Greensboro Leaders Walk with Downtown Businesses, Seek Solutions

City council members engage local businesses to understand challenges and explore ways to support the downtown experience.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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In the wake of recent restaurant closures in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, new city council members conducted a series of business engagement walks to hear directly from local business owners about the challenges they face. During the final walk, five council members joined business owners for a stroll through downtown to identify areas for improvement, such as parking, lighting, noise, and police patrols. While no official decisions were made, the leaders say the walks were a way to workshop ideas together and get feedback on future downtown progress initiatives.

Why it matters

The business engagement walks represent a proactive effort by Greensboro's new city council to directly connect with the local business community and understand their needs. This approach aims to foster a collaborative relationship between the city government and downtown businesses, which is crucial for supporting the long-term vitality and growth of the city's commercial center.

The details

The business engagement walks were the last of three such events organized by Greensboro's city council. During the final walk, council members heard common concerns from business owners, including issues related to parking, lighting, noise, and police patrols. While the council members acknowledged they cannot solve every challenge facing businesses in the current economic climate, they see the walks as a way to workshop ideas and explore potential solutions that the city can implement.

  • The business engagement walks took place in February 2026.
  • The final walk, which included five council members, occurred on February 23, 2026.

The players

Adam Marshall

A Greensboro city council member who participated in the final business engagement walk, his first opportunity to do so.

Greensboro City Council

The city council members who organized and participated in the series of business engagement walks to hear directly from local downtown business owners.

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What they’re saying

“We're trying to listen to the owners, see what we can do as a council to alleviate some of the stresses and the pain points. We can't solve everything, but there may be some things that we can address.”

— Adam Marshall, City Council Member (myfox8.com)

“With this new council, we're engaged. We're listening. I think the business owners appreciate the fact that we're coming to where they are to hear what they're dealing with every day. Instead of just, you know, emails back and forth. We're meeting them where they are to see what's going on and, again, what we can do to try to address some of those things.”

— Adam Marshall, City Council Member (myfox8.com)

What’s next

The city council plans to gather the feedback and insights from the business engagement walks, discuss them with city staff, and explore potential solutions and actions the city can take to address the challenges faced by downtown businesses.

The takeaway

Greensboro's new city council is demonstrating a proactive and collaborative approach to supporting the local business community by directly engaging with downtown business owners. This effort to understand their needs and workshop potential solutions together represents a promising step towards fostering a thriving commercial center in the city.