BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Salt Lake City, Utah, Columbus, Ohio, and Bakersfield, California have one thing in common. All those cities' downtown activity actually grew after the pandemic.
Bakersfield’s recovery quotient was 117 percent meaning the city is seeing 17 percent more activity compared to March of 2019. According to the study done by UC Berkeley, the only other U.S. city to increase downtown activity in comparison to March of 2019 was Fresno.
UC Berkeley measured this data using a mathematical equation by dividing the points of interest in 2022 by the ones in 2019. They found the points of interest by cell phone location data.
According to local business owners they say the community is the cause.
“This community is amazing. I don’t think there’s much that would hold us down we are amazing this city is amazing,” said Tina Brown, the owner of Tina Marie’s Downtown Cafe.
Visits to downtown points of interest were measured by proximity, how long someone stayed at the location, opening hours, and type of industry and business.
