The positive effects of landscaping for small businesses are not immediately apparent. During construction work, movement for pedestrians on the street is difficult and profits drop. Therefore, the entrepreneur is interested in speeding up the beautification process and minimizing losses. Profit measurements after one year showed a return to pre-development figures of 70% and an increase in profits of 30%.
During the study, some entrepreneurs reported an increase in profits on weekends (+20%), on average 20% increased the number of tourists among visitors.
Western studies record a steady increase in profits 2-3 years after the improvement. The most pedestrian-dependent areas of business feel the positive effects of beautification the fastest. For example, in 17 California cities, the Main Street California program lasted from 1985 to 2001, resulting in a 105 percent increase in retail sales, a 167 percent increase in market value of commercial real estate, and a 76 percent decrease in vacant commercial space. After the 2008 redevelopment of Vanderbilt Avenue in New York City, retail, restaurant and bar sales increased 39% in the first year and doubled two more years later.
In addition to increasing profits, beautification for businesses becomes a contribution to social capital. For large enterprises and organizations there are programs of corporate social responsibility, aimed at improving the quality of the urban environment, including in single-industry towns. For example, a metallurgical holding supports the festival of urban environment and culture, and manufacturers of building materials help restore the historic urban environment at the festival. A businessman used his own funds to make an experimental lawn in the city, protecting the roadway from pollution, because he was “tired of the dirt in the city. It turns out that the entrepreneur, like the citizen, is the ultimate “consumer” of beautification, but has more opportunities to change the urban environment.
