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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

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Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

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Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

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People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

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Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities

2022 was a monumental year for Main Street America and the Main Street Movement, and that excitement and momentum was reflected on our blog. From the ongoing pivots needed to meet changing community needs to the timeless power of place, these are the most popular blog posts we published this year.

The Importance of Place

Ed McMahon, MSA Board Chair Emeritus, January 5


“Change is inevitable, but the destruction of community character and identity is not.”

2022 started off strong with this powerful, thought-provoking piece by Main Street America Board Chair Emeritus Ed McMahon on the role that place plays in shaping community character, identity, and more. He advocates for “placekeeping,” the preservation of the cultural, historic, and social features that define and enrich a community. This includes maintaining public spaces, restoring historic architectural features, conserving natural resources, and designing new developments that fit in with the existing community identity.

Read More >

10 Predictions for 2022

Matt Wagner, PhD, MSA Chief Program Officer January 12

“Focus on helping your businesses diversify revenue streams beyond walk-in traffic to strengthen and grow the economic base of your district.”

Matt Wagner is well-known for his prescient predictions, and this year was no exception. His vision for 2022 included an increase in tiny homes, cost issues stemming from the supply chain, tourism driven by electric car charging needs, a continued reliance on e-commerce, and more. Read this article to see how his predictions for the year stacked up against reality.

Read More >

Findings from the Winter 2022 Small Business Survey

Mike Powe, PhD, MSA Director of Research, March 22


“26% of small business owners said they were extremely confident (10 out of 10), and 59% rated their confidence as an 8, 9, or 10.”

The start of this year was marred by the hardships and uncertainty that had so-far defined the pandemic, but our small business survey also found a lot of hope. PPP loans and other federal programs had successful saved many Main Street businesses, with some districts reporting more business starts than closures. Despite this good news, many were concerned about inflation and supply-chain problems, fears which were justified later in the year.

Read More >

Sign Regulation

Ed McMahon, MSA Board Chair Emeritus, May 25

“Sign regulation is one of the most powerful actions a community can take to make an immediate, visible change in its physical environment.”

Ed McMahon brought his decades-long expertise in historic preservation to the Main Street network in May with this detailed piece on the importance of sign regulation in historic commercial districts. Signs play an important role in the look and feel of a district, and Ed argues that Main Streets need to pay special attention to what their signs are saying to visitors. He lays out the different kinds of signs and the unique considerations for each, as well as the legal and economic challenges of regulating them.

Read More >

Catalyzing Upper Floor Housing with the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program

Emily Kurash Casey, Rethos’ Director of Community Programs, August 2


“Making upper floors not only habitable, but accessible and safe, is crucial to the continuation of successful downtown districts.”

Rethos, the Coordinating partner for Minnesota Main Streets, showed the power of creative thinking for funding small-scale development with their new initiative, “Looking Up.” They were awarded a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant of $700,000, which they will re-grant to Minnesota communities to support housing development projects in vacant second stories of historic downtown buildings. Main Street America’s research has found that 75% of Main Street managers feel that there is not enough housing to accommodate everyone who wants to live in their district, and innovative projects like “Looking Up” can help meet that demand.

Read More >

Farmers Markets as a Transformation Strategy for Main Streets

Marta Olmos, MSA Communications Coordinator, August 9

“Farmers Markets are businesses, but they are also community builders.”

For National Farmers Market Week, Main Street America explored the potential of farmers markets as a transformation strategy for Main Street districts. We interviewed Main Street staff across the country to learn how they have used farmers markets to connect with each of the four points and bring new life to their districts. From small business support programs to fun social promotions, these Main Streets are making farmers markets cool again. 

Read More >

Beyond Passing the Plate - The Main Street America Small Deal Initiative

Patrice Frey, MSA Senior Advisor, September 27


“Without a scalable solution, the lack of capital will continue to suppress economic development, marginalize communities of color and rural places, and perpetuate our culture of waste and environmental destruction by leaving high quality existing buildings vacant or underutilized.”

2022 was a year full of transitions including Patrice Frey’s decision to step down from her position as our President and CEO and shift to serving as the Senior Advisor of our new Small Deal Initiative. This important and necessary project seeks to bridge the funding gaps facing small-scale development projects in historic commercial districts, who often rely on self-financing or other tenuous sources. The Small Deal Initiative is currently conducting research to gain a better understand the specific challenges and needs facing our communities before digging deeper into solutions.

Read More >

Thank you for an amazing year! Stay tuned for for more thought-provoking blogs in 2023.