LA Fashion District BID on October 6, 2003; Kraig Kojian, President and CEO, Downtown Long Beach Associates on November 3, 2003; Maggie Campbell, President and CEO, Old Pasadena Management District on November 12, 2003; Robert Montano, Business District Coordinator, City of Pasadena on March 10, 2004 and Travis Brooks, BID Liaison, City of Long Beach on March 11, 2004.

9. Meek, J.W.; Hubler, P. Southern California BID Interviews, 2003–2004 (Unpublished Notes). Interviews were conducted with Donald Spivak, Deputy Administrator, Community Redevelopment Agency/Los Angeles in the summer of 2003; Gail Stewart, Downtown Manager, City of Burbank on July 22, 2003; John A. Lambeth, President, Downtown Resources on July 22, 2003; Kent Smith, Executive Director, LA Fashion District BID on October 6, 2003; Kraig Kojian, President and CEO, Downtown Long Beach Associates on November 3, 2003; Maggie Campbell, President and CEO, Old Pasadena Management District on November 12, 2003; Robert Montano, Business District Coordinator, City of Pasadena on March 10, 2004 and Travis Brooks, BID Liaison, City of Long Beach on March 11, 2004.

17. Mitchell, J. Business Improvement Districts and Innovative Service Delivery November 1999, report sponsored by a grant from The PricewaterhouseCoopers Endowment for the Business of Government.