Let’s Talk Trends – A Preview of P.U.M.A.’s Top 10 Global Trends Affecting Downtowns and How to Respond

October 13, 2026

As a precursor to the Revive+Thrive event, the Denver BID Council and Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.) cohosted a reception to celebrate the launch of P.U.M.A.’s 2026 Global Trends Report ahead of its official unveiling that took place at the International Downtown Association Conference in Toronto in September. P.U.M.A. President and Founding Partner Brad Segal outlined the report’s 20-year history, now in its seventh edition. Members of the Denver BID Council and Downtown Colorado Inc., along with representatives from throughout the front range, were the first to hear the trends that have emerged since the last iteration of the report in 2020.

Although downtowns and commercial districts have rebounded considerably, the report cautioned that downtowns must evolve, and so must the organizations that manage them. Hyperlocal leadership is central to recovery and competitiveness.

P.U.M.A Senior Associate Michelle Valeri presented the overview of the report’s 10 trends and moderated a panel discussion of downtown champions who shared their reactions to the trends and how they plan to make their downtowns even more vibrant by addressing these issues and leveraging opportunities. The panelists included:

  • Tami Door, Downtown Boulder Partnership
  • Chelsea Gondeck, Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs
  • Terry Madeksza, RiNo Business Improvement District
  • Terri Takata-Smith, Downtown Boulder Partnership
  • Implications for Downtown Management Organizations (BIDs/DMOs)

Evolving from clean and safe service providers to transformational change agents engaged in investment, financing, and real estate dynamics is key. Recommendations include:

  • Elevate experiences and quality (safe, clean as well as programmed for interactivity, pop-ups and community participation).
  • Master communications and narrative to prevent and address misinformation in low-trust, fragmented media environments.
  • Welcome and celebrate all local cultures; build teams reflecting community values.
  • Address affordability through advocacy and business mix, including value retail.
  • Diversify and protect revenue beyond assessments; explore funding/structural options.
  • Adopt practical AI to enhance operations and preparedness.
  • Lead climate resilience efforts at a hyperlocal level.

The full report can be downloaded here and examines the trends through three lenses: demographics, lifestyles, and disruption. Downtowns are no longer defined by pandemic recovery alone, but by a new set of structural conditions: slower demographic growth, a transformed office market, housing and affordability pressures, political instability, climate costs, artificial intelligence, and shifting consumer and workforce behaviors.

For invitations to sneak-peek events and access to valuable resources and playbooks, join the Denver BID Council or Downtown Colorado, Inc. We welcome corporate sponsors for our events to help support this programming that benefits communities across Colorado. Read more about our events and sponsorship on our sponsor page.