International Downtown Association
The International Downtown Association (IDA) is the leading global membership organization for people and organizations working to manage, strengthen, and shape downtowns, city centers, and other urban districts. Founded in 1954, IDA represents the growing field of urban place management—the network of downtown associations, business improvement districts and areas (BIDs and BIAs), alliances, partnerships, public agencies, and other organizations working at the intersection of the public, private, and community sectors.
IDA connects practitioners across cities to share knowledge, research, strategies, and lessons from the day-to-day work of making urban places function. Its work spans economic development, public-space management and operations, planning and design, marketing and events, organizational leadership, and policy and advocacy. Through conferences, professional development, research, peer networks, publications, and advocacy, IDA provides an infrastructure for a profession whose practitioners are often responsible for everything from cleaning streets and activating public spaces to supporting businesses, addressing social challenges, and helping communities navigate larger questions about the future of their city centers.
At its heart, IDA is a network of people whose work happens at the scale of the district and the street: the place where policy, economics, design, culture, management, and everyday urban life meet.