As charming downtown commercial districts pop up across the country, it’s difficult to imagine a time when a thriving main street, lined with mom-and-pop storefronts and unique eateries, wasn’t appreciated as an economic asset attracting visitors to your city and keeping resident’s discretionary spending at home. Yet this is precisely why many downtowns are struggling to regain their former vitality.
Think back to a time when interstate highways revolutionized travel and shopping malls were the place to be. Merchants fled decaying downtowns for these shopping meccas where authenticity and local character were sacrificed for predictability and convenience.
The dramatic decline in historic downtowns led to the 1977 launch of a three-year pilot program by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to develop a comprehensive revitalization strategy to save historic downtowns. Today, in 46 states and over 1,200 communities, the National Trust Main Street Center’s Main Street Program serves as a catalyst for investment, job creation and improved quality of life.
The Main Street Four-Point Approach leverages local assets to capture the essence of a community’s unique character. With proven success stories across the country, it is a community-driven economic development strategy that succeeds by focusing on four key pillars of downtown revitalization:
- Organization: Supporting downtown revitalization with an organizational structure that supports a common vision, public-private partnerships and collaborative strategies.
- Promotion: Defining a consistent image for downtown that represents the destination’s unique attributes, increases visitation and maximizes visitor spending.
- Design: Refining the physical image of downtown – streetscapes, sidewalks, storefronts, parks – as well as the functionality of public spaces to create an inviting environment.
- Economic Restructuring: Strengthening economic assets while diversifying the community’s economic base.
A sustainable downtown revitalization effort takes time, persistence and a well-crafted strategy. Is your downtown serving as a catalyst for economic development and tourism?