Everyday there are more vacant storefronts and struggling businesses. But we can fix it.
Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing will help you implement changes for a thriving local economy.
Learn why communities across the country are failing.
Gain tools to build strong local businesses.
Discover how to reinvest in your downtown.
Find ways to create inclusive economic opportunities.
Buy the Book
Plus: Get this Great Bonus
This workbook will give you all the steps to get it done, worksheets to get through all the details, and clear ways to get to the actions you know your downtown desperately needs.
Praise for Recast Your City
"Ilana Preuss dramatically illustrates how a critical-but-traditional part of cities can be revitalized and act as a catalyst to transform a community. This book outlines practical suggestions on how to re-imagine a vision for communities willing to reach for the future rather than maintain the status quo. A must read for everyone who cares about their community."
Tom Murphy, Senior Fellow, Urban Land Institute and former Mayor of Pittsburgh
"Recast Your City reminds us that every community is full of magic, but we practitioners often fall short on imagination and inclusion. Preuss guides us to let go of antiquated economic development norms to celebrate these special places. If you follow her lead to honor the charm of your community, the possibilities to boost local pride and economies are endless."
Yonina M. Gray, Director of External Relations, Reinvestment Fund
"Preuss totally hits the nail on the head with her critique of misguided American economic development practices that favor chasing big businesses over cultivating small ones, that favor big real estate deals over smaller-scale investments in downtowns and neighborhoods, and that have left millions of people on the sidelines. She makes a powerful argument for the tremendous potential of small-scale manufacturers to transform economies through incremental, inclusive growth. Our communities would be much healthier and more equitable places if this book were required reading for all elected officials and economic development professionals."
Kennedy Smith, Senior Researcher, Institute for Local Self-Reliance and former director, National Main Street Center
"Ilana’s book is a treasure for everyone who loves their city. It provides an actionable roadmap to revitalize downtowns in the modern economy. Ilana shows that by lifting up people who make things, and engaging the community to help, every city can generate impressive results. Recast Your City provides stories about how this approach has been successful in communities large and small."
Victor W. Hwang, Founder & CEO, Right to Start
"This book is a voice for economic development in places ready to build something new. It helps cities identify small businesses looking to scale, gives cities a new way to connect them to needed resources, and invites investors to be a part of something bigger."
Sandy Dunbeck, Director of High Point Economic Development and Director of the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance
Meet the Author: Ilana Preuss
Ilana is the Founder & CEO of Recast City, and the author of, Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing, released by Island Press June 2021.
Preuss’ passion for great places grew out of her experience working with big and small cities all over the country when she led the technical assistance program at the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Program, and as the Vice President & Chief of Staff at Smart Growth America.
As the daughter of a maker (you should see her mother’s quilts!) and a life-long city lover (her father still teaches her how to wander cities well!), Ilana combined her love of places, locals who love those places, and her impatience to make things happen NOW in communities into a new firm.
Through Recast City, she partners with local leaders to bring main street back to life, bring business back to downtown, and build an inclusive and resilient economy. All by bringing small-scale manufacturing businesses into redevelopment projects and place-based economic development. She is passionate about making great places and sees that small-scale product businesses are a missing piece in today’s mixed-use development, commercial property repositioning, and local economic development strategy.
When Preuss is not onsite with a city or coaching a community leader, she can be found cooking up a storm with her two amazing teens. She lives in Maryland, always hunts down the local chocolate production business, and still sings along to all 80’s music.
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